Public Health - Public Health Nurse

Under the direction of the Health Officer/Director the Public Health Nurse provides public health nursing services to individuals, families, and population groups. Public health nursing actions are directed toward the goals of prevention, assessment, risk reduction, and health status improvement for individuals, families and communities. Activities include, but are not limited to systemic analysis of health data, care plan development, health education and advocacy, coalition building, 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. Public health nursing interventions occur at individual, community and systems levels depending upon the responsibilities of the position and the issues involved.

• Performs comprehensive individual and family assessments, health history, physical assessment, growth monitoring, developmental assessment, psycho-social assessment, assessment of family functioning, assessment for substance abuse or domestic violence issues, and assessment of basic needs including food, housing, income, resource and supports, and access to health care.
• Provides care coordination, referral and follow-up to individuals and families who are members of a vulnerable population and/or high-risk groups. Evaluates outcomes, effectiveness of plan, and makes changes as necessary.
• Uses public health surveillance/disease investigation methods in community outreach, screening and case finding of communicable and infectious diseases that threaten the health of the community.
• Investigates complaints regarding environmental health problems and environmental health hazards and initiates enforcement or corrective actions as required.
• Provides education and counseling to individuals, families and community groups that are adapted to their unique needs, lifestyle, cultural and socio-economic situation.
• Obtains and completes appropriate patient “consent for care” forms, ensures patient confidentiality and maintains orderly medical records. Follows established Public Health medical records policies and procedures as well as the state and federal laws that govern the release of health care information.
• Documents patient and environmental assessment and intervention data in medical records. Uses established medical record electronic systems, forms databases and documentation practices.
• Responds to individual client emergency situations in the clinical or home setting with basic life support and first aid skills. Summons other health care providers and emergency response personnel in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Collaborates in 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 health department building/site, homes, community organizations and businesses, schools and the community in general.
• Evaluates outcomes of public health environmental and other 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, water quality, environmental hazards, injuries and health disparities.

• Delivers targeted, culturally-appropriate information to help individuals and groups understand health promotion and disease prevention information, policies, regulations, and local code.
• Actively participates in and acts as a liaison with other community agencies and professionals in collaborative efforts to address community health priorities.
• Advocates on behalf of vulnerable individuals and populations; participates in assessing and evaluating health care services to ensure that people are informed of available health department and community programs and services and are assisted in the utilization of those services.
• Participates in the Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department research and demonstration projects that seek to improve the health of communities and determine new ways to address health issues.
• Contributes to a work environment that fosters ongoing educational experiences…