Pediatrics Clinical Nurse Specialist (2323) - Department of Public Health

The Department of Public Health prioritizes equitable and inclusive access to quality healthcare for its community and values the importance of diversity in its workforce. All employees at the Department of Public Health work to advance equity, inclusion, and diversity with a specific lens and focus on race, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexuality, disability, and immigration status. 

• Application Opening – Friday, January 9, 2026
• Application Deadline – The application filing will be open continuously at least through Friday, March 6th, 2026 and will close any time thereafter.
• Salary: $213,590 - $308,074 Annually
• Appointment Type: Permanent Civil Service
• Recruitment ID: CBT-2323-H00184

San Francisco is a vibrant and dynamic city, on the forefront of economic growth & innovation, urban development, arts & entertainment, as well as social issues & change. This rich tapestry of culture and ideas is sustained by our City's commitment to heighten the quality of life for the diverse population of San Franciscans and residents of the greater Bay Area. Our employees play an important role not only in making our City what it is today, but also in shaping the future of San Francisco. 

The Mission of the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) is to protect and promote the health of all San Franciscans. SFDPH strives to achieve its mission through the work of multiple divisions - the San Francisco Health Network, Population Health, Behavioral Health Services, and Administration. The San Francisco Health Network is the City’s only complete system of care and has locations throughout the City, including Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, and over 15 primary care health centers. The Population Health Division (PHD) provides core public health services for the City and County of San Francisco: health protection, health promotion, disease and injury prevention, and disaster preparedness and response. Behavioral Health Services operates in conjunction with SFHN and provides a range of mental health and substance use treatment services.

Under general medical and nursing direction, you will perform pediatric clinical nursing duties in hospitals, clinics, and community health centers. As a core member of a multidisciplinary clinical team, you will manage complex pediatric patient care from birth to age 17. You will provide consultation, education, and advanced practice support to registered nurses, public health nurses, and other clinical staff to enhance care quality, safety, and outcomes for pediatric populations.

­ 1. Evaluates individual nursing care needs of selected patients in the area of specialty; determines what types of nursing care would best meet those needs; designs a program of nursing care for each patient and works out practical methods of implementing this care after staff consultation and discussion; participates in the formulation of discharge plans; making provision for any necessary post discharge nursing care.

2. Provides direct nursing care to individuals or groups of patients where in-depth or specialized nursing care is required; in the psychiatric specialty leads in individual and group therapy sessions.

3. Gives professional advice and consultation services to registered nurses and public health nurses in specialized nursing care; defines objectives and principles of nursing in the area of specialty and assists nurses in developing their professional skills; may provide clinical supervision and education to professional and non-professional nursing staff.

4. Participates in formulating standards, policies and procedures for the specialized nursing plan, and relates it to other disciplines within the total treatment program; as well as to other health organizations and to the community.

5. Facilitates, directs, and in some instances initiates referrals of patients and families to appropriate professional personnel and community resources.

6. Participates in clinical investigations and studies in the area of nursing specialty.

7. In public health nursing, is responsible for on-going comprehensive study of needs for nursing and health care services in the community and assists with designing and implementing plans for meeting such needs.+

Please note that incumbents in this classification may be required to perform duties as listed in the class specification, which can be found on DHR’s website: https://careers.sf.gov/classifications/

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Possession of a master’s degree in nursing from an accredited college or university; 

AND

• License and Certification:
  • Registered Nurse License: Possession of a valid California Registered Nurse (RN) license issued by the California Board of Registered Nursing*; AND
  • Clinical Nurse Specialist Certificate: Possession of a valid Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) certificate issued by the California Board of Registered Nursing**.

*Note: Applicants who meet all other qualifications and possess an active Registered Nurse license from another state may apply and participate in the selection process but must obtain a valid California Registered Nurse (RN) license prior to appointment.

**Note: Applicants who meet all other qualifications and have completed all requirements to obtain the Clinical Nurse Specialist Certificate may apply and participate in the selection process but will need to obtain the CNS Certification prior to appointment.

Information on Licensure by Endorsement

An out-of-state registered nurse is an RN who holds a current, active license issued by another U.S. state, territory, or Canada and seeks licensure in California. These applicants may obtain a California Registered Nurse license through the endorsement process administered by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN). Licensure by endorsement allows qualified nurses to practice in California after meeting BRN education, examination, and background requirements.

Licensure by Endorsement

Information on the Clinical Nurse Specialist Certification:

The clinical nurse specialist is a BRN certified RN who is an advanced practice nurse providing expert clinical practice, research, education, consultation and clinical leadership with an identified patient population. The scope of clinical nurse specialist practice includes patients, nursing personnel and organization systems. Clinical nurse specialists work in direct patient care and indirect patient care activities that affect a broad range of patients.

There are three methods to qualify for certification as a clinical nurse specialist with the BRN. General reporting of prior disciplines are required for all methods.

• Click to open the Clinical Nurse Specialist application instructions. Application instructions also include associated forms that may be attached to online application as needed.
• Apply Online

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Two (2) years work experience in pediatric bed side nursing
• Two (2) years of experience within the last three (3) years in an acute care Pediatric ICU or Pediatric ED
• Possesses a certificate in Pediatric Advance Life Support (PALS)

The stated desirable qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring. Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

One-year fulltime employment is equivalent to 2,000 hours (2,000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week).

VERIFICATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Review SF Careers Employment Applications for considerations taken when reviewing applications.

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education or experience verification is required, information on how to verify education and experience requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://careers.sf.gov/knowledge/experience-education/.

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

Selection Procedures: 
After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following.

Training and Experience Evaluation: (Weight: 100%):
Candidates that meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to participate in a Training and Experience Evaluation that is designed to measure the knowledge, skills, and abilities in job related areas including, but not limited to: 

• Ability to Understand the impact of social-psychological stress on individuals and communities
• Work as part of a multidisciplinary health team
• Inform and motivate other members of such a team
• Design and implement new or revised nursing techniques as required to meet specific needs encountered in nursing practice
• Continue to seek professional development and to assist other members of the team in developing their own professional skills in the area of specialty

Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.

Certification

The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be the Rule of Ten Scores.

Eligible List/Score Report:
A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be of 6 months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

To find Departments which use this classification, please see the city’s Position Counts by Job Codes and Departments.

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights:

Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. [Note: The correction of clerical errors in an announcement may be posted on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.sf.gov/.]

The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 110.4. Such appeals must be submitted in writing to the Department of Human Resources, 1 S Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-5413 by close of business on the 5th business day following the issuance date of this examination announcement. Information concerning other Civil Service Commission Rules involving announcements, applications and examination policies, including applicant appeal rights, can be found on the Civil Service Commission website at https://sf.gov/departments/civil-service-commission

Additional information regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

Where to Apply 

All job applications for the City and County of San Francisco must be submitted through our online portal. Please visit https://careers.sf.gov/ to begin your application process.

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment. Please consider using a personal email address that you check regularly rather than a work or school account.

Computers are available for the public (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) to file online applications in the lobby of the Dept. of Human Resources at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor and at the City Career Center at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 110.

Ensure your application information is accurate, as changes may not be possible after submission. Your first and last name must match your legal ID for verification, and preferred names can be included in parentheses. Use your personal email address, not a shared or work email, to avoid unfixable issues.

Applicants will receive a confirmation email from [email protected] that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst, Katrina Navarro at [email protected] or (628) 271-6717. 

We may use text messaging to communicate with you on the phone number provided in your application. The first message will ask you to opt in to text messaging.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.