Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Public Health Licensed Practical Nurse

Under the supervision of the Pottawatomie County Health Department Director and Assistant Health Department Director, the Public Health Licensed Practical Nurse is a non-exempt position under FLSA. Primary responsibilities include administering immunizations, trimming toenails, providing health education, monitoring health risks and communicable diseases, and promoting good health practices.

Essential functions (required):

• Performs toenail care per protocol as assigned.
• Assists with child and adult immunizations and administers immunizations at clinics as trained and assigned;
• Performs direct nursing duties such as heights/weights, BP, and blood draws
• Follows protocols and procedures for public health programs;
• Provides health education/materials to the general public and schools regarding health prevention; Assures that appropriate educational materials are displayed and available in health department and in community;
• Provides counseling, testing, and follow up for sexually transmitted diseases as trained;
• Conducts communicable disease investigation and provides follow-up recommendations to individual, physicians and family members for the control of disease as assigned and enter all the information into the Disease Reporting system within 10 working days of the report;
• Refers clients for further evaluation and/or treatment when necessary;
• Maintains client records in organized concise manner, integrated with other health department records;
• Supports other public and private health care providers to provide integrated, comprehensive services;
• Collects program data for use in community health assessment and planning;
• Provides support for the health department preparedness coordinator as assigned;

Working conditions and physical requirements: The work environment and physical demand characteristics described here is representative and not intended to be fully inclusive of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Exposure to human blood and body fluids or communicable disease is possible.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to walk, sit, and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stand; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Marginal functions:

• Performs supply inventory and data entry of information;
• Procures and organizes brochures and other educational publications and audio-visual materials at the Health Department.
• Provides community education to groups, schools, and the public as needed. Develops and displays health exhibits at appropriate events, such as health fairs
• Promotes health department services such as flu shots, immunization clinics, and lead testing;
• Utilizes the media effectively to promote and educate the public;
• Performs other duties as deemed necessary or assigned.

Knowledge, skill and ability:

A thorough knowledge of nursing assessment skills, procedures and immunization techniques and a working knowledge of mathematics is required. The ability to operate medical equipment and phlebotomy with a high degree of accuracy is required. Employee must be able to read and interpret patient charts, reports, policies and written instructions, and make proper referrals. Excellent interpersonal relation and writing and oral communication skills are also required. Employee must have good driving skills and a current Kansas driving license.

Employee must be able to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Position requires the ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Employee must be able to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Person must possess the ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables. Employee must have knowledge of the principles of community education and knowledge of the significance of disease prevention measures in the improvement of public health. Employee must have knowledge of the social and economic forces in society that affect health. Person must have the ability to plan and adapt education measures to persons of diverse cultural, socioeconomic and age groups. Employee must have comprehensive knowledge of the principles of nursing practice with special emphasis on public health. Person must have assessment skills with the ability to develop a plan of care to enhance a positive outcome for the client. Person must have ability to maintain confidentiality.

Problem solving is involved in this position. This employee encounters problems with complaints from clients, fluctuating workloads, communicating with problematic medical systems, helping client's access health care and community services. Other problems often encountered are dealing with non-compliant clients and with severe socio-economic constraints of families.

Decision-making is a factor in this position. Decisions this employee may encounter include assessing client complaints and concerns, determining appropriate referral sources and providing accurate information to clients.

Machines/equipment used:

Personal computer and related software, copier, printer, multi-line phone, facsimile, shredder, scanner, postage meter.

Supervision/accountability: This employee works with little supervision from the Pottawatomie County Health Department Director.

Financial responsibility: Employee is responsible for departmental equipment, but does not participate in the annual departmental budget process.

Personal relations: Frequent contact with the general public, co-workers and supervisory personnel is expected.

Education/training/experience:

Education: A high school diploma or GED, and graduation from an accredited School of Nursing. Employee should be a Licensed Practical Nurse and be currently licensed to practice in the State of Kansas.

Experience: One year of similar or related experience is required. Employee is expected to have acquired the necessary information and skills to perform the job reasonably well within six months to one year of employment.

An offer for employment for this position is contingent upon the applicant passing pre-employment background checks which may include, but are not necessarily limited to: Drug Screening, Driving Record, Criminal History, Physical Capacity, and/or Skills Testing.