Community Health Nurse II

Community Health Nurse II

The salary for this position is: $6,257 - $8,322 monthly

Thurston County Public Health and Social Services (PHSS) is recruiting for a Community Health Nurse II for our Community Health Division.

Would you like to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable babies, mothers, and families? If yes, we would love to meet you!

As a Community Health Nurse II, you will work as part of the NFP program delivering services to families within Thurston, Mason, and/or Lewis counties, and will be a critical member of our fantastic NFP team that delivers services to the families in our communities. This position will serve Lewis County and will work primarily out of the Lewis County office.

Carrying a caseload of 25 active clients, you will be responsible for independently conducting frequent home visits to build strong partnerships with families in accordance with program goals, objectives, and visit guidelines of the NFP model. You will collaborate and work as part of a team to promote the health of families and develop and maintain community relationships to support client referrals. Our goal is that all children are healthy, families thrive, communities prosper, and the cycle of poverty is broken.

Essential functions may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Assess physical, emotional, social, and environmental needs of women and their families as they relate to the NFP domains
• Formulate nursing diagnosis based on nursing assessment and client goals
• Assist women and their families in establishing goals and outcomes
• Provide education, support, and referral resources to assist women and their families in attaining their targeted goals
• Consult and collaborate with other professionals involved in providing services to women and families
• Plan home visits and evaluate client progress toward stated goals and NFP outcomes
• Actively engage in professional development to meet all NFP Nurse Home Visitor competency requirements
• Meet with NFP Nurse Supervisor weekly for clinical supervision, utilizing reflective practice in supervisory sessions
• Schedule joint home visits with NFP Nurse Supervisor every four months
• Attend and participate in bi-weekly case conferences and bi-weekly team meetings
• Provide information to support staff for timely and accurate data input
• Participate in review and analysis of reports for achievements, areas for improvement, and quality improvement efforts
• Document appropriately and maintain confidentiality
• Perform other work as required or assigned, including, but not limited to, a 24/7 response during public health emergency situations and disease outbreak investigations. This includes emergency preparedness training and exercises, relevant to the work expectations of duties during emergencies.

Working Conditions:

• Work Environment - Quiet office setting in Olympia, Washington, with primary workstation located in the Lewis County office
• Schedule - Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm, with the potential option of alternative or compressed schedules
• Travel Requirements – Consistent local travel is required to perform essential role functions, and occasional travel may be required to attend meetings or trainings
• Customer Interactions - Daily interactions with Thurston County staff and the public

Who We Are:

Public Health and Social Services (PHSS) is Thurston County's local health jurisdiction and human services department and is responsible for protecting the health and promoting the well-being of all people who live, work, and play in Thurston County. We value diversity and strive to foster a sense of belonging, honoring the unique experiences, cultures, skills, backgrounds, identities, and perspectives of our employees and community. As an agency actively working to address health equity, we aspire for everyone to have the opportunity to attain their highest level of health, regardless of their individual circumstances.

Thurston County values the diversity of the people it hires and serves. Inclusion to us means fostering a workplace in which individual differences are recognized, appreciated, and responded to in ways that fully develop and utilize each person's talents and strengths. We are dedicated to recruiting and developing a talented workforce from various cultures, lifestyles, backgrounds, and perspectives who are committed to our vision and core values. Thurston County Racial Equity and Inclusion Webpage

What We Offer Our Employees:

• Work-Life Balance: We are committed to ensure that our staff experience the reward of public service, while also sustaining a routine that suits each individuals' lifestyle.
• Plan For Your Future: As a member of our team, you will enjoy great employee benefits, including a retirement plan, pre-tax savings accounts, as well as comprehensive health care and dental/vision care for you and your family. Please visit Thurston County Employee Benefit Plans for more information.
• Paid Leave: Full-time regular employees earn paid vacation in addition to paid holidays.
• Robust Training Program: Employees are encouraged to attend County paid training to help them further their career, learn new skill sets, and stay on top of emerging trends in our industry. We also encourage our staff to participate in professional organizations and attend conferences.
• Flexible Work Schedules: Some of the options that employees may take advantage of include alternative or compressed schedules and/or remote working.
• Deferred Compensation: The County offers 3 voluntary deferred compensation plans for employees who would like to set aside additional deferred tax dollars into a retirement savings plan.
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA): Employees can take advantage of Section 125 flexible spending accounts for out-of-pocket health care and daycare expenses with pre-tax dollars.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness: This is a federal program which allows full-time public service employees who have made qualifying payments for certain loans, to get their student loans repaid. Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

Why you'll love it here: Thurston County is located between Seattle and Portland in Western Washington's South Puget Sound Region. Perched in between the mountains and the ocean, the area boasts the perfect blend of year-round outdoor activities including boating, hiking, skiing, and more. The region is also home to the state capitol city of Olympia, known for its many restaurants, microbreweries, coffee shops, farmer's markets, kids' activities, history, and art events. Discover more about life in Thurston County at Experienceolympia.com.

Message to potential applicants: We understand that some potential applicants are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the functions or skills listed in a job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and we understand that may be someone who will learn some of these skills on the job. If you are interested in this position, and meet the minimum qualifications, we encourage you to go ahead and apply! Feel free to think about how you will bring your own set of skills to the role and tell us about the potential that you hold.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in nursing with coursework in community or public nursing. Completion of a BSN program within six (6) months of hire may be considered.
• Two (2) years of experience as a community health nurse or relevant experience in a hospital, medical clinic, public health, or related service. Any equivalent combination of experience and education that provides the applicant with the desired knowledge, skills, and ability required to perform the work will be considered.
• Currently licensed as a Washington State Registered Nurse.
• Depending on work assignment, a valid Washington State Driver's License or an appropriate accommodation, may be required

Desired Skills:

Respect and Organizational Culture

• Create an environment where employees and partners can safely express needs or concerns and where employees can make and correct mistakes
• Effectively interact with sensitivity while working with persons from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, educational, racial, ethnic, and professional backgrounds, and persons of all ages, gender identities, sexual orientations, and lifestyles
• Thrive in a fast-paced, robust organization maintaining a positive work environment

Communication

• Serve the public in a timely, complete, accurate, and professional manner while ensuring that written and verbal communication is clearly understood by others
• Maintain cultural competency to support diverse perspectives in developing, implementing, and evaluating policies, programs, and services that affect the health of the community
• Strong oral communication for networking and interpersonal relationships
• Excellent written communication including the ability to craft correspondence, reports, and articles or web postings with minimal grammatical and syntax errors

Goal