COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSE

PACE Community Health Nurse

Under the direction of a Nurse Manager, the PACE Community Health Nurse (PCHN) provides skilled care and routine clinical nursing assessment visits to PACE members and families utilizing all elements of the nursing process and in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and agency policies. The PACE CHN primarily provides nursing visits in the member's home in the community but can routinely visit members in the PACE center, hospitals, nursing homes, and other alternate setting as deemed necessary for care coordination consistent with the PACE model of care. The PACE CHN is a core interdisciplinary team (IDT) member who assigned to a PACE member in compliance with CMS PACE regulatory requirement.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Carries out the agency's mission, philosophy, goals, and objectives within guidelines of Agency policy and position function.
• Interprets and implements the Agency's philosophy to staff and members of the community.
• Assumes responsibility for assignments given, seeks supervision appropriately, performing within the limits of their education and experience.
• Knows and conforms to the law governing the practice of professional nursing and provides professional nursing care using all elements of the nursing process.
• Assesses and evaluates the health care needs of patients and families with consideration regarding physiological, psychological, social, and environmental factors.
• Identifies complete, accurate and logical Uniform Assessment System (UAS) for NY and appropriate sequencing of diagnoses in collaboration with the PCP to maintain compliance with state and federal regulations.
• Participates in mandatory PACE comprehensive care planning meetings routinely as required by PACE regulations. Collaborates with all members of the IDT in developing a comprehensive care plan based on member-specific needs, physician orders, UAS-NY CAPS, other IDT assessments, members' specific parameters and identified goals that are respectful of member, family, community, and agency resources.
• Implements the nursing care plan and revises it whenever necessary by regularly assessing, observing, and evaluating the patient's condition, needs and response to care and makes appropriate nursing judgments and decisions for care plan revision.
• Initiates and applies appropriate preventative, therapeutic and rehabilitative nursing procedures and techniques.
• Administers medications and treatments as prescribed by the PCP. Ability to independently perform skilled nursing procedures and techniques based on the changing nursing needs that the member requires.
• Teaches the patient and family/caregivers self-techniques whenever appropriate and provides instruction regarding medication, diet, safety, and treatment modalities in accordance with the plan of care.
• Recognizes and utilizes additional opportunities for health counseling/education with patients, families and other caregivers and provides them with information that will facilitate decisions regarding the promotion, maintenance, and restoration of health.
• Delegates responsibility appropriately and supervises ancillary personnel in a manner that will assure quality care and compliance with the care plan.
• Evaluates for and promotes a safe environment for the patient and complies with National Patient Safety Goals.
• Completes, maintains, and submits all required documentation that is timely (in compliance with agency policy) accurate, and relevant.
• Meet all requirements for UAS-NY assessor function: timely completion within regulatory standards, follow-up assessments, and significant change assessments as needed.
• Reviews and confirms eligibility of member in the PACE program based on Nursing Facility Level of Care (NFLOC) score obtained from the UAS-NY assessment. Confirms eligibility of members with the members of the IDT.
• Performs care coordination as part of their nursing visits to PACE members across all settings of care. Collaborative care coordination to include internal (e.g., other IDT members) and/or external health care professional (e.g., MD specialists, SNF staff, hospital staff) in a manner that assures care plan coordination as well as continuity of care.
• Only act within the scope of the individual's authority to practice.
• Acting member of the IDT.
• Meet a standardized set of competencies for the specific position description established by the PACE organization before working independently.

Schedule: 8:30AM – 5:00PM

Weekly Hours: 37.5

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education: Degree from an NLN accredited school of nursing required, BSN preferred.

Experience:

• Minimum of one (1) year general clinical nursing experience in a certified home health agency (CHHA), acute care, medical surgical, and/or critical care experience required. Clinical nursing experience must be within one (1) year from date of hire or transfer required.
• Minimum of one (1) year of experience working with a frail or elderly population or, if the individual has less than one (1) year of experience but meets all other requirements, must receive appropriate training from the PACE organization on working with a frail or elderly population upon hiring.
• Possess and maintain good physical stamina and mental health, including satisfactory health clearance as required by NYS regulations and Agency policy.
• Current Driver's License, required insurance and car available for work as required.

License: Current New York State license to practice as a Registered Nurse.

Additional Requirements:

• Be legally authorized (for example, currently licensed, registered, or certified if applicable) to practice in the State in which the healthcare professional will perform the function.
• Be medically cleared for communicable diseases and have all immunizations up-to-date before engaging in direct participant contact.
• Computer/laptop proficiency required.
• Good organizational, observation, communication and judgment skills.
• Is self-directed with ability to work with supervision.
• Is flexible and cooperative in fulfilling role obligations.

Physical Requirements

Individuals must be able to sustain certain physical requirements essential to the job. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Standing – Duration of up to 6 hours a day.
• Sitting/Stationary positions – Sedentary position in duration of up to 6-8 hours a day for consecutive hours/periods.
• Lifting/Push/Pull – Up to 50 pounds of equipment, baggage, supplies, and ability to lift patients safely and using OSHA guidelines, etc.
• Bending/Squatting – Must be able to safely bend or squat to care for patients, use medical supplies, etc.
• Stairs/Steps/Walking/Climbing – Must be able to safely maneuver stairs, climb up/down, and walk to access work areas Position requires the individual to be able to travel, and walk between sites/locations and work areas throughout the day.
• Agility/Fine Motor Skills - Must demonstrate agility and fine motor skills to operate and activate equipment, devices, instruments, and tools (ie. typing, use of medical supplies, equipment, etc.)
• Sight/Visual Requirements – Must be able to visually assess patients, read orders type/write documentation, etc. with accuracy.
• Audio Hearing and Motor Skills (language) Requirements – Must be able to listen attentively and document information from patients, community members, providers, etc., and intake information through audio processing with accuracy. In addition, must be able to speak comfortably and clearly with language motor skills for customers to understand the individual.
• Cognitive Ability – Must be able to demonstrate good decision-making, reasonableness, cognitive ability, rational processing, and analysis to satisfy essential functions of the job.

We are an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, height, weight, or genetic information. We are committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities.