Infection Control Coordinator at Netcare

ROLE SUMMARY

• The role of the Infection Control Coordinator is to aid and assist hospital employees in the management of prevention, identification and control of infections in patients and staff.The incumbent will further be responsible to plan, develop and implement an infection control programme for the hospital using basic infection control standards

KEY WORK OUTPUT AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

CONSISTENCY OF CARE

Infection Control Management

• Aid and assist all hospital employees in managing the prevention, identification and control of infections in patients and staff.
• Plan, develop and implement an infection control programme for the hospital using basic infection control standards.
• Responsible to the hospital management for reporting on a regular basis all infections in the hospital.
• Review of environmental hygiene, cleanliness, the care of linen and waste on a regular basis and document results for discussion with hospital management.
• Identify indications for environmental microbiological monitoring.
• Notify the Department of Health timeously of diseases where applicable.
• Ensure an environment safe from infection for all hospital staff.
• Organise regular infection control committee meetings and document the proceedings.
• Interpret results of diagnostic/laboratory results.
• Differentiate among colonisation, infection and contamination when analysing laboratory results.
• Identify occurrence, reservoirs, incubation periods, periods of communicability, modes of transmission, signs and symptoms and susceptibility associated with the disease process.
• Recognise limitations and advantages of type of tests used to diagnose infectious processes.
• Recognise epidemiologically significant organisms for immediate review and investigation.
• Plan and implement the procedure used to identify and investigate an outbreak of infection (either community or hospital acquired) using accepted infection control standards
• Implement, when needed, isolation protocols that are effective and understandable to all hospital personnel.
• Maintain an up to date infection control file that is available and accessible to all nursing and house-keeping staff
• Maintain written and acceptable protocols for infectious diseases including VHF, SARS, Meningitis and Covid-19.
• Accountable for the availability of all equipment needed for the management infectious diseases.

Facility and equipment management

• Recommend specific equipment, personnel and resources for the infection prevention and control program.
• Ensure the provision of protective clothing for all staff and members of the public when needed.
• Supply appropriate and reliable disinfectants, sterilants and monitoring equipment and ensure that nursing and other staff understand the use of these items.

Quality management

• Ensure that there is a written quality insurance programme for infection control after a base line survey and that evaluation and remedial measure are in place.
• Co-ordinate and drive quality improvement in infection prevention and control.
• Demonstrate QIP projects utilising the quality methodology.

Research activities

• Active involvement in research activities to discover new knowledge about products, processes, and services, and then applying that knowledge to create new and improved products, processes, and services that meet the hospital needs.
• Apply critical reading skills to evaluate research findings.
• Incorporate research findings into practice through education and consultation.
• Motivate and encourage staff to participate in research within their Scope of Practice.

TRANSFORMATION OF OUR SOCIETY

Teamwork and People Management

• Actively provide leadership to the team to achieve goals. Create an environment where staff are aware of the role they play in the provision of quality nursing care and their value to the organization.
• Assign decision making, authority, tasks and responsibility to appropriate persons in order to maximize organisation and employee effectiveness.
• Co-operate with Netcare Education Division to ensure appropriate nursing training for the delivery of quality care.
• Facilitate a culture that is supportive of talent management and the initiation of required implementations to hone nursing talent.
• Enforce staff dress code within and on leaving the Hospital.
• Enforce hand hygiene and bare below elbows.
• Facilitate effective change and conflict management.
• Orientation of new staff and students.

Education and training facilitation

• Manage and ensure the facilitation of Infection Control as a topic in the hospital orientation programme at all levels and document attendance of training.
• Oversee the development and facilitation of Infection Control in-service training programmes based on a needs analysis and evaluate the training regularly.
• Manage and ensure the introduction of a programme for the use of new products and equipment from an infection control viewpoint.
• Prepare, present or co-ordinate educational workshops, lectures, discussion, orientation programs and individual discussions on a variety of infection prevention and control topics.
• Provide information on the topic to patients, family and general public when required.

Personal and professional development

• Active involvement in own professional development to maintain a satisfactory level of skill and knowledge.
• Keep up to date with Netcare’s evolving policies and procedures.
• Attend infection control related seminars to improve own knowledge.
• Keep abreast of current research in the applicable discipline.

Build and maintain stakeholder relationships

• Work effectively and co-operatively with the management team and other stakeholders to establish and maintain good working relationships that are mutually beneficial.
• Create and maintain a positive environment where the differences of others are recognized, understood, and valued, so that all can reach their full potential and maximize their contributions.
• Develop collaborative relationships to help accomplish work goals.
• Maintain customer intimacy through building relationships with doctors, nursing staff, suppliers and building patient loyalty.
• Build strategic inter-departmental relationships to help achieve business goals at hospital Exco and departmental level within the hospitals.
• Collaborate with risk management and quality management in the identification and review of adverse events.

SKILLS PROFILE

EDUCATION
Essential

• Registration with the South African Nursing Council as a registered Nurse or equivalent NQF level 7 qualification
• Compliance with the SANC Scope of Practise for a Registered Nurse and all other applicable Health Care Legislation
• Certificate or Diploma in Infection Control.

WORK EXPERIENCE
Essential

• Intermediate computer proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite

Preferred

• Previous exposure to financial budgeting