Infection Prevention Nurse

Job responsibilities

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The key duties and responsibilities of the role are:

Planning and Organisational Skills

Lead and coordinate the IPC team on a daily basis ensuring appropriate prioritisation of workload for the team.

Ensure that the IPC team review high priority patients across the Trust on a daily basis.

Responsible for planning and prioritising own daily workload to ensure that both internal and external deadlines are met.

Lead on and co-ordinate a programme of audits and negotiate with managers to achieve the best possible outcomes for patients and staff.

Undertake projects and service developments relating to infection prevention and control.

Risk assess and advise on appropriate patient placement decisions (as requested by ward managers/senior nurses/patient flow team) to ensure smooth running and optimal bed occupancy with minimal risk.

Contribute to the Infection Control Committee and other management/team meetings and assist with development of the Trusts annual infection control report acquiring information from a wide variety of sources.

Contribute to infection prevention and control policies and advise on related aspects for other Trust-wide policies.

Responsibility for review of infection prevention and control nursing documentation to support effective management and care planning/pathways.

Patient and Client Care

Challenge poor infection prevention and control practices and involve relevant staff to facilitate and improve quality of patient care.

Escalate concerns relating to infection prevention and control where appropriate to the IPC Matron.

Assist with the review of all serious incidents relating to infection prevention and control.

Visit patients/relatives (as requested by clinical teams) to inform and advise in matters of infection prevention and control.

Communication

Communicate in a highly effective manner with all staff groups through a variety of media e.g. presentations, written, verbal (in person and by telephone) and electronic formats.

Through collaborative communication help to ensure that all teams across the Trust are working together in the delivery of the highest standards of IPC practice.

Communicate with all patients in an open, honest and sensitive manner which may include complex, difficult and distressing subjects such as explanation regarding acquisition of multi-resistant bacteria and implications for the patient and his/her family. Also, in line with patients wishes, communicate with relatives.

Support the IPC Matron in the adaptation and implementation of local, regional and national guidance on infection prevention and control.

Collate and provide a wide range of information to a number of teams; and to analyse clinical information, creating written reports for various committees.

Representing the Infection Prevention and Control Team, promote and practice the highest standards of prevention and control of infection at all times. Nurture key relationships and maintain networks within and outside the Trust to ensure teamwork and high-quality, patient centred infection prevention and control is embedded within the Trust.

Knowledge, Training and Experience

Act as an expert resource and provide specialised advice and support on infection prevention and control to staff. Especially with regards to clinical queries, product trials/ research medicines, equipment purchase and non-clinical aspects such as estates building and refurbishments and hotel services.

Use specialist skills and knowledge to promptly identify, investigate and monitor infection and potential infection hazards.

Responsible for individual Continuous Professional Development, to ensure an up-to-date, high level of knowledge of laboratory practices, microbiology, infection prevention and control nursing and both hard and soft facilities management including cleaning and infections control in the built environment.

Work with the Institute for Christie Education to assess infection prevention and control training needs and develop and provide education resources for all staff groups, including corporate induction and mandatory training (as per training matrix) and update as necessary to ensure ongoing compliance with national/regional standards.

Work collaboratively with divisional and clinical teams to investigate all cases of C. diff, MRSA bacteraemia and other relevant infections / outbreaks and assist with identification of actions required to implement and embed through organisational change.

Lead by example as a positive role model and provide visible leadership for the prevention, surveillance, investigation and control of infection within clinical areas.

Analytical and Judgement Skills

Analyse and interpret varied and different types of data, information, and situations which may be highly complex, difficult to communicate and sometimes contentious or sensitive and make judgments on clinical and professional standards especially in relation to infection prevention and control.

Read relevant communications and attend departmental and Trust-wide meetings producing reports as necessary.

Participate in Trust-wide inspections including CODE, Quality Mark, PLACE and PEAT assessments, focussing on a team approach whilst encouraging individual ownership of compliance issues.

Review infection prevention and control audit results and make recommendations at ward/department level for developing action plans to reduce infection rates and improve standards in clinical areas.

Assist with and co-ordinate participation in infection related national audits and surveys and monitor compliance against infection control targets.

Advise on decontamination of medical devices/equipment/furnishings prior to acquisition and subsequently (as requested).

Physical Skills

Undertake infection prevention and control environmental and practice-based audits by accessing all areas across all sites.

Keyboard skills and ability to utilise a variety of computer-based systems

Ability to operate clinical equipment that demands accuracy and dexterity

Responsibility for Policy and Service Development

Contribute to, and where necessary, lead on projects specific to infection prevention and control to minimise the incidence of avoidable harm and promote a culture of continuous quality improvement.

