Public Health Nurse

PLEASE NOTE - This position may require temporarily relocation to other TONHC Facilities: Sells Hospital, Santa Rosa Health Center, San Simon Health Center, and San Xavier Health Center.

Position Summary:

The Public Health Nurse (PHN) serves as a community health advisor and provides comprehensive nursing services to schools, individuals, and families on the Tohono O'odham Nation.


Scope of Work: This position is located within the Tohono O'odham Nation Health Care Sells Hospital, San Xavier Health Center, Santa Rosa Health Center, and San Simon Health Center. The incumbent works under the supervision of the Director of Public Health Nursing, who defines and establishes overall program objectives and operations according to Standards of Care for Public Health Nursing (PHN) Programs. According to the PHN priority policies for home visits, each PHN independently plans and schedules comprehensive nursing services for their geographic areas and determines the nature of assessment, counseling, teaching, and treatment to be provided.


Essential Duties and Responsibilities: (Depending on the area of assignment, an incumbent may not be required to perform some of the duties listed below):

• Evaluate, promote, and maintain the health of at-risk individuals, families, and the community through teaching disease prevention activities, counseling, advocacy, referral, coordination of care, and appropriate health assessments and interventions.
• Assists with the coordination of the immunization program to include the tracking and follow-up.
• Manages and participates in public health screening clinics, including interviewing and counseling clients, performing clinical tasks, administering prescribed treatment, documentation of care, and making the necessary referral.
• Participate in emergency/bioterrorism preparedness and planning activities and respond and assist during emergencies, such as flooding, fires, microbursts, etc.
• Utilizes the public health nursing process of assessment, diagnosis, planning, intervention, and evaluation when: assessing the patient's condition and needs: setting outcomes; implementing appropriate nursing actions to meet the patient/family physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and safety needs; and evaluating the patient's progress. Refer the patient to the appropriate resources; organizes patient caseload in the assigned geographic area.
• Application of care treatment and intervention according to principles of population based health care and standing public health orders.
• Identifies and reports child abuse or dependent adult abuse and incidents of domestic violence.
• Provides maternal and child health services; makes home visits as necessary.
• Monitor prenatal patients and provide prenatal education, and participates in sonogram clinics. Plans and exchanges information with other health care entities for effective patient care; cooperates with other agencies in planning for patient care.
• Utilizes the RPMS systems as appropriate for position requirements and enters information into RPMS patient care packages as necessary.
• Coordinates response to outbreaks of reportable/infectious disease on the Tohono O'odham Nation. Work closely with state and tribal health departments in testing and contact investigation. Respond to communities for direct care and education. Utilize MEDSIS for investigation and surveillance of communicable diseases.
• Assists the physician in control and treatment and consults with various agencies (i.e. health department) on communicable disease issues.
• Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) general: Coordinates care provision, case and contact investigation efforts, organize education efforts, and acts as liaison with State and Federal entities dealing with STD issues.
• Tuberculosis (TB) General: coordinates and implements the treatment plan for active cases and preventative therapy on TB infected individuals and; Conducts TB testing and surveillance; Plans and coordinates community investigations.
• Responds to public health emergencies as required.
• Promote, teach and demonstrate nursing care to patients, families, and community groups. Provide instruction and information regarding specific diseases or health conditions and health maintenance.
• Provide public health consultation services, including health education, to tribal programs, Head Start, schools, other settings in the community and TONHC employees, and outside agencies. Participate with local community groups in the development and planning of health services.
• Serve on various community task forces relating to the position.
• Participates in orientating new employees and mentoring nurses to public health nursing.
• Assists in planning and conducting continuing education. Maintain compliance with all mandatory training requirements.
• Lead and guides non-professional staff, i.e. Health Technician/Disease Investigator.
• Participates in performance improvement teams and other committees as assigned. Continually monitors the work processes for quality and quantity and makes recommendations for necessary corrective action.
• Maintains professional knowledge and proficiency in nursing and public health nursing through continuing education, staff meetings, workshops, and serving on nursing committees.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of the Tohono O'odham traditions, language, history, geography, and culture.
• Knowledge of applicable federal, state, tribal laws, regulations, and requirements.
• Knowledge of health-related issues, medical terminology, and health and child care education.
• Knowledge of comprehensive health programs and the full range of professional public health nursing principles, practices, and procedures to formulate plans and provide services in clinics, homes, schools, and community environments.
• Knowledge of current research methods including statistical compilation and interpretation to participate in epidemiological surveys, field investigations and research studies related to planning, assessing and evaluating the community health programs.
• Knowledge and ability to apply methods and techniques of adult education to stimulate behavioral changes related to good health practices.
• Awareness of the customs of the Native American tribes within the area and the ability to appreciate cultural differences and their effect on health care delivery.
• Possesses knowledge and ability to make physical and psychological assessments of individuals, families, and communities and recognize the range of patient conditions from normal to abnormal abnormalities.
• Knowledge of the biological aspects of the disease process and illness to recognize complications and therapeutic interventions required.
• Knowledge of pharmaceuticals to recognize desired effects, side effects, and complications of their use.
• Knowledge and ability to advise and counsel healthy individuals in preventative care and to provide guidance in nutrition, common illnesses, child growth and development patterns, mental health, immunizations, and all aspects of maternal child health.
• Knowledge of available resources for primary care and referral services.
• Awareness of performance improvement and the evaluation process to improve patient care and facilitate monitoring and program planning.
• Knowledge of health records and ability to accurately complete and document clinical-related data.
• Ability to work independently to organize services to patient caseload in assigned geographic areas and function cooperatively as a PHN team member to achieve department objectives.
• Ability to communicate and interact with various personnel (tribal staff, other health care professionals, individuals in the community) of varying functions, level of knowledge, and care requirements to provide optimal care for the patient population.
• Knowledge and skill in computer usage and case management programs on RPMS and other systems.
• Knowledge of drugs and biologicals and the desired effect in treatment of disease and untoward and undesired side-effects.
• Knowledge of health records aspects of patient care and ability to accurately and completely document related clinical data.
• Ability to provide instruction and job experience for trainees assigned to the PHN and other training programs.
• Ability to drive government vehicles.
• Ability to establish and maintain positive and effective working relationships with other employees and the general public.
• Ability to maintain privileged, confidential information.
• Ability to work extended hours and various work schedules.
• Ability to work independently and meet strict time limes.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Degree or diploma from a professional nursing program, approved by the legally designated state accrediting agency when the program was completed by the applicant, and
• Two years of clinical nursing experience.
• Registration: Applicants must have active, current and unrestricted license as a professional nurse in a State, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

Licenses, Certifications, Special Requirements:

• Must have active, current, and unrestricted licensure as a Registered Nurse.
• Public Health or Community Health Nursing, preferred.
• Upon recommendation for hire, a criminal background and a National FBI fingerprint check are required to determine suitability for employment, including a 39-month driving record.
• May require possessing and maintaining a valid driver's license (no DUIs or major traffic citations within the last three years).
• If required, must meet the Tohono O'odham Nation tribal employer's insurance requirements to receive a driver's permit to operate program vehicles.
• Based on the department's needs, incumbents may be required to demonstrate fluency in both the Tohono O'odham language and English as a condition of employment.

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl; and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. The work requires extensive driving between communities. It involves moving and placing equipment in specialty clinics and health fairs and setting up audio-visual equipment for group presentations in communities and schools. Vehicle operation ranges from driving in isolated areas or unimproved roads. Occupational exposures to infectious and communicable diseases are possible. Exposure to persons under the influence of drugs and alcohol is possible.

This list of duties and responsibilities is illustrative only of the tasks performed by this position and is not all-inclusive.