Public Health - Registered Nurse

Position: PUBLIC HEALTH - REGISTERED NURSE
Public Health - Registered Nurse

Salary: $53,372 annually

Job Type: Full-time

BENEFITS

Vigo County offers to full-time employees competitive benefit plans. These include Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, paid holidays, Flexible Spending Account Plans, 457 Plans, Life Insurance , and others.

Description

Incumbent serves as Public Health Nurse for the Vigo County Health Department, responsible for providing education, health, and nursing care to County residents and ensuring compliance with established policies, practices, protocols, and professional and public health standards.

Examples of Duties

• Manages the care of clients using established protocols, ensuring compliance with all applicable County Health Department policies and procedures, Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) standards, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) regulations, and all other federal and state laws relating to privacy, confidentiality, and service delivery.

• Investigates reportable communicable diseases and enters information in Indiana National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (INEDSS). Provides education to infected individuals and their close contacts, submitting appropriate specimens to lab, completing/filing epidemiological reports and submitting to ISDH as required. Provides case follow-up as needed.

• Provides case management and administers medication to patients with latent or active tuberculosis. Manages Indiana State University's latent tuberculosis student medication.

• Provides education to parents, children, and adults on immunizations and healthy choices.

• Performs nursing assessments, including blood pressure checks, vision screening, hearing screenings, and weight and height measurements.

• Reviews immunization records, prepares and administers vaccines, and initiates reminders or follow up visits.

• Conducts hemoglobin checks and blood lead testing on children and provides lead exposure education to families, including providing lead poisoning case management for children with elevated blood levels.

• Evaluates the physical, social, and emotional development of children and makes appropriate referrals.

• Conducts home visits for TB patients, performs sputum collections, and provides education on TB exposure and isolation.

• Participates in health fairs and first aid stations at community events and serves as public health consultant to school nurses. Works in cooperation with other public health agencies in providing improved service delivery, including identifying needs, planning solutions, and developing effective methods of implementation.

• Assists with County CPR trainings.

• Maintains and updates nursing policies and procedures, and writes grant proposals.

• Maintains current records and documentation on services provided, and completes a variety of quarterly and annual reports as required by supervisor, Health Board, and regulating agencies.

• Organizes and maintains insurance billing procedures.

• Prepares and administers medications and/or treatment as prescribed by physicians.

• Investigates, documents and provides follow-up for complaints from the ISDH, local health care delivery agencies, private individuals, patients or family members regarding health care delivery within Vigo County.

• Maintains appropriate vaccine inventories and orders/purchases supplies as needed. Maintains proper storage and handling of vaccines, including required documentation.

• Responds to telephone calls and questions from members of the public, including scheduling appointments, making referrals, counseling, and providing health-related information as appropriate.

• Maintains current knowledge of medical practices and public health issues by reading professional publications and attending in-service programs and professional education workshops/training/conferences.

• Performs related duties as assigned.

Typical Qualifications

• Associates degree and current licensing as Registered Nurse in the State of Indiana. Must be at least 21 years of age.

• Certification in CPR, TB skin testing, lead testing, National Incident Management System (NIMS) and/or other areas as required for public health programs/operations.

• Ability to meet all department hiring requirements, including passage of a drug test.

• Thorough knowledge of and ability to make practical application of standard policies and practices of the Vigo County Health Department.

• Knowledge of public health laws and accepted principles and practices of public health nursing, with ability to effectively examine and screen individuals, assess needs, and provide information, treatment, assistance, and referrals.

• Knowledge of health and social services available to County residents and ability to implement public health programs and facilitate referrals as appropriate.

• Working knowledge of standard English grammar, spelling and punctuation, and ability to prepare correspondence, patient charts, and detailed written reports as required.

• Knowledge of standard filing systems and ability to create and maintain Department and…