Registered Nurse 3 - Public Health

Department: Health & Human Services

Union Affiliation: AFSCME

Work Schedule: Monday – Friday

Total Hours Per Week: 40

This recruitment will remain Open Until Filled.

INTRODUCTION

The classification is a three-level series and includes positions that require professional knowledge of nursing. The Public Health Nurse (PHN) provides comprehensive public health nursing services to individuals, families and communities. Care is provided in the home, clinic, and community settings through direct care, health promotion education, referrals and community education and connections. The PHN works together with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations to provide the 10 Essential Public Health Services.

RN 3 work is distinguished from work at the journey level with the expectation that the senior RN3 meets the core competencies and regularly performs work with no supervisory nurse, nurse practitioner, or medical doctor on the premises.

(Duties assigned to this position include, but are not limited to, the following examples. Any one position may not perform all listed duties.)

Provide services to clients in the home, clinic, and or community setting utilizing a trauma informed care approach. Services are provided with a team approach utilizing support from community health workers and health program representatives where applicable. Individual and Community Based Services may include but are not limited to:

• Direct case management of pediatric and adult clients ensuring appropriate referrals and connection to services.
• Prenatal and postnatal outreach, screening, care, lactation support, and education.
• Infant and pediatric; outreach, growth and development screening, nursing interventions, health and development education, well child assessments, infant feeding assessments, and immunizations.
• Effectively utilize nursing assessments; formulate, apply, and monitor nursing care plans.
• Utilize agency standing orders and protocols to provide STI screening, treatment, education, and counsel appropriate risk reduction strategies. Utilize agency standing orders and protocols to provide contraception services and education.
• Utilize agency standing orders and protocols to counsel and administer appropriate immunizations.
• Provide counseling and education in an individual or group settings in the areas of chronic health conditions such as prevention and management of diabetes, drug and alcohol abuse, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Communicable disease such as STIs, TB, and other reportable conditions. As well as topics such as pregnancy prevention, child abuse prevention, teen dating violence, first aid, and disaster preparedness.
• Provide communicable disease services by partnering with state and local health agencies, hospitals, and health clinics to monitor, track, and investigate communicable diseases. Provide education, investigative, and treatment services as needed to individual clients.

REQUIRIED KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES:

Knowledge: 

In-depth knowledge of professional nursing principles, practices, and the 10 Essential Public Health Services. 

Skills:

• Using nursing assessment and judgement to provide client care.
• Developing diagnosis and subsequent nursing interventions.
• Develop and implement nursing care plans
• Utilizing trauma informed care practices when interviewing, screening, and counseling clients.
• Utilizing a broad range of development and growth screens
• Utilizing a broad range of clinical equipment.

Abilities:

• Provide individual and family counseling, guidance, and health instruction to help clients understand how to prevent disease and maintain good health.
• Take medical histories and conduct physical examinations.
• Effectively and appropriately interact and communicate with clients and families with a wide range of cognitive abilities, cultural backgrounds, and education levels.
• Ability to provide compassionate care in a non-judgmental way and possess self-awareness of personal bias.
• Ability to problem solve complex situations.

REQUIRED EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:

Preferred 4-year degree in a related field and two years' progressively responsible professional nursing experience, preferably in a public health setting in addition to a current Oregon Registered Nurse License. At time of appointment, must possess a valid Oregon driver's license and maintain an acceptable driving record.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The RN 3 works with a significant degree of independence without a co-located supervisor, a nurse practitioner, or medical doctor. Administers a complex area of responsibility and provides nursing care, training, and counseling, and responds to emergencies in accordance with policy and accepted nursing practice without specific instructions. The RN 3 independently determines the times for assessing, counseling, teaching, and treating and adjusts schedules according to community, individual, or family needs.

GUIDELINES

Work is performed under numerous guidelines: department policies, procedures, and protocols; federal and state statutes and health laws; school district rules and regulations; corrections facilities rules and regulations; and standard medical and nursing practices. In the course of treatment or education, the nurse must exercise significant judgment to identify when consultation with or referral to a physician or nurse practitioner is appropriate.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work involves reaching, standing, and bending in the assessment and treatment of patients. There is considerable walking and climbing of steps in visiting homes, schools, and correction facilities. Work requires exposure to infection and contagious disease. When making field visits, the Nurse goes outside in any kind of weather.