Summary
This is an open continuous announcement. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available. The Infection Prevention and Control Nurse is a professional registered nurse who is accountable for the multiple facets of the Puget Sound VA Healthcare System Infection Prevention Program.
Duties
Reviews and analyzes existing regulations, standards, and/or guidelines of applicable professional organizations and government agencies and ensures medical center programs comply with regulatory agency requirements as related to Infection Prevention and Control. Applies epidemiological principles and statistical methods, including risk stratification, to identify target populations, analyze trends and risk factors, and design and evaluate prevention and control strategies. Uses a systematic approach to surveillance to monitor the effectiveness of prevention and control strategies that are consistent with the organization's goals and objectives. Identify and implement infection prevention and control strategies according to specific topics such as hand hygiene, cleaning, disinfection & sterilization, direct and indirect patient care settings, therapeutic and diagnostic procedures and devices, use of isolation precautions, patient placement, environmental hazards, use of patient care products and medical equipment, construction & renovation, and influxes of patients with communicable diseases. Uses standardized definitions for the identification and classification of events, indicators, or outcomes. Performs medical record reviews, data abstraction, and data collection to identify Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI) and determine if HAI prevention measures were adhered to. Performs routine audits of professional practices related to infection control. Identify barriers to compliance with procedures and involve HCWs within the organization. Uses appropriate techniques to describe data, calculate rates and critically evaluate the significance of findings as compared to internal and external benchmarks. Utilizes findings to implement and evaluate infection prevention strategies. Reviews and analyzes current scientific literature and publications and recommends new or revised practices or procedures based on currently accepted, evidence-based infection prevention and control strategies. Use data from surveillance findings to identify the need for change and propose intervention/improvement projects. Provides consultation to administration, committees, staff, and managers on issues regarding infection prevention and control. Serves as an educational resource for all employees and clinical staff on infection prevention & control related topics developed by the Infection Prevention Team. Participates in the organization's multidisciplinary performance improvement strategies. Understands adult education principles, can design educational programs, and has effective presentation skills. Routinely assesses the educational needs of the organization and develops educational objectives and strategies to meet those needs and continuously evaluates the effectiveness of educational programs and learner outcomes. Monitors labs and can help identify positive multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs) for immediate review/investigation and isolation precautions as needed. Works with Infection Prevention Team to identify clusters of hospital-associated infections (or other unusual events) through contacts with clinical units and laboratories, through alerts, or through systematic analysis of microbiological laboratory testing. Collaborates with local and state health departments as needed. Reports, as directed, to appropriate committees, governmental agencies, etc. as applicable and integrates relevant public health issues into practice. Participates in review update of policies to improve infection prevention processes and procedures. Serves on medical center committees to communicate, educate, and consult about infection prevention. Acquires and maintains current knowledge and skills in infection prevention and control and epidemiology. Preferred Experience: Certified in Infection Control (CIC) Previous experience as an Infection Prevention and Control Nurse. Bachelor of Science in Nursing or bachelors degree in related field such as Microbiology; MSN degree highly preferred. 3 years RN experience in an inpatient hospital setting VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory Work Schedule: Mon-Fri, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Adhoc only, at the discretion of the hiring manager. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.
Requirements
U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). You may be required to serve a probationary period. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
Education
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. Note: The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission/NLNAC changed its name to ACEN in May 2013. ACEN's website may be utilized to verify accredited programs using automated inquiry processes; however, for verification of any nursing program's accreditation prior to 1998, an automated inquiry cannot be used and ACEN must be contacted directly via their email contact information on the ACEN website to verify. Note: In order to grant credit towards an appointment based on foreign nursing education higher than the associate degree level, formal degree equivalency validation from a recognized degree equivalency evaluation agency accepted by VA such as the International Consultants of Delaware (ICD) must be obtained.
How you will be evaluated
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. NOTE: Candidate's education, scope, and length of nursing practice (experience) will be considered in determining the grade and salary of the applicant selected. The recommended salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy. Experience as an RN will be evaluated to determine if the experience is of an acceptable level of quality with regard to the following five dimensions of nursing: Practice, Veteran/Patient Driven Care, Leadership, Professional Development, and Evidence/Based Practice/Research. Each dimension of practice has criteria that demonstrate essential core competencies for VHA Nursing Personnel. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.