Description
Penn Medicine is dedicated to our tripartite mission of providing the highest level of care to patients, conducting innovative research, and educating future leaders in the field of medicine. Working for this leading academic medical center means collaboration with top clinical, technical and business professionals across all disciplines.
Today at Penn Medicine, someone will make a breakthrough. Someone will heal a heart, deliver hopeful news, and give comfort and reassurance. Our employees shape our future each day. Are you living your life's work?
Job Title: Ambulatory Infection Preventionist RN
Department: CPUP Admin Support
Entity: Clinical Practices of the University of Pennsylvania (CPUP)
Location: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania - 3400 Spruce St
Hours: M-F, part time 20+ hrs/wk with flexibility in hours based on operational need
Summary:
- This position includes a dedicated focus on ambulatory medical equipment, instruments, devices, and infection prevention operations across Penn Medicine’s expanding ambulatory network. The successful candidate will partner with clinical teams, Supply Chain, and operational leaders to support medical equipment onboarding, manufacturer Instructions for Use (IFU) review and implementation, infection prevention rounding, and standardization of cleaning and disinfection practices.
- This role requires regional travel to support ambulatory practices across Penn Medicine locations throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including Philadelphia and surrounding communities. The position plays a key role in supporting regulatory readiness, practice expansion, new site onboarding, and continuous quality improvement by providing on-site infection prevention expertise and operational support
- Conduct surveillance and environment of care activities for identification and prevention of infections and complications related to ambulatory visits and surgical procedures. The Ambulatory Infection Preventionist will be responsible for these activities over the existing network of ambulatory practices across Penn Medicine. In addition, this role will expand responsibilities to include assessment/action planning for the opening or acquisition of new practice sites across a wide geographic region.
Responsibilities:
- Provide infection prevention consultation and support to ambulatory practices across Penn Medicine, including risk assessments, new site openings, and practice expansions.
- Conduct infection prevention rounding to identify risks, support corrective actions, and promote regulatory readiness.
- Review and interpret medical device Instructions for Use (IFUs) and support safe equipment onboarding and implementation.
- Partner with clinical teams, Supply Chain, manufacturers, and other stakeholders to standardize cleaning, disinfection, sterilization, and reprocessing practices.
- Promote evidence-based infection prevention practices through education, collaboration, and quality improvement.
- Provider Engagement, Leadership and Advocacy: Development of Risk Assessment for each practice location to include: initial process completed when the practice joins Penn Medicine and annually thereafter to account for changes in scope of service:
- Patient Population - Scope of Services Provided - Procedures Performed - On Site High Level Disinfection and or Sterilization Practice - Care Providers - Makes recommendations regarding specific equipment, personnel and resources for Infection Prevention within the practice settings. Makes recommendations for changes in practice based on evidence-based practice guidelines (CDC, AIMEE, AORN, APIC, HIPAC, FIG) clinical outcomes and financial implications.
- Surveillance of Infections: Review laboratory data and make recommendations to providers based on probability of communicability, mode of transmission as well as potential for notification of patients and staff. Serves as a bridge to the discharging facility as appropriate for reporting of infections back to the location of origin.
- Environment of Care: Identification of environmental infection control hazards and implementation of corrective actions to include environmental microbiological monitoring when applicable. Assessment of appropriate storage of equipment and medications.
- Preventing and Controlling of Infections: Develop and review infection prevention and control policies and procedures. Collaborates with public health agencies in planning community response to infectious agents. Identify and Implement infection prevention and control strategies related to the following:
- Hand Hygiene - Expertise in all aspects of Cleaning Disinfection and Sterilization - Infection risks associated with care setting- Infection risk associated with therapeutic procedures and diagnostic procedures and devices - Develop recall process for potentially contaminated equipment and supplies - Use of patient care products and medical equipment - Immunization Programs for patients and staff o Identification and Separation of patients with Multidrug Resistant Organisms
- Construction and Facilities: Review all facilities prior to on boarding them for correct workflow for scope of service. Consultant for all practice related construction and renovation projects.
- Employee/Occupational Health: Reviews and assists with appropriate screening and immunization programs. Provides counseling, follow-up, work restrictions and recommendations related to communicable diseases or following exposures in collaboration with Occupational Health and Hospital Epidemiologist. Assists with analysis and trending of occupational exposure incidents and information exchange Assess the risk of occupational exposure to Infectious Disease.
- Communication and Feedback: Provide infection prevention and control findings, recommendations, annual reports, policies and procedures to appropriate entity leadership and Infection Control Committees. Communicates with internal and external customers. Collaborate with risk management/quality management in the identification and review of adverse and sentinel events. Evaluates accreditation and regulatory issues to facilitate compliance.
- Quality/Performance Improvement and Patient Safety: Participates in quality/performance improvement and patient safety activities related to infection prevention and control. Audits to ensure compliance with standards
- Education: Assess needs, develop goals and measurable objectives, prepares appropriate educational sessions (inclusive of set-up, webinars, and on-site practice inservices). Evaluation effectiveness of education and learner outcomes. Assist in development of educational materials for patients and families related to infection prevention and control.
Education and Credentials:
- 4+ years of hospital or ambulatory clinic experience required, preferably in a clinical setting, with a strong background in an ambulatory setting where instrument processing was performed (Required)
- If applying as a nurse, BSN in nursing from an accredited school (Required); MSN/MPH preferred.
- If applying as a nurse, current licensure by PA State Board of Nursing or Multistate required.
- Certification in Infection Control through the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology required within 2 years of hire.
- Additional training in infection prevention and basic statistics is preferred
- If applying as a Technologist/Microbiologist: B.S. (Required); MPH preferred
We believe that the best care for our patients starts with the best care for our employees. Our employee benefits programs help our employees get healthy and stay healthy. We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits program that includes one of the finest prepaid tuition assistance programs in the region. Penn Medicine employees are actively engaged and committed to our mission. Together we will continue to make medical advances that help people live longer, healthier lives.
Live Your Life's Work
We are an Equal Opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, familial status, genetic information, domestic or sexual violence victim status, citizenship status, military status, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable law.
