Summary
SEHA is seeking a Senior Infection Prevention and Control Nurse for Corniche Hospital in Abu Dhabi. The role leads infection prevention programs, surveillance and investigations, and advises clinical and support teams on practices that reduce healthcare-associated infections. Duties include developing policies, investigating outbreaks, analyzing surveillance data, and reporting notifiable diseases to HAAD. Applicants need a nursing or midwifery bachelor’s degree or equivalent, a HAAD nursing or midwifery licence, at least five years of postgraduate acute-care hospital experience, and at least two years in infection prevention and control; a master’s degree and CIC certification are preferred.
The posting
As published on seha.ae. Pulled from the employer's site and shown as they wrote it.
To act as Infection Prevention & Control Expert and to implement, promote and maintain an active infection control program through surveillance and investigative activities, consultation, education, policy development, risk assessment, product evaluation and research. To work collaboratively with clinical staff, departments and administration to reduce the risk of healthcare associated infections among patients. To assure that facilities and services are in compliance with infection control practice as well as local, state and regulatory infection control standards.
Responsibilities
- Providing consultation and expert advice in infection control practice for professional staff, administrative, medical, clinical, patient care and support services.
- Collaborating with all departments on departmental policies related to infection control.
- Providing advice to occupational health, laboratory staff and the risk manager in the event of a blood borne pathogen and body fluid exposure incident or any other Infection Prevention and Control issue.
- Establishing needs assessment for all departments around infection prevention and control issues.
- Collaborating with all departments on departmental policies related to infection control.
- Assisting line manager in related policy development and/or review or revision.
- Playing a key role in infection prevention and control committee.
- Representing the infection prevention and control team in external meetings.
- Conducting product evaluation activities related to the field of Infection Prevention & Control.
- Leading implementation of evidence based infection prevention and control strategies in conjunction with a multidisciplinary team that is effective and improves patient outcome.
- Making self-accessible for infection prevention and control consultation in all phases of the change process.
- Leading integration of prevention activities within and across departments.
- Leading financial/value analysis of programs and related projects.
- Building relationships with staff, peers and colleagues to support interdisciplinary and interdepartmental planning, aimed at improving patient outcomes.
- Providing bedside clinical consultations to nurses, physicians and allied health professionals related to infection prevention and control.
- Demonstrating knowledge of microbiological and epidemiological principles and isolation precautions when addressing the purchase of resources (e.g., personal protective equipment).
- Communicating with HAAD on reportable infectious diseases, endemic and epidemic situation in the community.
- Monitoring antibiotic therapy.
- Surveillance and epidemiologic investigation:
• Design and implement surveillance systems according to latest NHSN definitions
• Collecting and reviewing surveillance data related to health care associated infection.
• Analyzing and interpreting the surveillance data.
• Recommending appropriate actions to clinicians and administrators targeted to reduce or eliminate infectious risks in patients and staff.
• Performing active surveillance on targeted device and procedure associated infections in the hospital and following up on epidemiological importance organisms/diseases.
• Conducting outbreak investigations
• Conducting contact tracing related to exposure of patients or/and healthcareworkers to communicable diseases
• Preparing and maintaining confidentiality of all aspects of infection prevention and control surveillance data collection, storage and distribution. - Preventing/controlling the transmission of infectious agents:
• Promoting and implementing infection prevention and control guidelines/standards that improve patient outcome and reduce healthcare-associated infections.
• Collaborating with public health agencies in planning community responses to biologic agents
• Investigating and studying trends in infection prevention and control practices, recommending changes or adjustments in existing practice for performance improvement. - Collaborating with relevant departments on establishing and maintaining an active employee/occupational health program.
- Liaising effectively with other health care providers both internal and external to the organization.
- Maintaining confidentiality and security of patient, family, and organization information in accordance with the confidentiality policy
- Using information technology to access, transmit and produce information as necessary.
- Providing infection prevention and control reports and surveillance monitoring in a timely manner (i.e., monthly).
- Liaising closely with medical and nursing staff in ensuring that all notifiable diseases are reported to HAAD.
- Developing an effective mechanism for communication of infection prevention and control information from patient care areas with feedback of analyzed information.
- Collaborating with multidisciplinary team by providing effective communication and timely feedback in improving quality and patient safety.
Qualifications
Required: RN/RM with Bachelor’s degree in nursing or midwifery or equivalent
Licensing: HAAD licence in Nursing or Midwifery
Desired: Master’s Degree is preferred. Certified in Infection Control (CIC) (i.e. Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology or equivalent) and maintain certification status
Experience Required:
a. NLT 5 years postgraduate experience in an acute care hospital
b. NLT 2 years’ experience in the infection prevention & control field