Infection Prevention Specialist

At Duke Health, we're driven by a commitment to compassionate care that changes the lives of patients, their loved ones, and the greater community. No matter where your talents lie, join us and discover how we can advance health together.

About Duke Regional Hospital

Pursue your passion for caring with Duke Regional Hospital in Durham, North Carolina. With 388 beds it is the second largest of Duke Health's four hospitals and offers a comprehensive range ofmedical, surgical, and diagnostic services, including orthopedics, weight-loss surgery, women's services, and heart and vascular services.

Duke Nursing Highlights:

• Duke University Health System is designated as a Magnet organization
• Nurses from each hospital are consistently recognized each year as North Carolina's Great 100 Nurses.
• Duke University Health System was awarded the American Board of Nursing Specialties Award for Nursing Certification Advocacy for being strong advocates of specialty nursing certification.
• Duke University Health System has 6000 + registered nurses
• Quality of Life: Living in the Triangle!
• Relocation Assistance (based on eligibility)

Duke Regional Hospital seeks to hire a Infection Prevention Specialistwho will embrace our mission of Advancing Health Together!

Occ Summary

The Infection Prevention Specialist is trained in hospital epidemiology principles and is responsible for the surveillance, analysis, interpretation and reporting of hospital acquired infections (HAI); educating employees about infection prevention; and the development of health system policies and procedures to insure rigorous infection control standards that meet Joint Commission, OSHA, Centers for Medicaid/Medicare Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other nationally recognized recommendations and requirements.

Job Responsibilities

Surveillance & Reporting

• Performs, coordinates, and directs surveillance processes to identify healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) and adverse outcomes.
• Uses electronic medical records and surveillance systems to review clinical and lab findings for infectious conditions.
• Reports reportable diseases to local health departments as required.

Expert Support & Guidance

• Serves as a content expert on infection prevention for clinical staff, performance improvement teams, and hospital committees.
• Demonstrates knowledge and application of current regulatory and professional society guidelines.
• Performs literature reviews to support performance improvement and practice changes.

Assessment & Compliance

• Assesses situations from an infection prevention perspective and recommends appropriate actions.
• Conducts round in inpatient units, outpatient areas, perioperative areas, and ancillary departments to evaluate compliance with infection prevention practices and regulatory requirements.

Education & Training

• Develops and provides educational programs on infection prevention for all levels of personnel.
• Conducts new employee education on basic infection prevention principles and practices.

Committee & Project Participation

• Assists in preparing agendas, graphs, and materials for Infection Control Committee and performance improvement teams.
• Participates in epidemiological projects/studies to advance infection prevention knowledge.

Research & Professional Development

• Collaborates on academic/professional posters and presentations at conferences; seeks publication in journals.
• Actively pursues professional growth through conferences, workshops, literature review, and networking.

Interpersonal & Professional Conduct

• Demonstrates professionalism and maintains positive working relationships with staff, healthcare personnel, patients, visitors, and community agencies.

Other Responsibilities

• Acquires and maintains current knowledge of infection prevention guidelines and best practices.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Relationship Building & Collaboration

• Capable of building strong relationships with providers and staff and delivering effective solutions.
• Adept at building partnerships and working collaboratively to meet shared objectives and goals.
• Effective at building formal and informal networks inside and outside the organization to advance departmental and institutional goals.

Decision-Making & Adaptability

• Strong decision-making skills with proven success in making timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward.
• Able to work effectively in a complex, fast-changing environment.
• Action-oriented and eager to embrace new opportunities and challenges with urgency, energy, and enthusiasm.
• Resilient in recovering from setbacks and skilled at finding alternative solutions to obstacles.
• Flexible in approach and demeanor to align with changing circumstances.

Planning & Prioritization

• Adept at planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.
• Skilled at learning quickly and applying insights from past efforts to new situations.

Communication & Influence

• Effective communicator, capable of tailoring messages to different audiences and executing communications accordingly.
• Skilled at gaining support and commitment by engaging others around priorities and perspectives.

Technical & Professional Knowledge

• Working knowledge of:
• Patient care practices
• Microbiology, asepsis, disinfection, and sterilization practices
• Adult education principles
• Infectious disease and disease transmission
• Surveillance techniques
• Performance measurement and improvement principles
• Licensing standards and regulations
• Computer skills: Excel, PowerPoint, Word
• Applied knowledge of biostatistics
• Strong written and graphical presentation skills
• Other Requirements
• Must participate in on-call schedule.
• Demonstrates professionalism and commitment to continuous learning.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in nursing, Biology, Microbiology, Medical Technology, Epidemiology, or Master of Public Health (MPH) required.

Experience

• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in acute care hospital or similar required. One year of Infection Prevention experience, preferred.

Degrees, Licensures, Certifications

• RNs - current or compact RN licensure in the state of North Carolina required. MTs - current generalist/specialty certification by a nationally recognized board/agency required. Must obtain CIC within 3 years of hire if not currently certified.