Travel Nurse RN - Infection Control
Salinas, California
Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital

Infection Prevention Specialist

Location: Salinas, California
Employment Type: Travel Clinical Nursing
Contract Length: 13 weeks
Shift: Monday – Friday, Days
Hours: 8 hours/day, 40 hours/week

Job Summary

Under supervision, responsible for hospital epidemiology activities including surveillance, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of hospital-acquired infections (HAI). Educates staff on infection prevention and assists in developing policies to ensure compliance with regulatory standards (TJC, OSHA, CDC, CMS, FDA).

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct ongoing surveillance of nosocomial infections using CDC infection criteria and review of patient records, microbiology results, and other relevant data.
• Apply epidemiologic principles and statistical methods, including risk stratification, to identify trends and risk factors.
• Assess environmental controls such as water supply systems and air pressure relationships in high-risk areas.
• Perform environmental rounds in inpatient and outpatient care areas; collect device use data in intensive care units.
• Participate in outbreak investigations in collaboration with infectious disease experts and public health authorities.
• Report communicable diseases to county/state health departments and maintain records.
• Assist with data collection and maintenance for mandatory reporting systems (e.g., NHSN, Med Mined).
• Support epidemiological studies to identify infection sources and recommend interventions.
• Engage in quality and performance improvement activities related to infection prevention.
• Organize and participate in infection prevention meetings and disseminate recommendations.
• Serve as a resource and educator for hospital staff on infection control practices and policies.
• Develop and implement educational programs to increase employee awareness of infection prevention.
• Maintain compliance with national standards and regulatory requirements.
• Participate in continuing education to stay current with infection prevention research and best practices.
• Assist in policy development related to exposure prevention and cross-contamination control.

Required Qualifications

• Valid Registered Nurse (RN) license in California
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in Infection Control, including experience within the last year

Additional Information

• Acts as a knowledgeable resource for infection control to patients, families, and staff.
• Complies with all applicable health system policies and procedures.
• Performs other duties as assigned related to infection prevention and control.

This position offers a structured Monday through Friday day shift schedule with a focus on infection prevention and epidemiology in a hospital environment.