ICN

JOB DESCRIPTION – INFECTION CONTROL NURSE (ICN)

Designation

Infection Control Nurse (ICN)

Department

Infection Prevention \& Control / Quality

Reporting To

Nursing Head / Infection Control Officer / Medical Superintendent

Works With: Infection Control Committee, Doctors, Nursing, Microbiology, Laboratory, Pharmacy, Housekeeping, CSSD, Quality and Administration

Job Purpose

The Infection Control Nurse is responsible for implementing, monitoring and continuously improving infection prevention and control practices throughout the hospital.

The ICN will conduct infection-control surveillance, departmental rounds and audits, monitor healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), support outbreak investigation, conduct staff training and maintain all required infection-control documentation.

• Key ResponsibilitiesA. Infection Control Surveillance
• Conduct regular infection-control rounds across all clinical and non-clinical departments.
• Monitor and document healthcare-associated infections.
• Track
• SSI
• CAUTI
• CLABSI
• VAP
• Blood-borne infections
• Needle-stick injuries
• Other relevant hospital infection indicators.
• Identify infection trends and report significant findings.
• Maintain infection-control surveillance registers and databases.

B. Infection Control Audits

Conduct regular audits covering

• Hand hygiene compliance
• PPE usage
• Biomedical waste segregation
• Cleaning and disinfection
• Sterilization practices
• Isolation precautions
• Injection safety
• Needle-stick injury prevention
• CSSD practices
• OT infection-control practices
• ICU infection-control practices
• Laboratory infection-control practices
• Housekeeping practices.

Prepare audit reports and communicate non-conformities to the concerned department.

C. Outbreak Investigation

• Immediately report suspected outbreaks.
• Assist the Infection Control Officer/Committee in outbreak investigation.
• Identify possible sources and modes of transmission.
• Coordinate specimen collection and laboratory investigations.
• Recommend corrective and preventive measures.
• Monitor implementation of outbreak-control measures.

D. Hand Hygiene \& PPE Compliance

• Conduct regular hand-hygiene audits.
• Monitor compliance with the hospital's hand-hygiene policy.
• Educate staff regarding the WHO/standard hand-hygiene principles.
• Monitor appropriate PPE selection and usage.
• Identify gaps and initiate corrective action.

E. Staff Training

Conduct infection-control training for

• Doctors
• Nurses
• Laboratory staff
• Technicians
• Housekeeping staff
• CSSD staff
• Pharmacy staff
• Security staff
• New joiners.

Training topics may include

• Standard precautions
• Transmission-based precautions
• Hand hygiene
• PPE
• Biomedical waste management
• Needle-stick injury management
• Spill management
• Sterilization/disinfection
• Isolation procedures
• Occupational exposure
• Environmental cleaning.

Current ICN roles commonly include orientation and ongoing education of nursing, paramedical and housekeeping staff.

F. Biomedical Waste Management

• Monitor correct segregation at source.
• Conduct periodic BMW audits.
• Ensure availability of appropriate colour-coded bins/bags.
• Monitor collection, transportation and disposal.
• Coordinate with housekeeping and authorized waste-management agencies.
• Report non-compliance.

G. Sterilization \& Disinfection

• Monitor sterilization practices in CSSD and clinical areas.
• Verify appropriate cleaning and disinfection practices.
• Monitor sterilization indicators and records.
• Coordinate with CSSD regarding infection-control concerns.
• Ensure corrective action for identified gaps.

H. Needle-Stick Injury / Occupational Exposure

• Maintain needle-stick injury register.
• Ensure immediate reporting and appropriate first response.
• Coordinate with concerned clinical departments for assessment.
• Ensure appropriate investigations and follow-up.
• Maintain confidential documentation.

I. Documentation \& Reporting

Maintain

• Infection-control surveillance register
• HAI register
• Hand-hygiene audit reports
• PPE audit reports
• BMW audit reports
• Environmental-cleaning audit
• Sterilization audit
• Needle-stick injury register
• Outbreak investigation reports
• Infection-control training records
• Departmental audit reports
• CAPA records
• Infection Control Committee meeting records
• Monthly IPC reports.

J. Quality \& NABH Compliance

• Support implementation of hospital infection-control policies.
• Maintain evidence required for NABH/quality audits.
• Participate in internal and external audits.
• Track infection-control KPIs.
• Support RCA and CAPA for infection-related incidents.
• Ensure compliance with applicable hospital, statutory and regulatory requirements.

K. Infection Control Committee

• Participate in Infection Control Committee meetings.
• Prepare relevant reports and presentations.
• Present surveillance and audit findings.
• Follow up on decisions taken by the committee.
• Monitor completion of corrective actions.

• Key Performance IndicatorsKPIMeasurementHAI surveillance100% timely reportingHand hygiene complianceMonthly auditPPE complianceMonthly auditBMW complianceAudit scoreInfection-control training% staff trainedNeedle-stick injuriesNumber \& closure rateInfection-control auditsPlanned vs completedCAPA closure% closed within targetOutbreak responseTimeliness of investigationDocumentationCompleteness \& accuracy4. Qualification

Preferred

• B.Sc Nursing / Post Basic B.Sc Nursing / GNM
• Valid nursing registration
• Diploma/Certificate in Infection Prevention \& Control preferred.

Current ICN vacancies in Kerala commonly specify B.Sc Nursing/GNM together with infection-control training and relevant experience.

Experience

• 1–3 years of clinical nursing experience, preferably with experience in Infection Prevention \& Control.
• Previous ICN experience preferred.
• Hospital experience in NABH-accredited faciliti