Urgent Response Nurse Specialist
About The Position
The Center for Public Health Readiness and Response (CPRR) promotes health and reduces harm related to public health threats for CHOP employees, patients, and the community by providing access to public health information through its Employee Safety Line, Public Health Resource Line, and Poison Center. The Urgent Response Nurse Specialist triages complex cases and completes risk assessments through phone, chat, online forms, and other communication and education channels. The role provides guidance on preventing harm following potential exposures to poisons, infectious diseases, chemicals, and environmental hazards, and supports public health education and response. The position requires strong skills in educating healthcare workers and patients, promoting safe and efficient care, multitasking, navigating computer databases and resources, and maintaining professional telephone interactions. Shifts include days, evenings, and nights, with rotating weekends and holidays. The role becomes hybrid after the probation period, with 50% on-site work.
Requirements
- Technical Diploma in Nursing.
- At least four years of nursing, call center, healthcare, or public health-related experience.
- Registered Nurse license in Pennsylvania, required upon hire.
- Advanced proficiency with Microsoft office software.
- Advanced knowledge of medical terminology, diagnostics, and basic infectious disease principles.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Excellent customer service, interpersonal, time management, and organizational skills.
- Excellent critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism.
- Ability to gather and analyze information and make recommendations or decisions based on best practices.
- Ability to explain complex or technical information in an understandable manner.
- Ability to collaborate with stakeholders at all levels.
- Ability to be flexible and adaptable to change.
Nice To Haves
- Bachelor’s degree in Nursing or a similar field of study.
- At least seven years of nursing, call center, healthcare, or public health-related experience.
Responsibilities
- Triage inquiries from CHOP employees, patients, and the public; gather information and apply relevant CHOP and public health algorithms and guidelines.
- Educate healthcare providers, patients, and families about practical methods to prevent and control infectious disease spread.
- Advise staff on isolation practices and use of personal protective equipment for a broad range of infectious agents.
- Conduct contact tracing for potential exposures at CHOP and coordinate with Infection Prevention and Control and Occupational Health colleagues on employee exposures and follow-up care.
- Collaborate with external partners, including departments of health, to produce reports efficiently.
- Assess risks following exposure to potentially infectious bodily fluids, chemicals, or environmental factors, and advise on follow-up care.
- Navigate and refer employees to mental health resources.
- Collect information from healthcare institutions about established exposure cases to determine whether ongoing medical management is required.
- Complete registration, scheduling, and prescribing tasks as authorized by standing orders for CPRR programs.
- Prepare and maintain medical records and respond to correspondence.
- Use clinical judgment to support exposure risk assessments and refer cases to partners or subject matter experts when needed.
- Provide ongoing or episodic education on public health and CHOP-related topics.
- Document encounters and employee risk assessments thoroughly.
- Respond to public health threats that affect the organization or patient care.
- Assess human poisoning exposures reported by the public through telephone and web-based consultation, excluding cases reported by healthcare facilities; obtain complete histories for emergency, information, and follow-up calls.
- Gather information about substances, exposure routes, modes and timing, relevant medical history, and the patient’s current condition.
- Follow Poison Center protocols, determine whether immediate evaluation at a healthcare facility is needed, and refer callers to 911 when appropriate.
- Follow established hospital cases and provide interventions until the patient is medically cleared or toxicology concerns have resolved.
- Handle interactions courteously, patiently, and empathetically; protect confidentiality and sensitive information; and provide calm evaluations and concise, relevant recommendations.
- Offer action-oriented resources, disengage politely from out-of-scope calls, and model professionalism and teamwork.
- Serve as a resource for department peers and ensure care meets professional practice standards and regulatory requirements.
- Manage the release of information in accordance with HIPAA and requirements for protected health information.
- Identify learning needs, assist with learning plans, participate in learning opportunities, and apply training to nursing practice.
- Demonstrate healthcare informatics competency in managing patient care.
- Assist with team projects and assignments to improve contact center workflow and service quality.
- Provide surge preparation and coverage when needed and available.
- Promote quality, efficient, and cost-effective care; identify improvement opportunities and make recommendations.
- Manage time to accomplish direct and indirect care cost-effectively.
Benefits
- Annual influenza vaccination is a condition of employment for employees working in patient care buildings or in patient-facing roles.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
Associate degree
