Public Health Nurse - Clinical (05320)

Overall Job Objective

What Success Looks Like In This Job

The Public Health Nurse provides direct patient care at Adams County Health Department clinics in compliance with Adams County policies, procedures, professional standards, and program protocols. This nursing position maintains working knowledge and expertise about program-specific deliverables. This role serves as an integral part of the clinical team to provide quality nursing care and services at clinics, home visits, and community outreach events. The Public Health Nurse focuses on improving population health by emphasizing prevention and attending to multiple determinants of health.

Examples of Duties for Success

Direct Patient Care

• Provides safe, effective, evidence-based patient care, including clear, accurate documentation, and referrals. Uses critical thinking skills and nursing expertise to effectively assess patients and care for their health.
• Perform direct patient care during home visits, clinic visits, or at outdoor community clinics, fairs, and outreach events. Provide individualized nursing care to the healthcare consumer or the situation.
• Maintains specialty practice within nursing and public health, promoting and protecting the health of populations using knowledge from nursing, social, and public health sciences.
• Collaborates with team members to provide resources and care/treatment options within the patient care setting. Identifies the need for consultation or referral to Advanced Practice Provider or higher level of care.
• Maintains working knowledge of agency-wide services and provides appropriate agency-wide referrals as necessary. Link people to needed personal health services and assure the provision to health care when otherwise unavailable.
• Maintains up to date knowledge and performs safe medication and medical supply use, storage, and handling.
• May serve as a liaison or lead at a clinic or off-site community event.
• Applies agency policy and procedures to resolve a variety of issues. Works on problems of moderate scope where analysis or data requires a review of various factors. Exercises judgement within defined procedures and practices to determine appropriate action.
• Conducts various diagnostic tests, needs assessment interviews, medical histories, and vital measurements to determine appropriate health care measures or coordination of care.

Program Operations

• The registered nurse attains knowledge and competence that reflects current nursing practice.
• Proficiently documents patient cases and complies with timely documentation standard for patients and employees.
• Regularly attends and actively participates in team meetings.
• Assists in conducting epidemiological investigations related to disease control and infectious diseases. Conducts interviews of individuals and families, documents relevant information, and provides direct client care by administering vaccinations and medications.
• Develops and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• The registered nurse communicates effectively in various formats in all areas of practice.
• Perform other duties as assigned

Community Outreach

• Develop community-specific solutions to address prevention priorities.
• Collaborates with community members, such as school personnel, childcare, and providers to form partnerships and relationships that improve community health outcomes.
• Represents Adams Country as a health strategist in the community. Interprets public health programs and policies to individuals, families, community groups, schools, physicians, and other collateral community agencies and service providers.
• Collaborates with related community agencies and service providers through client referrals, written and verbal communications, and case/team conferences.
• Participates in the development of community planning, organization, education, and promotion of public health services through community outreach efforts, including serving on community boards and committees and presenting public health education to individuals and community groups.

Qualifications for Success

• Cultural humility and experience working in multicultural environments, including the ability to work with diverse staff and partners from community-based organizations, government staff, and elected officials.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise tact, discretion, and sound judgement.
• Outstanding skills and abilities in verbal and written communications to lead change and direction for programs and divisions; ability to adapt a style to fit audiences of varying technical levels, and at various levels within an organization, in groups and individual settings.
• Have working knowledge of the principles of health equity and how it is applied, including an understanding of oppression, privilege, and social justice.
• Knowledge of current conditions influencing health in Adams County communities
• Use professional concepts and agency objectives to resolve issues creatively and effectively.
• Routinely demonstrate a collaborative leadership style that embraces a diversity of opinion that will lead to clear outcomes.
• Ability to problem solve and provide exceptional customer service.
• Determination to achieve outcomes, complete tasks, and deliver on professional commitments.
• Commitment to Adams County communities experiencing health equity challenges.

Working Conditions and Physical Abilities: This role includes occasional physical activities such as ascending/descending stairs; moving oneself into different positions to provide patient care; standing, walking, squat, and sitting for extended periods of time; moving about to accomplish tasks from one worksite to another; moving people or objects as heavy as 100 pounds; communicating with others to exchange information verbally and in writing, operating medical equipment and keyboards/data entry devices. Requires constant physical mobility to prepare, sterilize, and clean clinic areas, assist patients in the reception and treatment areas, and to negotiate around equipment and chairs in the examination room. This position requires travel to clinics and outreach events throughout the Metro Denver area on an as-needed basis with reliable transportation.

This position may expect environmental conditions as work can be performed in patients homes, outdoors at outreach events and health fairs, as well as in an office building.

Some clinical areas may require on-call duties.

Emergency Preparedness and Response Duties

Completes trainings identified as appropriate for this level employee. Employee participates in all exercises and drills on emergency preparedness and response, as required. Employee responds, as required, to support emergencies, incidents and events with a public health and medical impact.

More Qualifications for Success

Education

Requires a Bachelors degree in Nursing (BSN) from a school accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission or the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

OR

A Bachelors degree in a related field AND a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from a school accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission or the American Association of Colleges of Nursing

Professional Qualifications

• Licensed to practice as a registered nurse (RN) in the State of Colorado or a Compact State.
• BLS or CPR certification.

Other Qualifications

• Experience in nursing, public health nursing, or related community or clinical work is preferred.
• Must back criminal background check and drug screening.