Setting: Operation Room
Location: Aboard Mercy Ship
Role:
The purpose of the Senior Infection Preventionist position is to support the Mercy Ships mission as well as restore, promote and maintain health in the people we serve. The Senior Infection Preventionist is responsible for acting as a liaison and resource person for Infection Control and will be responsible for the management of all Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) activities, under the guidance of the Infection Prevention and Control Committee (IPPC).
Responsibilities include collecting, analyzing and providing infection data and trends to nursing staff and physicians. The Senior Infection Preventionist will serve in the role of educating medical and non-medical crew members about Infection Prevention and Control practices. Additional tasks include monitoring the ship environment to ensure safe practices of infection prevention according to hospital and ship policies. The IPC’s program will use evidence-based practices and World Health Organization (WHO) and Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines as its foundation.
Time Commitment: Minimum 10 months
When: TBD
Application deadline: Ongoing
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing required (or international equivalent); Master’s degree preferred.
- Baccalaureate or Master’s degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Clinical Laboratory Science, Medical Technology or related field will be considered. Certification in Infection Control and Epidemiology (CIC preferred) or working towards certification will be considered.
- Minimum of 5 years’ clinical experience in hospital settings or disease surveillance experience in a public health setting.
- Association for Professionals in Infection Control & Epidemiology (APIC), training courses (Epi 101 and Epi 102) or equivalent.
Cost:
Self-Funded $200. Volunteers pay for their transportation to and from the ship’s location as well as crew fees and all personal expenses (see sample budget). Crew fees vary depending on the length of commitment as well as what nation the volunteer comes from. For those unable to raise support, assistance may be available.
Financial aid to crew with commitments of 24+ months and for any crew in qualifying maritime roles.
Application: https://opportunities.mercyships.org/hospital/senior-infection-preventionist/