Registered Nurse, Infection Prevention

Summary

The Infection Prevention Registered Nurse is responsible for leading clinical infection prevention and control efforts across the health system through surveillance, regulatory compliance, staff education, and implementation of evidence-based practices. This role applies clinical nursing expertise to identify infection risks, investigate outbreaks, ensure adherence to CDC/OSHA standards, and drive improvement in patient safety and infection prevention outcomes.

Essential functions

• Lead hospital-wide infection prevention and control program activities in alignment with CDC, OSHA, and public

health standards.

• Conduct clinical surveillance and analysis of healthcare-associated infections (CAUTI, CLABSI, SSI, and other

reportable infections).

• Perform direct clinical rounding to assess adherence to infection prevention practices at the bedside.
• Investigate suspected infection outbreaks, determine clinical sources, and initiate containment measures.
• Serve as clinical subject matter expert on infection prevention practices for nursing and medical staff.
• Ensure compliance with infection prevention regulations and immediately escalate compliance risks.
• Educate clinical staff and patients on infection prevention strategies and evidence-based practices.
• Monitor staff and patient illness trends and coordinate timely outbreak reporting to internal leadership and external public health agencies.
• Lead hand hygiene compliance initiatives, including observation, feedback, and corrective action planning.
• Participate in policy and protocol development related to infection prevention and patient safety.
• Collaborate with physicians, nursing leadership, and quality teams to implement prevention strategies.
• Ensure safe infection control practices related to isolation precautions, PPE usage, and biohazard handling.
• Maintain accurate documentation and reporting of infection prevention activities and outcomes.
• Perform other related tasks as needed.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Strong clinical nursing knowledge with expertise in infection prevention and patient safety.
• Solid understanding of CDC, OSHA, and public health infection control regulations.
• Ability to apply clinical judgment to infection surveillance and outbreak investigation.
• Strong leadership and education skills for influencing clinical practice.
• Excellent communication skills across interdisciplinary teams and leadership levels.
• Proficiency in clinical documentation systems and data tracking tools.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills in high-risk clinical environments.

Education and experience

• Associates Degree in Nursing
• Registered Nurse in the State of Texas
• Two (2) years of experience in clinical nursing or;
• Master’s degree in health-related field, in lieu of experience
• Basic Life Support certified
• Certification in Infection Control (CIC) certified from the CBIC within two years of hir

Benefits

3 Medical Plans 2 Dental Plans 1 Vision Plan Employee Assistance Program Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance Basic and Voluntary Life with AD&D Plan 401(k) with a 2-year vesting PTO + Holidays Townsen Memorial Hospital is an accredited network of facilities with an emphasis on emergency care, outpatient surgery, and diagnostics and imaging. Our core mission is to provide compassionate, evidence-based patient care to those we serve. At Townsen Memorial, we encompass diversity, dignity, and inclusiveness as a reflection of our core values.

Townsen Memorial is committed to driving cutting edge healthcare to our patients, our communities and each other. Compensation to be determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data. Employment for this position is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check and drug screening.