Infection Prevention Specialist University of Tennessee Medical Center - 3.7 Knoxville, TN Job Details Full-time 5 hours ago Benefits Health savings account Health insurance Dental insurance 401(k) Flexible spending account Paid time off Employee assistance program Vision insurance Employee discount Professional development assistance Life insurance Retirement plan Qualifications Certification in Infection Prevention & Control Bachelor's degree Public Health Epidemiology Full Job Description Why This Role Matters Infection Prevention is at the center of patient safety, team member safety, clinical quality, and regulatory excellence at UT Medical. As an Infection Prevention Specialist, you'll help protect patients, team members, and visitors by identifying infection risks, preventing healthcare-associated infections, responding to potential exposures and outbreaks, and helping teams translate evidence and data into safer practices. The scope of this role extends well beyond surveillance and reporting. Our Infection Prevention team works across the medical center—from bedside clinical practice and outbreak response to regulatory readiness, data analysis, environmental safety, and new construction and renovation projects. You'll collaborate with physicians, nurses, operational leaders, Facilities and Engineering, Construction, Environmental Services, Employee Health, Quality, and public health partners to strengthen infection prevention practices throughout the organization. We're looking for an experienced Infection Prevention professional who can recognize trends, investigate concerns, provide practical guidance, educate others, and turn findings into meaningful improvement. What You'll Do Infection Surveillance & Investigation Conduct infection prevention surveillance for healthcare-associated infections, communicable diseases, and other designated indicators using NHSN and organizational criteria. Review laboratory reports, patient records, and other clinical data to identify infection risks, trends, clusters, outbreaks, and opportunities for improvement. Complete required NHSN data collection, validation, and reporting within established deadlines. Investigate healthcare-associated infections, infection clusters, exposure events, and outbreaks and assist with corrective action planning. Support healthcare-associated infection reduction initiatives, including

CLABSI, CAUTI, SSI, C.

difficile, MRSA, MDROs, and emerging infection prevention priorities. Assist with required reporting of communicable diseases to public health agencies and participate in public health investigations as needed. Clinical Consultation & Education Serve as an Infection Prevention resource for physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, support services, and other healthcare personnel. Provide consultation regarding isolation precautions, communicable diseases, exposure management, hand hygiene, PPE use, and infection prevention practices. Conduct Infection Prevention rounds and assess compliance with established standards and regulatory requirements. Develop and provide education, training, and competency support for healthcare personnel. Promote evidence-based infection prevention practices across clinical and operational areas. Data, Quality & Regulatory Readiness Collect, analyze, interpret, and present infection prevention data to identify trends and support organizational decision-making. Partner with clinical and operational leaders to translate surveillance findings into actionable performance improvement strategies. Participate in interdisciplinary committees, regulatory readiness activities, risk assessments, and quality improvement initiatives. Assist with the development, implementation, review, and monitoring of Infection Prevention policies, procedures, and guidelines. Maintain current knowledge of infection prevention, epidemiology, public health, NHSN, CDC, APIC, SHEA, CMS, and Joint Commission requirements and guidance. Construction, Renovation & Environmental Infection Prevention Partner with Facilities, Engineering, Construction, clinical leaders, and project teams to incorporate infection prevention principles into new construction, renovation, and maintenance activities throughout the medical center. Participate in infection control risk assessments and help identify appropriate precautions to minimize environmental infection risks during construction and renovation. Provide Infection Prevention consultation during project planning, implementation, and occupancy/readiness activities. Collaborate with operational partners to identify and address environmental conditions that could create infection prevention concerns. What You'll Bring This position is not entry level. Applicants should bring prior Infection Prevention experience and the ability to contribute in a complex acute-care environment. Education Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as: Nursing Public Health Microbiology Healthcare Construction Management Civil or Mechanical Engineering Related field applicable to the responsibilities of the position Educational background may vary depending on the candidate's combination of clinical, infection prevention, epidemiology, facilities, engineering, or construction experience. Experience Prior Infection Prevention experience required. 1-2 years of related experience in a hospital or acute-care setting. Two years of clinical experience. Hospital Epidemiology experience preferred. Healthcare construction, renovation, environmental infection prevention, or related project experience is valued. Equivalent combinations of relevant education, experience, and training may be considered. Licensure & Certification Registered Nurse licensure, Medical Technologist licensure, or equivalent professional licensure when relevant to the candidate's professional background. Certification in Infection Control (CIC) preferred; must obtain within three years if not currently certified. What Will Help You Succeed This position requires someone who can operate at the intersection of clinical care, epidemiology, data, education, environmental safety, and performance improvement.

Strong candidates will bring:

Working knowledge of NHSN surveillance and reporting. Understanding of healthcare-associated infections and infection prevention principles. Strong investigative, analytical, and problem-solving skills. Ability to interpret clinical and infection prevention data and communicate findings effectively. Confidence providing consultation and influencing practice across different disciplines. Ability to collaborate with clinical and non-clinical partners, including physicians, nursing, Facilities, Engineering, Construction, Environmental Services, and organizational leadership. Knowledge of current CDC, APIC, SHEA, CMS, and Joint Commission infection prevention expectations. Experience supporting healthcare construction, renovation, infection control risk assessments, or environmental infection prevention is a plus. A continuous-improvement mindset and commitment to evidence-based practice. Professional Expectations The Infection Prevention Specialist is expected to demonstrate professionalism, dependability, accountability, collaboration, and sound judgment while supporting a culture of infection prevention excellence. Performance and competency expectations are aligned with UT Medical's Infection Prevention and Control Program and applicable APIC competency expectations. Competency should be demonstrated through observable and measurable knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors—not certification alone. The Infection Prevention Specialist is responsible for remaining current on changes to applicable guidance and incorporating evolving evidence, regulatory expectations, and organizational requirements into practice. The Opportunity At UT Medical, Infection Prevention touches nearly every part of the organization. This role provides the opportunity to work alongside multidisciplinary teams in an academic medical center environment and directly influence patient safety, team member safety, clinical practice, quality outcomes, regulatory readiness, and the physical environment in which care is delivered. If you're an experienced Infection Prevention professional who enjoys investigation, data, education, collaboration, problem-solving, and turning evidence into action, we'd like to hear from you.

Benefits:

401(k) Dental insurance Employee assistance program Employee discount Flexible spending account Health insurance Health savings account Life insurance Paid time off Professional development assistance Retirement plan Vision insurance Application Question(s): Are you currently eligible to receive CIC certification? Briefly describe your experience with NHSN (National Healthcare Safety Network) surveillance and reporting (e.g., CLABSI, CAUTI, SSI). If none, please type 'N/A'." Briefly describe your experience with infection prevention and control measures.

License/Certification:

Certification in Infection Prevention & Control (Preferred)

Work Location:

In person