Street Medicine Public Health Nurse

Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department•Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, WA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

We are excited to continue providing care to people experiencing homelessness and living unsheltered through our Street Medicine team. We are hiring 2 Public Health Nurses (PHN I) that works as part of an interdisciplinary Street Medicine outreach team that includes a community health worker, with a physician available for consultation. This role provides culturally appropriate and compassionate medical care for people in our community. From a clinical standpoint, you will provide a broad scope of primary care services in the field, with a substantial focus on substance use care. This is a Project, Full-Time (1.0 FTE) funded through 12/31/2027 with the potential of extending the position dependent on funding. Based on our internal compensation review process, the starting hourly wage for this position is $40.90 –$43.72. We make decisions on higher starting salaries based on experience, education, and qualifications. The full salary range for this position is $40.90- $54.98 per hour. This position also includes a comprehensive benefits package that includes insurance (health, dental, vision, life), retirement plan options, generous leave accruals, annual cost of living salary increases, employee programs, and more. Visit our benefits webpage to learn more. This is a professional nursing classification that provides healthcare services to high-risk community members and families using knowledge from nursing, social and public health sciences, and best practices. This role serves in a variety of settings, including in-home care, mobile sites, and community organizations. A nurse in this role assesses client needs, develops individualized care plans, and recommends support services to work in partnership with provided treatment. Public Health Nurse (PHN)I works with team members and other community-based service providers to support the health and well-being of clients. Distinguishing Characteristics This is the first level in the PHN series. This professional role works semi-independently under the direction of a supervisor. The PHN I differs from the PHN II in level of responsibility and scope of work. The work of the PHN I is closely supervised. Employees are given some latitude indecision-making ability, with complex situations discussed with their supervisor. Work is sensitive and confidential, requiring a high level of discretion. This position may provide input in the development and evaluation of program services. Position Series Public Health Nurse I Public Health Nurse II Career Path Options Options to continue your career at the Health Department depend on your interest, education, and training. Possibilities beyond the position series include: Clinic Coordinator Nurse Supervisor Program Manager

Requirements

Bachelor of Science degree in nursing.
One year of experience in a healthcare or public health setting.
Current State of Washington Registered Nurse License or multi-state license endorsement required.
Basic Life Support (BLS)for Health Care Providers and AEDcertificationsrequiredwithin90 days of hire.
Valid driver’s license and acceptable driver’s abstract required prior to employment.
Immunizations and immunization screening required at hire and annually based on program area.

Nice To Haves

Experience in public health preferred.
We will consider any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the necessary qualifications to successfully perform the duties of the position.

Responsibilities

Provide high-quality, culturally competent direct services to community members involved in disease investigations and outreach services.
Provide technical assistance to healthcare partners, schools, businesses, and other organizations on immunizations, disease investigations, and other public health topics.
Maintain a detailed understanding of Department standing orders in order to provide appropriate services.
Demonstrate appropriate clinical judgment in seeking leadership consultation and/or medical direction for unusual or high-consequence situations that fall outside standard practice under standing orders.
Care coordination and case management services, such as: Wraparound health services and referrals, including referrals to appropriate clinical (e.g., primary care providers) and non-clinical services including behavioral health providers and substance use disorder clinics, to establish long-term care.
Medical and psychosocial case management.
Work will also include a minimum of 1 additional day focused on documentation, operations, and administration of the Street Medicine "SM" team.
Participation in regular trainings for the SM team to cover key SM protocols such as clinical guidelines, infection and infestation prevention, skills to prevent and de-escalate crises, situational awareness and safety precautions in a range of settings, understanding boundaries between street medicine and law enforcement, street medicine 911 protocols, safety precautions for transporting individuals and staff well-being that includes self-care and burnout prevention.
Clinical consultation to help determine needed supplies for the SM team.
Utilizes nursing expertise to perform comprehensive individual and family assessments to develop a comprehensive plan of care that will address physical, developmental, and environmental health, psycho-social, substance use, and domestic violence issues, basic needs, and access to health care.
Develop and review Street Medicine policies and procedures, including standing orders if needed.
Provides skilled nursing care, case management, and health education in a variety of settings for vulnerable populations and high-risk groups.
Suggests referrals for additional services when needed.
Offers in-home care and support to clients in alignment with department patient care models.
Provides skilled nursing care and health education to high-risk clients in a variety of settings.
Provides nurse case management, care coordination, referrals, and follow-up to individuals and families who are members of a vulnerable population and/or high-risk groups.
Accurately documents patient assessment and intervention data in medical records.
Engages and educates clients and families in a plan of care that will address their identified health needs.
Participates in the development of educational materials and/or policies related to the field of work as a nurse subject matter expert.
Provides training, orientation, education, and instruction for clients or groups about health care and preventive medicine issues.
Participates in the development of educational materials.
May assist in responding to communicable disease outbreaks.
Provides skilled nursing services in response to public health emergencies.
Uses motivational interviewing and therapeutic communication techniques to drive trauma-informed care and provide individualized support for clients navigating behavior change.
Advocates for vulnerable clients and populations.
Acts as a liaison between community agencies and professionals to raise awareness of the availability of programs and services.
May participate in training and mentoring new employees and students to equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to be successful.
The work you do might require you to participate in the Title XIX Medicaid Claiming Program.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Adheres to all workplace and trade safety laws, regulations, standards, and practices.
Understands and properly follows established procedures in preventing and responding to unsafe or emergency situations.
Identifies and reports potentially unsafe practices or conditions.
Operates equipment, tools, machinery, and vehicles safely and understands processes for reporting an accident or injury.
Understands and applies knowledge and skills necessary to successfully perform assigned emergency response role during an emergency.
When public health responds to an emergency, you may be assigned duties and responsibilities that are outside your regular job description. This may involve responding at any time and reporting to a location other than the department with different working conditions and physical requirements.
You are expected to participate in emergency preparedness activities including our emergency notification system, WA SECURES. Drills and real-world events may take place at any time.