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 patient files.
• Ability to operate standard office and medical equipment, such as computer, calculator, telephone, copier, fax machine, scanner, syringes, blood pressure equipment, hemocue, audiometer, otoscope, stethoscope, and thermometer.
• Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing with co-workers, other County departments, ISDH, personnel from various health-related agencies, hospitals, schools, and the public, including being sensitive to professional ethics, gender, cultural diversities and disabilities.
• Ability to provide public access to or maintain confidentiality of Department information and records according to state requirements.
• Ability to comply with all employer and Department policies and work rules, including, but not limited to, attendance, safety, drug-free workplace, and personal conduct.
• Ability to competently serve the public with diplomacy and respect, including occasional encounters with difficult/distraught persons.
• Ability to effectively conduct field visits and resolve related emergencies and problems as situations demand.
• Ability to understand, memorize, retain, and carry out oral and written instructions and present findings in oral or written form.
• Ability to compile, compare, observe, analyze and evaluate data and make determinations based on data analysis.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, divide, and calculate decimals and percentages.
• Ability to work alone with minimum supervision and with others in a team environment, often amidst frequent distractions and interruptions, and on several tasks at the same time.
• Ability to apply knowledge of people and locations, plan/layout work assignments, and manage time and resources effectively.
• Ability to use/interpret medical terminology/language and read/interpret lab reports, x-rays, and detailed reference books, medical texts, and nursing manuals.
• Ability to maintain positive public relations and present public speaking engagements and special events.
• Ability to occasionally work extended hours, evenings, and/or weekends and occasionally travel out of town for meetings/training/conferences, sometimes overnight.
• Possession of a valid driver's license and demonstrated safe driving record.

Supplemental Information: Incumbent's work is broad in range and often requires careful consideration of complex circumstances and variables. Incumbent performs duties according to established policies and procedures, exercising judgment to effectively develop and maintain health programs, examine and evaluate individuals, and provide information, counseling, treatment, assistance and/or referrals. Incumbent reports directly to Administrator. Incumbent assures proper implementation of public health programs. Goals and objectives of incumbent's work are known, with highly unusual circumstances and/or sensitive problems discussed with supervisor as needed. Work is primarily reviewed for adherence to instructions/guidelines, compliance with legal requirements, and continuing quality of Health Department services for Vigo County. On rare occasions, incumbent makes decisions in the absence of specific policies and procedures, and/or guidance from supervisor. Incumbent maintains frequent contact with co-workers, other County departments, ISDH, personnel from various health-related agencies, hospitals, schools, and the public for purposes of exchanging information, maintaining cooperative work relationships, and providing education, information, counsel, and efficient health care services. Incumbent performs duties in a health clinic, involving sitting/walking at will, sitting for long periods, keyboarding, lifting/carrying objects weighing less than 25 pounds, pushing/pulling objects, crouching/kneeling, bending, reaching, close/far vision, color/depth perception, handling/grasping/fingering objects, hearing sounds/communication, speaking clearly, and driving. Incumbent maintains considerable contact with the public and may be exposed to difficult persons or crying/screaming/struggling children. Incumbent is regularly exposed to normal health hazards associated with public health nursing for which universal health precautions must be followed to ensure safety of self and others. Incumbent occasionally works extended hours, evenings and/or weekends, and occasionally travels out of town for meetings/training/conferences, sometimes overnight. As an EOE/AA employer, Vigo County Government will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant's age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran or disability status.