A medical facility shall designate an officer or employee of the facility to serve as the infection control officer of the medical facility.
NRS 439.873 Designation, duties and qualifications of infection control officer; required ratio of patients to employees with certain training in infection control; Division to provide education and technical assistance.
1. A medical facility shall designate an officer or employee of the facility to serve as the infection control officer of the medical facility.
2. The person who is designated as the infection control officer of a medical facility:
(a) Shall serve on the patient safety committee.
(b) Shall monitor the occurrences of infections at the medical facility to determine the number and severity of infections.
(c) Shall report to the patient safety committee concerning the number and severity of infections at the medical facility.
(d) Shall take such action as he or she determines is necessary to prevent and control infections alleged to have occurred at the medical facility.
(e) Shall carry out the provisions of the infection control program adopted pursuant to NRS 439.865 and ensure compliance with the program.
3. If a medical facility has 175 or more beds, the person who is designated as the infection control officer of the medical facility must be certified as an infection preventionist by the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc., or a successor organization. A person may serve as the certified infection preventionist for more than one medical facility if the facilities have common ownership.
4. A medical facility that designates an infection control officer who is not a certified infection preventionist must ensure that the person has successfully completed a nationally recognized basic training program in infection control, which may include, without limitation, the program offered by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc., or a successor organization. A medical facility shall ensure that an infection control officer completes at least 4 hours of continuing education each year on topics relating to current practices in infection control and prevention.
5. A medical facility shall ensure that it maintains a ratio of at least one employee who has the training described in subsection 4 for every 100 occupied beds. The number of beds must be determined based upon the most recent annual calendar-year average reported by the medical facility to the Director pursuant to NRS 449.490 and the regulations adopted pursuant thereto.
6. A medical facility shall maintain records concerning the certification and training required by this section.
7. The Division shall provide education and technical assistance relating to infection control and prevention in medical facilities.
(Added to NRS by 2011, 1582)
NAC 449.325 Prevention, control and investigation of infections and communicable diseases. (NRS 449.0302)
1. A hospital shall:
(a) Provide a sanitary environment to avoid sources and transmission of infections and communicable diseases; and
(b) Develop and carry out an active program for the prevention, control and investigation of infections and communicable diseases.
2. A hospital shall designate at least one person as an infection control officer, who shall develop and carry out policies governing the control of infections and communicable diseases.
3. The infection control officer of a hospital shall:
(a) Develop a system for identifying, reporting, investigating and controlling infections and communicable diseases of patients and personnel of the hospital; and
(b) Maintain a record of incidents within the hospital related to infection and communicable disease.
4. The chief executive officer, the medical staff and the chief administrative nurse of a hospital:
(a) Shall ensure that the quality improvement program established pursuant to NAC 449.3152 and the training program for the entire hospital address those problems identified by the infection control officer of the hospital; and
(b) Are responsible for the implementation of successful corrective plans of action in affected problem areas.
[Bd. of Health, Health Facilities Reg. Part III Ch. I § II part subsec. A & subsec. D, eff. 10-9-69; A 8-26-74; Ch. II part § II, eff. 10-9-69]—(NAC A by R050-99, 9-27-99)
42 CFR 483.80(b)Infection preventionist. The facility must designate one or more individual(s) as the infection preventionist(s) (IPs) who are responsible for the facility's IPCP. The IP must:
(1) Have primary professional training in nursing, medical technology, microbiology, epidemiology, or other related field;
(2) Be qualified by education, training, experience or certification;
(3) Work at least part-time at the facility; and
(4) Have completed specialized training in infection prevention and control.
