RN 0.8FTE- Community Health Centre Clinic STI Nurse

AVI Health and Community Services•Nanaimo, BC

13d•CA$41 - CA$56•Hybrid

About The Position

AVI Health & Community Services (AVI) is dedicated to increasing health equity through harm reduction-based services in HIV, hepatitis C, substance use, sexual health, and mental health. The Nanaimo Community Health Centre (CHC) offers a variety of programs, including primary care, HIV/HCV, substance use, OAT, STBBI, PrEP/PEP medical services, outreach, and social programming. The Enhanced Harm Reduction (EHR) Program provides pharmaceutical alternatives to the street drug supply with wrap-around supports, aiming to reduce drug poisoning deaths. AVI Nanaimo also offers educational services and hosts students and professionals. This role supports HIV, HCV, and STBBI prevention, testing, and treatment, involving clinical services, education, consultation, and counseling. The STI nurse will conduct communicable disease investigations and provide care across various CHC programs, working within an interdisciplinary team using a harm reduction and trauma-informed approach. The position requires a Registered Nurse with experience in harm reduction, collaboration, empathy, social justice, cultural humility, and trauma-informed care. The RN will operate to full scope, working 4 days/week (Monday-Thursday) in conjunction with other staff and reporting to the AVI Nanaimo Nurse Manager.

Requirements

RN designation from an accredited institution, with current registration with the BCCNM.
Certification in reproductive health with BCCNM required.
Minimum of 3 years of nursing experience working with those managing high levels of polysubstance use, mental health challenges, screening, assessment and treatment services to clients at risk and/or living with HIV/AIDS including providing STBBI/HIV testing.
Experience working with trans, queer, gender-nonconforming, bi, questioning, and GBMSM identified communities.
Experience working with structurally vulnerable clients and communities.
Experience in responding to medical emergencies such as toxic drug poisoning (naloxone administration, airway management, etc.).
Experience with phlebotomy, vaccine management and immunizations, all forms of STBBI testing, specimen collection, and treatment, HIV point-of care testing.
Transportation of dangerous goods certification will be required of this position.
Valid BC Drivers license required.
Requires the use of a personal vehicle.
Valid and current CPR/BLS for Healthcare Providers certification.
Demonstrated clinical skills, experience, and knowledge in primary care, substance use disorder care (including opiate agonist treatment options, harm reduction, HIV, HCV, sexual health, mental health, health promotion, and care for those experiencing systemic poverty.
Understanding of and the ability to utilize decision support tools and clinical guidelines as outlined with the BCCNM and the BCCDC to guide autonomous practice.
Excellent verbal and written communication, including strong listening, information-seeking, conflict resolution, and non-violent crisis intervention skills; practiced with accountability, boundaries, and self-responsibility.
Strong commitment to person-centered, equity-oriented healthcare, including advocacy, trauma-informed practice, social justice, anti-racism, decolonization, and harm reduction.
Demonstrated understanding of public health policy and equity-oriented models of social support, including the impacts of poverty, trauma, substance use, mental illness, racism, colonialism, heterosexism, and gender discrimination on health and well-being.
Commitment to honoring Indigenous communities and Ways of Knowing, with curiosity and humility regarding the ongoing impacts of colonial violence.
Demonstrated capacity to work under pressure, manage crisis situations, and recognize subtle changes in participants, including responding effectively to aggressive or suicidal behavior.
Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively, make sound clinical decisions, take initiative, prioritize workload, and adapt to changing or unexpected situations in a dynamic work environment.
Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain respectful rapport with participants and colleagues within multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary teams, including those colleagues and participants who are experiencing intersecting forms of systemic oppression.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and prioritization skills, with the ability to facilitate resolution in complex situations.
Demonstrated resilience and commitment to self-care practices.
Capable independent practitioner and engaged team member, with demonstrated ability to provide consultation, leadership, and work direction as delegated.
Proficient in the use of computer systems, electronic medical records, medical equipment, and related technologies for documentation, reporting, and treatment delivery.
Demonstrated listening and information seeking skills that promotes communication and lead to a cooperative approach to problem solving within a multidisciplinary setting.
Demonstrated ability to prioritize, take initiative, be flexible, and work both independently and collaboratively as a member of an interdisciplinary team.
Physical ability to perform the duties of the position and operate related equipment.

Nice To Haves

Priority given to those with previous reproductive health work experience.

Responsibilities

Provide intake, assessment, access to medication, education, referral, advocacy, follow-up and support for clients requiring OAT, Primary Care, STBBI, PrEP, PEP, and EHR services.
Provide care and support to individuals with high levels of poly-substance use, a variety and complexity of acute and chronic conditions, related but not exclusive to conditions of poverty and criminalization.
Assist clients with a variety of income, medical, and disability forms/documents including but not limited to PWD, nutritional supplementation, ICBC, etc.
Support clients who may be eligible for Hepatitis C treatment and follow-up.
Work as part of an interdisciplinary team to provide outreach services and harm reduction supplies to vulnerable/marginalized clients and communities who are at high risk for HIV/AIDS, HCV, blood borne infections.
Provide frontline primary care health care services to clients in the form of immediate assessment, intervention, referral or treatment.
Provide support to clients that includes primary and specialist care, mental health, sexual health, wound management, diagnostic and laboratory services, and medication adherence/management.
Provide systems navigation, advocacy and active referral to housing, disability, mental health, and substance use services, nutrition support, and other relevant services.
Provide Harm Reduction support through collaborative, risk reduction strategies, education, distribution of harm reduction supplies, overdose prevention education, including Naloxone training and distribution.
Work independently and collaboratively with the AVI Nanaimo team to support people contemplating or accessing pharmaceutical alternatives to illegal/toxic substances in a variety of settings, such as parks, drop-in centers, shelters, supported housing units, and overdose prevention sites, etc.
Provide education, information, and appropriate referrals, responsive to the self-identified needs of participants to manage their health, enhance the understanding of their health status, and navigate through the diverse services, and community supports related to their care.
Identify the health issues, behaviors, needs, barriers and challenges for an at-risk population.
Participate in multidisciplinary case coordination for clients living with HIV and/or HCV.
Collaborate with participants and the AVI Team to develop and maintain individualized care plans, providing ongoing monitoring and support with clients, in accordance with the care plan.
Initiate, administer, and document any publicly funded vaccines provided to eligible clients/participants.
Provide screening, assessment and administration of medications as ordered by the program prescribers/physicians.
Provide pre- and post-test counseling for the HIV antibody test, test results and ongoing support and referral to meet the needs of clients.
Provide harm reduction education, counseling and support from a nursing perspective on issues relating to Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI), HIV, and blood borne infections; in the clinic and non-traditional settings such as bars, drop-ins, on the street and other meeting places.
Work with community partners to ensure seamless support for program participants.
Liaise with community-based organizations to plan, develop, implement and deliver preventive education as needed to targeted groups.
Compiles and prepares statistical and program information as requested. Maintains files, stats, and records related to all areas of the program, electronic and paper, and reports on program work.
Work collaboratively in a team setting to develop creative strategies to address the challenges and participates in research projects, and surveys as required.
Participate in staff meetings, huddles, training, education, and engage in community relationship building, and networking.
Distribute harm reduction supplies and collaborate with other community agencies to reach populations at high risk of acquiring STBBI’s.
Performs other duties as assigned by the AVI Nanaimo leadership team (or designate) including transportation of medical specimens, vaccines, medications, clinic supplies, etc.