Summary Responsible and accountable for all elements of the nursing process when providing and/or supervising infection control practices. Assesses, plans, implements, & evaluates infection control practices based on age specific components. Assumes responsibility for the coordination of care focused on education, self-management, & customer satisfaction throughout the continuum of care. Follows procedures per established policies & guidelines. Responsibilities https://www.slc.gov/ed/business-development/ https://slchamber.com/essential-resources-to-empower-your-small-business/ The incumbent serves as the resident expert on the hospital's Infection Prevention Program. Responsible for the development and management of the infection prevention and control program. Addresses epidemiologically important issues based on epidemiological principles appropriate to the demographics of the hospital such as geographic, volume of patient encounters, patient population served clinical focus and number of employees. Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following: Surveillance for hospital acquired infections using National Healthcare Safety Network definitions Implementation of the MDRO Prevention Initiative Identification and investigation of all potential outbreaks of infection Development of measures for prevention and control of infections using the interdisciplinary approach Providing in-service education related to infection control to care teams Performance of environmental studies as necessary to investigate epidemics, augment educational efforts, and monitor sterilization activities Reviewing and revising as necessary, Infection Prevention and Control policies in conjunction with individual care teams Serving as consultants to the Occupational Health Program and care teams Serving as liaison to Sterile Processing Service to assist in compliance with reusable medical equipment (RME) requirements Collaborating with Engineering and Facilities Management on Legionella and construction related dust abatement Serving as liaison to local health departments in reporting communicable diseases and consulting on issues related to community health Reviewing requirements by the Joint Commission, Occupational Safety and Health, Office of Inspector General and other external surveying bodies and advising the VASLCHCS in meeting those requirements Reviewing the Infection Prevention and Control Programs, for the hospital, home care and behavioral health, annually Recommending new or revised practices or procedures based on currently accepted, evidence-based infection prevention and control strategies Reviewing, analyzing, and applying pertinent information from current scientific literature and publications Recognizing populations who are at high risk for infection, utilizing the principles of human growth and development to assess patient's requirements relative to age specific needs Applying 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 Using appropriate statistical techniques to describe the data, calculate rates, and critically evaluate significance of findings Developing the organization's surveillance plan based on the population(s) served, services provided, and previous surveillance data, if available Using standardized definitions for the identification and classification of events, indicators, or outcomes Analyzing data utilizing internal and external (if appropriate) benchmarks Reporting epidemiologically significant findings to appropriate parties in a timely manner Evaluating the effectiveness of the surveillance plan annually. Other duties as assigned Preferred Experience: Prefer Master's Prepared Registered Nurse Prefer Certification in Infection Control (CIC), demonstrating expertise in preventing and controlling infections Prefer 5 years of Infection Prevention experience in a hospital setting Prefer experience with data analytics Experience leading collaborative process improvement projects; leading interdisciplinary team/network. 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 7:00am to 3:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Eligible Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Educational Debt Reduction Program (EDRP): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment 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. You may be required to serve a probationary period. 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 dentification 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). Qualifications Basic Requirements: English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate accrediting agency and accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies at the time the program was completed by the applicant: The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE); OR Individuals attending a master's level bridge program in nursing who have completed coursework equivalent to a bachelor's level degree in Nursing may have opportunity to become registered as a nurse with a state licensing board prior to completion of the bridge program. Upon achievement of a State license, the individual may be appointed on temporary basis and later converted to a permanent appointment upon successful completion and graduation from the bridge program. (Reference VA Handbook 5005, Appendix G6); OR In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of a current, full, active, and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement for graduation from an approved school of professional nursing to warrant an appointment as a Nurse who has completed an associated degree/entry level Nursing education program. Credit for foreign nursing education higher that associate degree/entry level requires a formal degree equivalency validation from a recognized equivalency evaluation accepted by VA such as International Consultants of Delaware (ICD). Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or the District of Columbia. Graduate Nurse Technician (GNT) Exception: Candidates who otherwise meet the basic education requirements, but do not possess the required licensure, may be appointed at the entry step of the grade and level applicable to the completed nursing education as a GNT on a 120-day temporary appointment while actively pursuing licensure (may be extended up to two years on a case-by-case-basis.) NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the standard (1/29/2024) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/certification. Grade Determinations: The following Scope, Education and Dimension criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade. The Dimension requirements (Practice, Veteran/Patient Driven Care, Leadership, Professional Development and Evidence-Based Practice/Research) are detailed for each grade and level within the online assessment: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12766978. Grade/Level Scope Education Nurse I, Level I Delivers fundamental, knowledge-based care to assigned clients while developing technical competencies. An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional professional nursing required. Nurse I, Level II Demonstrates integration of biopsychosocial concepts, cognitive skills and technically competent practice in providing care to clients with basic or complex. An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 1 year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 1 ;OR a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional professional nursing experience required. Nurse I, Level III Demonstrates proficiency in practice based on conscious and deliberate planning. Self-directed in goal setting for managing complex client situations. An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 2 years of professional nursing experience in which one year is equivalent to Nurse I, Level 2; OR a BSN and 1 year of professional nursing experience equivalent to the Nurse I, Level 2; OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) and no additional professional nursing experience; OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and no additional professional nursing experience. Nurse II Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others. A BSN with 2 years of professional nursing equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR an MSN with one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with no professional nursing experience; OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN with no additional professional nursing experience. Nurse III Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience and creative approaches to management of complex client care beyond the immediate practice setting. MSN and 2 years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Master's degree in *related field with BSN and two years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III. *Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: The position requires visual acuity, keen hearing , clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. Uses Mechanical lifts are provided. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations, operative/invasive procedures. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be mature flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities, based on patient needs. Must complete annual Employee Health requirements as a condition of employment. Education Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.