Public Health Nurse

Pay Range:
In accordance with the City of East Chicago’s Salary Ordinance, passed by the Common Council

Under the general supervision of the Health Officer and Director, the Public Health Nurse provides nursing services to individuals, families, and population groups. Nursing actions are directed toward the goals of prevention, assessment, risk reduction, and health status improvement for individuals, families, and communities. Nursing activities include, but are not limited to, systematic analysis of health data, care plan development, health education and advocacy, and collaborating with community partners to promote the health of a population.

Public Health Nurses often collaborate and consult within multidisciplinary and multi‑agency teams in order to achieve desirable outcomes for families and communities.

• Interprets, implements, and enforces compliance of public health laws, codes, rules, and ordinances.
• Prepares and administers medications per the Health Officer’s standing orders for immunizations.
• Performs epidemiological investigation of communicable diseases.
• Assists in Tuberculosis (TB) case management.
• Administers and surveils TB cases with referral of positive cases to the Indiana Department of Health TB case manager.
• Provides management and coordination of services through a multidisciplinary approach, collaborating with multiple community agencies for abnormal public health conditions.
• Complies with all Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
• Demonstrates knowledge of the core functions and essential services of public health.
• Uses public health surveillance/disease investigation methods in community outreach, screening, and case findings of communicable and infectious diseases that threaten the health of the community.
• Offers Sexually Transmitted Disease screenings, diagnosis, treatment, risk reduction, and counseling.
• Provides education and counseling to individuals, families, and community groups.
• Obtains and completes appropriate patient “Consent” forms, ensures patient confidentiality, and maintains orderly medical records. Follows established Public Health medical records policies and procedures as well as State and Federal laws that govern the release of health care information.
• Documents patient assessment and intervention data in medical records. Uses established medical record documentation practices.
• Responds to individual client emergencies. Summons other health care providers and emergency response personnel in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Delivers services through departments and outreach programs.
• Collaborates with schools within the City of East Chicago to promote immunization programs.
• Collaborates in the development and delivery of programs and activities for individuals, families, and population groups that promote health and prevent disease, in settings including, but not limited to, City Departments, community organizations, schools, and the community in general.
• Evaluates outcomes of public health nursing interventions; works with others (clients and other professionals) to make changes as necessary.
• Participates in response teams to prevent, minimize, and contain adverse health events and conditions resulting from communicable diseases; food-, water-, and vector-borne outbreaks; chronic diseases; environmental hazards; injuries; and health disparities.
• Collaborates in the development and contributes to individual, team, and departmental quality improvement, performance management, and evaluation activities.
• Coordinates public health activities with environmental and public health professionals and investigators from other agencies and jurisdictions, including but not limited to Indiana State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Coordinates activities among and between other governmental agencies, such as the Indiana State Department of Health, that enforce laws and regulations that protect the public’s health.
• Collaborates in the development, implementation, and evaluation of long and short-range policies, plans, and programs for public health in East Chicago.
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