Public Health Nurse - Maternal Infant Health Program

Registered Nurse

The Jackson County Health Department seeks an experienced Registered Nurse to perform public health nursing services for citizens of Jackson County. This position requires on-site services with intermittent remote work options to support the needs of the community.

Responsibilities:

• Works with pregnant persons and infants enrolled in the Maternal Infant Health Program (MIHP) assessing their social and emotional needs and identifying risk areas that could result in an unhealthy pregnancy.
• Assesses early childhood development through utilization of Ages and Stages Questionnaires and refers to Early On as needed.
• Assists in identifying community resources to meet the needs of the family.
• Provides education, support and referrals as needed.
• Provides home visiting services, interviews client to assess their physical and emotional health, economic condition, safety, community and family supports.
• Assesses social and emotional factors related to illness, need for care, response to treatment, and adjustment to care and/or healthy prenatal/postpartum progress.
• Completes psycho-social assessments of client's needs including their strengths and weaknesses, and progress or lack thereof towards a positive pregnancy outcome.
• Develops psycho-social care plans based on input from the client, staff, and members of the client's family, if applicable. Monitors implementation of care plans, consulting with MIHP social workers as necessary.
• Initiates and maintains fluid communication among the MIHP throughout the course of care.
• Provides comprehensive case management and coordinates services provided through a multidisciplinary approach collaborating extensively with multiple community agencies.
• Provides medical crisis counseling to clients to enable problem solving when needed.
• Contacts various agencies on the client's behalf. Coordinates support services in areas such as housing, mental health, transportation, and other basic needs.
• Networks and maintains good working relationships with other community agencies. Advocates on behalf of client's to meet their social, emotional, and economic needs.
• Collaborates with physicians, public health nurses, health organizations, such as Protective Services, Head Start, state, community and internal programs regarding referrals and client follow-up.
• Documents all client contact, maintains case records, and completes timely reports as required by department standards and the requirements of third party funding sources.
• Makes referrals to Early On as needed.
• Participates/attends MIHP weekly meetings, MIHP Home Visiting Conference, and MIHP Quality Assurance Initiatives.
• Participates in Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) and High Performance Organization (HPO) initiatives, projects and associated programs for the division or department.
• Maintains client confidentiality and abides by HIPAA confidentiality requirements.
• Required mandated reporter of suspected child abuse and neglect under the MDHHS, Children's Protective Services, and Child Protection Law.
• Completes basic incident command system, Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), and Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) courses and supports agency public health preparedness and emergency response efforts.
• Responds to public health emergencies in the community in coordination with and under the direction of the Health Officer or other key department management personnel.
• May be selected to receive training in a primary, secondary, or tertiary Incident Command System role to support department public health preparedness and emergency response efforts.

Qualifications:

• Education: Possession of a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing (or Associate's Degree in Nursing with five years' experience).
• Experience: Two to three years of nursing experience is preferred. One year of home visiting experience preferred.
• Other Requirements: Possession of a current license to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of Michigan. Possession of a valid Michigan driver's license.
• Relevant Skills/Specialized Equipment Knowledge: Use of basic office equipment such as telephone, calculator, photocopier, fax, audio or video equipment, etc. Computer programs including word processing, spreadsheets, database entry and maintenance, financial applications, GIS/mapping, desktop publishing and specialized software such as electronic medical records and other systems. Ability to exercise excellent customer service skills with individuals and families. Ability to prepare clear, concise, and accurate reports, correspondence and other job-related documents for a variety of audiences. Ability to establish and maintain cooperative relations with public and private social and health agencies, as well as with internal JCHD colleagues. Perform public health nursing procedures required for the assigned specialty area. Ability to travel to and from client home and comfortability in providing home/community visiting services.

Core benefits (provided at no cost): $30,000 Life Insurance, $30,000 AD&D Long-Term Disability; Wellness Benefits with the ability to earn an additional $200 annually; Employee Assistance Program; 11 Paid Holidays; Paid Time Off (up to 160 hours annually); Paid bereavement leave; and Education Assistance of up to $3,000 annually. Optional benefits (cost share required): Medical, Prescription, Dental, Vision; Optional Life Insurance for employee, spouse and dependent children; Short-Term Disability; Flexible Spending Accounts (Medical and/or Dependent Care); Health Savings Account; Consumerism Card; Legal Shield & ID Shield. Benefit eligible employees opting out of the County's health benefit plan with proof of other coverage are eligible for a $3,000 cash-in-lieu of insurance benefit. Full time employees are offered an Employer match of up to 5% in our Defined Contribution/401a Plan with voluntary contributions to our 457 Plan and greater than two times the employee contribution to our Retirement Health Savings Plan (RHS). The Employee contribution for the RHS Plan is $900 annually with an employer contribution of $2,050 annually.