Public Health Nurse

Public Health Nurse

This advertisement is for a full-time Public Health Nurse that is full benefit-eligible for all offered Pottawatomie County benefits. Pottawatomie County Health Department will pay the employee's yearly nursing license renewal fee and will pay for CEUs associated with the renewal. Pottawatomie County offers a yearly $150 clothing stipend to assist in purchasing logoed scrubs. The county offers a generous overall benefit package to employees.

Position Summary:

Under the supervision of the Pottawatomie County Health Department Director and Assistant Director, the Public Health Nurse is a non-exempt position under FLSA. Primary responsibilities include providing public health nursing assessment and care, providing health education, monitoring health risks and communicable disease in the county, and promoting good health in Pottawatomie County.

Essential Functions (required):

• Provides adult health screening/monitoring of chronic disease per protocol or doctor order;
• Conducts child health assessments as trained and assigned;
• Assists with child and adult immunizations and administers immunizations at clinics as trained and assigned;
• Performs direct nursing duties in public health programs as trained;
• Maintains and updates Communicable Disease Protocols provided by KDHE and develops local protocol to enhance disease investigation process;
• Conducts phone visits to investigate disease or counsel clients with public health concerns or environmental hazards;
• Conduct clinic visits to high-risk families for education and risk reduction;
• Follows protocols and procedures for public health programs;
• Provides health education/materials to the general public and schools regarding health prevention;
• Assures that appropriate educational materials are displayed and available in health department and in community;
• Provides counseling, testing, treatment, and follow up for sexually transmitted diseases as trained;
• Performs toenail care per protocol as assigned.
• Conducts communicable disease investigation and provides follow-up recommendations to individual, physicians and family members for the control of disease as assigned and enter all the information into the Disease Reporting system within 10 working days of the report;
• Completes all paperwork required by KDHE regarding a reportable communicable disease and entering all disease in Disease Surveillance Reporting System within 10 working days of receiving report via mail, fax, lab, or phone;
• Enrolls clients in appropriate medical assistance programs and completes all paperwork, facilitating the referral;
• Coordinates the activities of the Pottawatomie County Traffic Safety Coalition/Safe Kids Chapter as assigned;
• Refers clients for further evaluation and/or treatment when necessary and document all information in electronic health record and electronic referral system;
• Maintains client records in organized concise manner, integrated with other health department records;
• Collaborates with other public and private health care providers to provide integrated, comprehensive services;
• Collects program data for use in community health assessment and planning;
• Provides and monitors TB drugs as assigned;
• Provides support for the health department preparedness coordinator as assigned.

Marginal Functions

• Performs supply inventory and data entry of information;
• Performs school screening as trained (vision, hearing, growth, scoliosis, immunization status);
• Works with Volunteer organizations (ACS, ADA, MoD, United Way, Salvation Army, CERT Team,) in programming and support work.
• Procures and organizes brochures and other educational publications and audio-visual materials at the Health Department.
• Provides community education to groups, schools, and the public as needed. Develops and displays health exhibits at appropriate events, such as health fairs. Promotes events such as Great American Smoke Out and Breast Cancer Awareness Month;
• Promotes health department services such as flu shots, immunization clinics, and lead testing;
• Utilizes the media effectively to promote and educate the public;
• Performs other duties as deemed necessary or assigned.

Education/Training/Experience:

Education: A high school diploma or GED, and graduation from an accredited School of Nursing. Employee should be a Registered Nurse and be currently licensed to practice in the State of Kansas.

Experience: One year of similar or related experience is recommended. Employee is expected to have acquired the necessary information and skills to perform the job reasonably well within six months to one year of employment.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

The work environment and physical demand characteristics described here is representative and not intended to be fully inclusive of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee…