Public Health Nurse I

TX-HHSC-DSHS-DFPS•Athens, TX

About The Position

Public Hlth Nurse I, under the supervision of a PHN III Nursing Supervisor, the PHN I is responsible for the delivery of public health nursing services and day to day direction of a public health nursing clinic and the support staff. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, coordinating public health nursing services with Program requirements to assure achievement of the Region's goals and objectives, implementing nursing and program standards to assure quality public health nursing care is provided to consumers, and coordinating services with other disciplines. PHN I is responsible for direct public health nursing services in an assigned geographic area, including participation in current and long-range planning for the assigned area. The PHN I is also responsible for delivering population-based services to assigned communities using the essential public health services model. In coordination with the PHN II, the PHN I indirectly supervises clinic support staff, including scheduling and assignments, assessing staff skills and requesting staff development. Works under limited supervision with considerable latitude for use of initiative and independent judgment.

Requirements

Knowledge of: professional nursing theory, nursing process, nursing sciences, and clinical skills. Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of public health nursing, including related cultural, social, and economic forces in family and group relationships and principles of public health organizations.
Knowledge of teaching and learning theories, leadership methods, and interviewing principles and techniques. Knowledge of community resources. Knowledge of principles of supervision and evaluation. Knowledge of the Nurse Practice Act, Pharmacy Act, CLIA Act, and Medical Practice Standing Orders. Knowledge of Standards of nursing practice. Knowledge of physical, developmental, and family assessment.
Skill in: performing problem solving and decision making; management and supervision; interviewing; negotiating; communicating (both oral and written). Skill in providing group education. Skill in using the computer.
Ability to: work productively with individuals and with professional and other groups within the community; to gain satisfaction through the growth and development of others; to plan and execute work; to seek and utilize supervision and consultation; to exercise good judgment; to function as a team member; and to communicate effectively. Ability to provide own transportation and willingness to travel to geographical areas where our patients reside. Ability to perform technical nursing procedures.
Licensed as a Registered Nurse in good standing in the State of Texas or one of the license Compact states
Current RN License in good standing; one year nursing experience, may include prior LVN experience.
Must meet or be willing to meet immunization requirements for this position--MMR (2 doses or evidence of immunity), Varicella (2 doses, history of disease, or evidence of immunity), Influenza (annually), Hepatitis B (3 doses or evidence of immunity).
Must provide own transportation and willing to travel to geographical areas where our patients reside.
If an employee operates a personal or state motor vehicle in performance of their official duties they must hold a current valid Texas drivers license for the appropriate type vehicle. Employee/applicant is responsible for providing a copy of their drivers license prior to beginning employment.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of Tuberculosis testing, treatment and monitoring helpful.
Knowledge of childhood and adult immunizations helpful.
Willing to work hours other than 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Responsibilities

Deliver PH nursing services to eligible clients, using the nursing process, adhering to Program standards and guidelines; perform technical Nursing procedures. To include Tuberculosis testing, treatment and monitoring. May give immunizations and education to eligible clients. Will travel to geographical areas where our patients reside.
Serve as role model for support staff in professional/ethical behavior.
Assure appropriate patient referral/follow-up.
Coordinate services with other disciplines. Maximize use of available resources for patient benefit.
Implement nursing program purpose/goals/objectives, nursing standards, and program changes into the office.
Support/interpret lines of authority and interpret/follow lines of communication.
Assist with staffing/scheduling of clinics.
Responsible for administrative/patient encounter reports.
Provide indirect supervision/daily direction of clinic support staff and LVN's.
Monitor health status to identify community health problems. Assist in disease investigation/reporting. Maintain immunization tracking systems. Is a community resource for infectious diseases/immunizations.
Diagnose/investigate health hazards in the community. Is a member of multi-disciplinary rapid response team in outbreaks. Assist in contact/environmental/epidemiological investigations, follow-up; obtain lab samples; provide vaccine.
Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues. Provide community education/training. Identify need/plan/participate in community activities. Provide outreach for services provided, targeting hard to reach groups.
Mobilize partnerships to identify/solve health problems. Participate in coalitions/community/worksite/school health meetings. Conduct or gather needs assessment data for planning services. Work with partners to develop plans for low/no cost immunizations and to improve immunization rates.
Develop policies/plans that support individual/community health efforts. Advocate for populations that are unable/unwilling to communicate with policy makers. Contact/educate local officials/community leaders about health status indicators/problems. Collect/utilize data to identify trends/needs in groups and recommend new/improved services. Provide input for policies and initiatives; implement into local area.
Enforce laws and regulations that protect health/ensure safety. Link/refer individuals/groups to agencies/specialists on health/safety laws; report potential violations. Assure compliance with all laws/regulations affecting public health nursing practice.
Link people to personal health services and assure provision of health care if unavailable. Coordinate provision of health related services to target populations. Link public/providers to necessary resources. Identify health/human services resources.
Assure a competent public health/personal health care workforce. Assist in evaluating staff performance, in orienting employees and determining readiness to independently perform job tasks. Assess in-service needs of other personnel. Participate in planning in-service and recommending program content. Assess training needs of PH professionals/other providers. Recommend/plan/prepare/provide training and technical assistance. Provide classroom &/or clinical education opportunities for health care professions students. Collaborate with educational institutions to address health care needs. Participation/attendance to meet individual continuing education needs.
Evaluate effectiveness/accessibility/quality of personal/population-based health services. Participate in regional quality assurance activities. Conduct recruitment activities for potential providers of services. Evaluate and report on effectiveness/accessibility/outcomes of community initiatives/local health services.
Research for insights and innovative solutions to health problems. Participate in regional workgroups/CQI teams. Participate in pilot or nursing research projects.
Other duties, as assigned include but are not limited to actively participating and/or serving in a role to meet the agency's obligations for disaster response and/or recovery or Continuity of Operations. Such participation may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location.

Benefits

DSHS offers insurance coverage and other benefits available through the State of Texas Group Benefits Plan administered by the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS).

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