Infection Preventionist I

About the role

SHIFT: Day (United States of America)

Seeking Breakthrough Makers

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) offers countless ways to change lives. Our diverse community of more than 20,000 Breakthrough Makers will inspire you to pursue passions, develop expertise, and drive innovation.

At CHOP, your experience is valued; your voice is heard; and your contributions make a difference for patients and families. Join us as we build on our promise to advance pediatric care-and your career.

CHOP does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, or any other legally protected categories in any employment, training, or vendor decisions or programs. CHOP recognizes the critical importance of a workforce rich in varied backgrounds and experiences and engages in ongoing efforts to achieve that through equally varied and non-discriminatory means.

A Brief Overview

This individual will specialize in providing infection prevention and control (IPC) support to designated clinical areas.

Responsibilities will entail performing infection prevention rounding (environmental, hand hygiene, personal protective equipment (PPE), and construction) in clinical areas, investigating clusters or outbreaks of infections, providing education to healthcare providers (HCP) and consulting with healthcare providers and other professionals. The clinical IP will have knowledge and skills of core IPC practices.

Knowledge will be demonstrated through incorporation of infection concepts in education program design and policy and procedure review, novice application of complex IPC topics such as construction and high level disinfection and sterilization (HLD/s) as well as participation in quality performance improvement activities to promote patient safety.

They are responsible for collaborating to promote, implement and sustain effective infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies.

What you will do

• 1. Consultation on IPC Practices
• Offer consultation to HCPs, staff, patients, and families on IPC issues, including isolation and PPE guidance.
• Assess needs, develop, and deliver education tailored to audience learning styles.
• Apply principles of cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization (focus on technical processes/HLD/sterilization).
• Full-time staff will provide on call support on a scheduled rotation.
• Reviews construction plans and designs and completes ICRAs as needed
• 2. Education design & delivery
• Design and deliver IPC education tailored to audience needs and learning styles; foster a conducive learning environment using innovative teaching methodologies.
• 3. Surveillance, collaboration and rounding
• Audit adherence to standard precautions, hand hygiene, transmission-based precautions, and PPE.
• Assess compliance with prevention measures for device-related, surgical and other healthcare associated infections.
• Evaluate environmental cleanliness and patient safety conditions.
• Review daily isolation reports to ensure appropriate transmission-based precautions.
• Use data and basic epidemiologic methods to identify trends, support decisions, and set goals.
• Investigate clusters/outbreaks/unusual infections/exposures with mentorship support; participate in epidemiologic studies as needed.
• Communicate surveillance insights with surveillance IPs and unit/department leaders; collaborate across disciplines to implement prevention strategies.
• Attend surveillance education sessions to maintain competency.
• Review construction plans/designs and complete ICRAs as needed.
• Perform other surveillance duties as assigned.
• 4. Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization
• Apply principles of cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization; identify and address deficiencies in practice.
• 5. Evidence, research, and quality improvement
• Review scientific studies and integrate evidence-based practices.
• Participate in improvement projects to support patient safety and harm reduction.
• 6. Regulatory compliance and risk assessment
• Assist with risk assessments to identify IPC gaps and priorities, support action planning.
• 7. Other duties as assigned

Education Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree Public Health or healthcare related field of study - Required
• Master's Degree Public Health or healthcare related field of study - Preferred

Experience Qualifications

• At least two (2) years as a healthcare professional - Preferred
• At least two (2) years infection prevention - Preferred

Skills and Abilities

• Strong verbal and written communication skills (Required proficiency)
• Experience with National Healthcare Safety Network surveillance definitions (Preferred proficiency)
• Familiarity with electronic health records and electronic surveillance systems, preferably EPIC Bugsy (Preferred proficiency)
• Ability to work independently and with teams in a hybrid environment (Required proficiency)

Licenses and Certifications

• Certification in Infection Control (CIC) - Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology - within 24 months - Required
• Licensed Pharmacist (Pennsylvania) - Pennsylvania State Licensing Board - upon hire - Preferred or
• Medical Technologist (MT) - American Society Clinical Pathologists - upon hire - Preferred or
• Registered Nurse (Pennsylvania) - Pennsylvania State Licensing Board - upon hire - Preferred

Additional information

To carry out its mission, CHOP is committed to supporting the health of our patients, families, workforce, and global community. As a condition of employment, CHOP employees who work in patient care buildings or who have patient facing responsibilities must receive an annual influenza vaccine.

Salary Range

$83,700.00 - $106,700.00 Annually

Salary ranges are shown for full-time jobs. If you're working part-time, your pay will be adjusted accordingly.

At CHOP, we are committed to fair and transparent pay practices. Factors such as skills and experience could result in an offer above the salary range noted in this job posting. Click here for more information regarding CHOP's Compensation and Benefits.