Public Health Nurse Senior

DHRM • Petersburg, VA

1d

About The Position

The Public Health Nurse Senior (PHN Senior) is a district-wide nursing program expert and leader on the Crater Health District Communicable Disease Team. The role helps prevent, investigate, and control infectious diseases while supporting high-quality public health services and community health. The nurse develops program goals, objectives, policies, and procedures; monitors performance; ensures compliance with state and agency standards; and serves as the primary contact for program-related inquiries from staff and external partners. The position also promotes public awareness and use of services while supporting quality of care.

Work includes investigating communicable disease cases and outbreaks; monitoring surveillance systems for trends and emerging threats; administering vaccines and collecting specimens; managing tuberculosis cases and rabies follow-up; and advising healthcare facilities and community partners on infection prevention. The nurse conducts assessments, develops care plans, performs clinical services, provides case management and health education, and collaborates with partners to connect people with resources. The role also supports district nursing programs, community health assessments, and emergency response, and may supervise support staff. Rotating on-call responsibilities are part of the position. Travel and some weekend or evening hours may be required.

The role requires an active Registered Nurse license in Virginia and Basic Life Support (BLS)/CPR certification. The employee must be able to be fit tested and to perform fit testing for other staff under the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard. Employment is contingent on satisfactory background and related checks described in the posting.

Requirements

• Licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• Basic Life Support (BLS)/CPR certification.
• Ability to be fit tested and perform fit testing for other staff in accordance with the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134).
• Experience functioning in a leadership role.
• Ability to work independently in home, clinic, community, and school settings and prioritize workload.
• Sound nursing judgment and effective verbal, written, interpersonal, and physical assessment skills.
• Ability to enter, review, and analyze data and statistics and produce reports or recommendations.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, data-driven environment.
• Knowledge and experience in the nursing process, health maintenance, disease processes, physical and behavioral sciences, case management, and basic epidemiology.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary healthcare team.
• Knowledge and experience using computers and applications, including the Internet, Microsoft Office, and Google Mail.
• Experience working with diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to demonstrate decision-making, teaching, interviewing, counseling, problem-analysis, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to travel; some weekend and/or evening hours may be required.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of communicable disease prevention.
• Public health experience.
• Certification in Infection Control (CIC).
• Bilingualism and experience with diverse cultures.
• Experience with database management systems, especially systems used to manage population-based disease data.

Responsibilities

• Lead district nursing programs, including planning, policy development, and performance monitoring.
• Develop program goals, objectives, policies, and procedures and ensure compliance with state and agency standards.
• Serve as the primary resource for staff, stakeholders, and community partners regarding assigned programs.
• Promote program visibility and encourage use of services through outreach and communication.
• Conduct nursing assessments and implement comprehensive care plans.
• Perform lab tests, take measurements, and administer medications, vaccines, and immunizations.
• Collect specimens for disease identification and provide case management and clinical support services.
• Investigate communicable disease cases and outbreaks, monitor surveillance systems, and support disease prevention efforts.
• Manage tuberculosis cases and rabies follow-up.
• Provide infection-prevention guidance to healthcare facilities and community partners.
• Deliver health education presentations to the public and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with community partners to address social determinants of health and connect individuals and families with resources.
• Participate in public health emergency response and community health assessments.
• Support districtwide nursing programs and rotate on-call responsibilities for urgent public health events.
• May supervise support staff.

Benefits

• 12 paid holidays
• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Retirement options, including the 401a Cash Match and 457 Deferred Compensation Plan
• Sick leave
• Family/personal leave
• Annual leave

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed