Nurse Practitioner - Children's Advocacy Center

Nurse Practitioner

Under direction, to function as a Nurse Practitioner (requiring certification as a Nurse Practitioner through the California Board of Registered Nursing); to perform diagnostic and therapeutic patient care services in a specialty area. The Medical Clinic at the Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) is seeking a dedicated Nurse Practitioner to provide trauma-informed forensic medical care to children impacted by suspected abuse or neglect. This role involves conducting specialized exams, collaborating with a multidisciplinary team, and participating in a rotating call schedule. Candidates must have strong clinical judgment, the ability to provide expert testimony, familiarity with multidisciplinary team (MDT) practices, and compassion for children and families navigating difficult circumstances. We are seeking candidates who bring pediatric experience and a commitment to learning. Our team provides an extensive onboarding process, including mentorship and guided teaching, to help new hires build the additional skills necessary for success in this role. In addition to the employment standards, a qualified candidate will possess one or more of the following:

• Clinical experience in pediatrics.
• Experience in child maltreatment evaluations.
• Experience in sexual assault forensic examination.
• A forensic medical provider certification, such as a Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) certification or Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) certification.

Only candidates who provide a copy of their Nurse Practitioner certification attached to their application will be accepted. All other candidates will be rejected.

The County of Santa Clara operates Santa Clara Valley Healthcare (SCVH), the second largest public health care system in California and includes four acute care hospitals, 14 clinics, and 60+ specialty and sub-specialty services. Our mission is to provide high-quality, accessible healthcare and excellent service to everyone in Santa Clara County. Because we serve patients throughout multiple hospitals and clinics, you may have to work at different sites. We will meet any obligations we may have when this occurs.

Santa Clara Valley Medical Center: SCVMC is a full-service tertiary acute care teaching hospital with 699 licensed beds providing a wide range of specialized services, including Rehabilitation, Burn, Trauma, and NICU. SCVMC was ranked by U.S. News and World Report as #6 Rehabilitation Hospital in the nation and #1 in the West and designated as a 2024 High Performing hospital for Maternity Care, Heart Failure, Stroke, Hip Fracture, and Pneumonia.

O'Connor Hospital: O'Connor Hospital (OCH) is a 358 licensed bed acute care facility offering a full range of inpatient and outpatient medical, surgical and specialty programs to residents of Santa Clara County. It was founded in 1889 as one of the first hospitals in the county. OCH has grown significantly over the past five years in both its inpatient volume and its Emergency Department visits. Along with these volume increases other ancillary and clinical departments like imaging, lab, pharmacy, and respiratory have seen growth as well.

St. Louise Regional Hospital: Since 1989, St. Louise Regional Hospital (SLRH) has been caring for the residents in Santa Clara and San Benito Counties, offering a wide range of inpatient and outpatient medical specialties. SLRH has 93 beds, is a Designated Primary Stroke Center, and is the only acute care hospital in the area. Located in Gilroy, SLRH maintains a CALSTAR 2 emergency helicopter base on the premises.

Regional Medical Center: Regional Medical Center (RMC) is a 258-bed hospital that is the main emergency healthcare provider for East San Jos, treating a wide range of critical and life-threatening conditions for more than 60 years. Since the SCVH integration of RMC effective 4/1/25, RMC has expanded the critical services including Level II trauma, Thrombectomy capable Stroke Center and STEMI care, and has been seeing an increased number of emergency visits and inpatient volume.

Typical Tasks

• Under a supervising physician, functions as a Nurse Practitioner in examining, managing, and treating specific patients;
• Carries a patient caseload within a specialized area in a clinical environment, requiring a high degree of independent judgment and advanced skills gained through academic and clinical preparation in a specialized area of nursing;
• Performs physical exams, takes histories, obtains objective data, and assesses clinical status of patients;
• Recognizes, initiates interventions, and manages episodic or chronic disease processes;
• Works under written standardized protocols for Nurse Practitioners which have been approved by the Interdisciplinary Practice Committee;
• Uses a comprehensive approach to clinical and diagnostic assessment and patient care;
• Screens charts, laboratory, and x-ray results for reports;
• Advises supervising physician or other on call physicians of patient's conditions when indicated;
• Refers patients to physicians and/or specialty clinics;
• Follows up to ensure treatment is delivered as ordered, and to ensure continuity of medical care;
• Serves as clinical resource and teaches assessment skills to nursing staff, as appropriate;
• Identifies, designs, and conducts nursing research projects;
• Publishes research findings and assists staff members in understanding and utilizing research findings in their practice;
• Provides direct teaching to patients, identifies education needs of staff and assists in the development of education programs;
• Develops and promotes quality health care delivery through development of policies and procedures, research, and professional development;
• May be assigned as a Disaster Service Worker, as required;
• Performs other related duties as required.

Employment Standards

Possession of the required knowledge and abilities, typically obtained through training and experience equivalent to: Completion of a Master's, Post-Master's or Doctorate from a Nurse Practitioner program accredited by the Commission on the Collegiate of Nursing Education (CCNE) or the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) with emphasis in the Nurse Practitioner's specialty area AND Current certification by the American Nurses Credentialing Center or an equivalent body or the ability to obtain certification with three (3) months AND Current active licensure to practice as an advanced practice registered nurse in the Nursing Practitioner category in the State of California AND Two (2) years of acute and/or ambulatory clinical nursing experience and sufficient expertise, competency, and experience in a specialty area for specific patient populations. Meet current regulatory requirements for credentialing as an Allied Health Professional at SCVH&HS and eligibility to qualify for a Board issued furnishing number. Knowledge of:

• Principles, practices, and methods of acute and primary care clinical nursing, including community aspects of nursing programs and continuity of patient care;
• Diagnosis and treatment of common medical problems as related to a clinical specialty area ;
• Sciences basic to medicine (anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, microbiology);
• Laws and regulations pertaining to practice of medicine and nursing;
• Current trends and concepts in nursing fundamentals of medicine.

Ability to:

• Relate effectively to patients, and work effectively with medical staff;
• Identify abnormal and normal health conditions and implement treatment in field of specialized training;
• Gather complete, detailed and accurate medical histories;
• Recognize and evaluate situations which call for the immediate attention of a physician;
• Instruct and counsel patients on matters pertaining to physical and mental health.

County of Santa Clara, CA