Assist the IPC Matron in the implementation of elements of the Infection Control Strategy.

Participate in the Trust-wide annual audit programme reflecting key Department of Health, NHS and local quality indicators.

Contribute, and if requested, lead on the development of policies and procedures to achieve compliance with the Code of Practice.

Maintain an awareness of up to date professional and clinical practice issues and ensure that national policy is reflected in practice.

Maintain own continuous professional development and promote best practice through education with one to one sessions, small group work, formal presentations and lectures within the Trust. Ensure the development of an open learning culture that stimulates innovation in the delivery of patient care and empowers front line staff.

Lead on and ensure that quality monitoring and assurance audits are performed, findings are shared and action plans are completed.

Promote a culture in which reporting of incidents and root cause analysis is routine practice and is recognised by staff as a means of improving the quality of clinical care, reducing risks to both staff and patients.

Propose changes to own project and make recommendations.

Continually examine opportunities for infection prevention and control improvements.

Responsibility for Financial and Physical Resources

Act responsibly and ensure Trust resources are utilised effectively and efficiently.

Refrain from wilful misuse or interface with anything provided in the interests of health and safety.

Responsibility for Human Resources

Act as a professional resource for the nursing workforce in order to ensure a high quality learning environment is achieved.

Ensure that staff, are supported according to Trust policies and procedures, mentoring, providing practical support and advice on day-to-day work, ensuring staff have access to appropriate training opportunities.

Responsibility for Information Resources

Adhere to the trust Information Governance Policy

Keep records in line with Caldicott principles.

Maintain accurate electronic patient records and audit programme records working with a variety of computer systems (infection control alerting system, infection control audit system, laboratory system, electronic patient record, national HCAI database, national point prevalence database, windows based systems including Outlook, Word and Excel.

Responsibility for Research and Development

Demonstrate ability to apply research-based practice and advocate it to improve services in clinical areas.

Plan, develop and evaluate methods and processes for gathering, analysing, interpreting and presenting data and information.

Deliver projects to comply with key performance indicators.

Advise on innovative opportunities to support others in their projects/programs to maximise benefits.

Freedom to Act

To be responsible for planning and prioritising own daily workload to ensure that both internal and external deadlines are met.

Manage Projects and the infection prevention and control audit programme adhering to deadlines and timeframe for completion.

Interpret results of audits and action plan for improvement and implement along with the Matron and ward/department managers.

Mental Effort

This role will require the post holder to switch tasks to respond to unpredictable needs that arise in clinical area and support staff in ensuring quality standards are maintained on the wards/departments.

Familiarity with multiple computer systems, switching between the various systems to monitor standards and maintain records.

Qualifications

Essential

• RN/Current NMC registration
• Degree or equivalent level of education or experience
• Certificate or diploma in Infection Prevention & Control
• Teaching & Assessing certificate

Desirable

• Evidence of further study/knowledge at Masters level or equivalent in a health-related subject

Experience

Essential

• Relevant experience working in an Infection Prevention and Control team at Band 6 or above
• Experience of assessment, development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care and demonstrating knowledge of infection prevention and control evidence based care
• Experience and knowledge of the management of outbreaks
• Experience of leading and managing change

Desirable

• Experience of leading in policy development
• Experience of project management
• Experience of leading innovative practice
• Experience of leading clinical audit/research and using outcome measures

Skills

Essential

• An up to date understanding of the current issues relating to health care associated infections and strategies for their prevention
• Be able to record, interpret action and disseminate microbiological reports accurately and in line with the Data Protection Act
• Excellent communication skills and interpersonal skills
• Ability to assess and assimilate information and adopt a problem solving approach in order to achieve change
• Able to use persuasive argument effectively with all grades of staff
• Ability to work independently and in a small team and with a range of staff across the organization
• Able to cope with unpredictable workload with frequent interruptions
• Work flexibly
• Ability to assess risks associated with occupational exposure (i.e. sharps injuries) and provides specialist guidance and signposting to treatment and support in line with Trust protocols
• Report writing / Presentation skills
• Computer literate - Be able to accurately input and extract data from NHS computer systems and ICNet; ability to use Word/Excel/PowerPoint etc.

Desirable

• Project management skills

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of current guidance and legislation relating to infection prevention and control
• Understanding of Information
• Governance and Confidentiality Knowledge of research/audit in speciality
• Knowledge of microbiological risk assessments, interpreting data, infection prevention current evidence
• Understanding of equality and diversity issues and how this affects patients, visitors and staff
• Knowledge of research/audit in speciality

VALUES

Essential

• Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviors

OTHER

Essential

• Capability to work some unsocial hours including weekends

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).