Hourly Public Health Nurse 2

Georgia Department of Public Health•DeKalb County, GA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Founded in the 1920s and headquartered in Decatur, GA, DeKalb Public Health (DKPH) works to protect, promote and improve the health and well-being of all DeKalb County residents. Our vision is for a healthier DeKalb where all residents have equitable access to public health resources and live healthy lives. If you have a passion for people and are looking to make an impact on the health of the community, we invite you to join our team! For more information about our agency please visit dekalbpublichealth.com.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from an accredited college or university.
Current, valid Georgia license to practice as a Registered Professional Nurse (RN).
Current CPR certification.

Responsibilities

Provides clinical and supervisory leadership for the Immunization Program and ensures services are delivered in accordance with established nurse protocols, policies, procedures, and current immunization guidelines.
Plans, organizes, coordinates, monitors, and evaluates immunization program activities to ensure program goals, objectives, and performance standards are met.
Provides day-to-day clinical guidance and support to nursing and other immunization staff, including training, competency assessment, workflow coordination, and consultation regarding vaccine-related questions.
Identifies populations at increased risk for vaccine-preventable diseases and develops targeted interventions based on community needs and available resources.
Coordinates immunization services with healthcare providers, schools, childcare facilities, community organizations, and other public health programs.
Reviews program data, immunization coverage rates, service outcomes, and identified gaps to recommend improvements and increase access to vaccination.
Reviews immunization histories, identifies missing or overdue vaccines, assesses clients for vaccine eligibility, and evaluates precautions and contraindications.
Administers childhood, adolescent, and adult vaccines in accordance with established protocols, recommended immunization schedules, and physician-approved treatment plans.
Conducts comprehensive assessments of clients’ healthcare and immunization needs and develops, implements, and modifies plans of care based on clients’ responses and conditions.
Screens clients and refers them to healthcare providers, community programs, and other appropriate resources.
Provides direct clinical services during routine clinics, back-to-school immunization activities, community outreach events, disease outbreaks, and periods of increased patient volume or staffing shortages.
Monitors clients following vaccination, recognizes and responds to adverse reactions, and ensures appropriate documentation, reporting, and follow-up.
Oversees vaccine inventory, accountability, storage and handling, temperature monitoring, and emergency vaccine-management procedures.
Supports compliance with applicable federal, state, and local immunization program requirements, including documentation, reporting, quality assurance, and infection-control standards.
Ensures immunization services and clinical documentation comply with established protocols, policies, procedures, and current guidelines.
Identifies potential gaps in vaccine management, clinical practices, and program operations and recommends corrective actions and process improvements.
Educates clients, parents, and caregivers about recommended vaccines, childhood immunization schedules, school-entry requirements, vaccine safety, possible adverse reactions, and the importance of completing multidose vaccine series.
Provides health education to individuals, families, staff, and community groups to promote immunization awareness and prevent vaccine-preventable diseases.
Applies principles of public and population health to immunization planning, service delivery, education, and evaluation.
Develops and maintains community partnerships that support immunization outreach, education, and access to services.
Participates in emergency-preparedness planning, drills, and exercises involving pandemic influenza, mass vaccination, mass dispensing, mass sheltering, and biological or chemical incidents.
Provides nursing care and immunization services to populations with special needs during public health emergencies and disasters.
Supports emergency immunization activities and adjusts clinical and program responsibilities in response to outbreaks, disasters, staffing shortages, and other changing public health needs.
Collaborates with nursing staff, healthcare providers, public health professionals, program managers, schools, childcare facilities, community organizations, and other stakeholders to coordinate immunization services and improve community health outcomes.
Communicates clinical guidance, immunization requirements, program expectations, policy changes, and operational updates clearly and accurately to staff and partners.
Provides clinical consultation and guidance regarding vaccine administration, recommended schedules, precautions, contraindications, vaccine storage and handling, documentation, and program requirements.
Coordinates staff training, competency assessments, and information-sharing to promote consistent clinical practices and quality service delivery.
Builds and maintains partnerships that support community outreach, vaccination access, health education, and prevention of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Communicates program performance, immunization coverage trends, operational concerns, and recommendations for improvement to leadership.
Provides clear, respectful, culturally responsive education to clients, families, caregivers, and community groups, considering health literacy, language needs, and individual circumstances.
Responds to questions and concerns professionally and in a solutions-oriented manner, escalating clinical or operational issues when appropriate.
Maintains confidentiality of patient information and sensitive clinical, personnel, and program records in accordance with applicable laws, policies, and professional standards.
Performs other related nursing, clinical leadership, and immunization program duties as assigned.