Nevada § 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

§ 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.