Registered Nurse

The Position

The list developed from this recruitment will be used for a limited period to fill open and promotional, regular full-time, and part-time positions in a variety of departments, service areas, and locations throughout the County, should they occur. Pursuant to current bargaining unit agreements, employees regularly assigned to the coastal region or in Covelo are eligible to receive a 5% assignment premium. The current vacancy is in Ukiah within Public Health - California Children's Services. This position provides nursing case management for children and youth with chronic or terminal illnesses to ensure access to appropriate and necessary care. Under general supervision, performs complex professional-level nursing services involving consulting, assessing, and making recommendations pertinent to programs. Performs case management, and provides education, guidance concerning medical needs and assistance with social issues throughout the county. Positions may be office, field, or clinic-based, depending on the program. Bilingual English/Spanish encouraged to apply. Se buscan personas bilingües en inglés y español. Para recibir una solicitud en español, llame a Recursos Humanos al 234-6600.

Job Requirements and Minimum Qualifications

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Provide comprehensive health services across the continuum of care, including medically fragile populations throughout the life span under the direction of a professional nurse or health care provider. Services may include assessment of psychosocial, physical, developmental, spiritual, and emotional needs.
• Perform professional nursing functions, including: receiving referrals; creating files; making appointments; evaluating paramedical needs and making nursing assessments; completing required documents, receiving health care provider's orders, and notifying clients; interpreting medical language; clarifying diagnoses; suggesting treatments; making referrals and educating clients on proper preparation for same; performing various biological tests (i.e., urine, hemoglobin, etc.); reviewing assessment billing; creating files; and entering data and maintaining database.
• Conduct consultations and case management functions, including: visiting homes with social workers and evaluating clients; reviewing current files and creating health care provider files; completing various documents; creating, implementing and/or revising treatment plans; consulting with officials of other agencies; and closing cases when goals are achieved.
• Respond to emergency situations, including: receiving calls; assessing referrals for eligibility urgency and risk; developing preliminary plans; communicating with sources of referral, law enforcement officials, other involved agencies, neighbors, family, etc.; documenting case activities; and closing cases when goals are achieved.
• Prepares progress notes, charts, and closing and/or transfer summaries on clients.
• Enter and retrieve information from computer systems, including a variety of daily, monthly, and yearly reports.
• Disseminate a variety of information to various agencies, divisions, or departments via telephone, employee meetings, mail, email, or fax.
• Educate clients in self administration of daily tests, medications, and therapies per health care provider orders.
• Maintain and enhance knowledge of public health concerns through attendance at workshops, meetings, specialty clinics, protocols, journals, and classes.
• Participate in the operation of health clinics (i.e., interviewing and counseling clients, performing diagnostic tests, giving prescribed treatment, assisting in the operation of special equipment; cleaning and sterilizing medical supplies and equipment, and making necessary referrals).
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED Education and Experience: Associate's degree or Bachelor of Science degree from an accredited college or university in Nursing; and, six (6) months of professional-level nursing experience; or, when possessing required license, a combination of related education, training, and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Licenses and Certifications: Valid Driver's License Valid California Registered Nurse Current Basic Life Support Completion Card issued by the American Heart Association, or equivalent

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of: Applicable state, federal and local ordinances, laws, rules and regulations. Nursing theory, principles, and practices. Human development across the life span. Administration of immunizations and their possible side effects, storage, and inventory requirements. Perinatal, infant, child, adolescent, and adult growth and development, nutritional needs, and immunization. Adult/Child abuse and neglect. Infection control practices and procedures, sterile techniques and the consequences of contaminations on safety and accuracy in the clinic. Causes, treatment, prevention, and early detection of communicable or chronic diseases and handicapping conditions. Medical terminology. Medical equipment, supplies, and their use. Nursing and health maintenance education. Eligible medical conditions. Nutrition, preventive medicine, and health practices. Community resources related to nursing. Emergency care. Environmental, sociological, and psychological problems encountered when working with families. Standards of the Privacy Act of 1974, (U.S.C. §552A) as amended; maintains and enforces all aspects of confidentiality of client information. Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in health and health care.

Skill in: Using tact, discretion, initiative and independent judgment within established guidelines. Communicating clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing, including motivational/reflective interviewing techniques. Utilizing software applications and hardware related to performance of the essential functions of the job. Organizing work, setting priorities, meeting critical deadlines, and following up on assignments with a minimal direction. Data collection, assessment, and planning interventions, implementation of plan and evaluation. Providing case management. Providing counseling and risk assessment. Writing clear and concise reports, correspondence and other written materials.

Mental and Physical Abilities: Recognize and appropriately act in response to normal and abnormal behavior patterns. Recognize and act appropriately in response to indications of abuse and neglect across the lifespan, domestic violence, substance use and abuse. Managing difficult clients and dangerous situations. Communicate effectively with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Observe proper safety precautions and procedures. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with others. Serve as a resource for problems and issues. Perform lab procedures. Prepare client documentation, reports and records. Train/teach classes. Read, analyze, and interpret professional periodicals and journals, technical procedures and government regulations. Deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations. Specific vision abilities required by this job include: close vision, ability to discriminate between colors, and ability to adjust focus. While performing the essential functions of this job, the incumbent is regularly required to: walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects; reach with hands and arms; speak and hear; and push, pull, move, or lift above and below the neck objects weighing up to 25 pounds. While performing the essential functions of this job, the incumbent may infrequently be required to push, pull, move, or lift below the neck, objects weighing up to 50 pounds.

Selection Procedure & Other Important Information

Important Application Information:

• It is your responsibility to demonstrate through your application materials how you meet the minimum qualifications of the position/s for which you apply.
• You must complete all sections of the application. A résumé or other information you feel will help us evaluate your qualifications may be attached to your completed application, but will not be accepted in lieu of completing any part of the application. Blank applications that contain only a résumé or those that reference "see résumé" will be rejected as incomplete.
• Check your application before submitting to ensure it is complete and correct; no new or additional information will be accepted after the closing date.
• Inquiry will be made of your former and current employers; please provide the names and telephone numbers of supervisors on your application.
• You must provide the names and contact information of at least three (3) references (not relatives) that have knowledge of your job skills, experience, ability and/or character.
• Application materials are the property of Mendocino County and will not be returned.
• It is your responsibility to keep your NEOGOV profile updated, including any changes to your telephone number or address. Failure to do so may result in missed notification of exams or interviews.
• The exam process listed on this flyer is tentative. Mendocino County reserves the right to make necessary modifications to the examination plan. Such revisions will be in accordance with approved personnel standards. Should a change be made, applicants will be notified.
• The provisions of this job bulletin do not constitute an expressed or implied contract.

Examination Process: All complete applications will be reviewed; incomplete applications will not be considered. Based on the number of qualified candidates, applicants meeting the job requirements and qualifications will be invited to participate in an oral examination (weight 100) or an application appraisal exam, consisting of an evaluation of education and experience as stated on the application form. The examination process will test the knowledge and abilities described above. A minimum score of 70 must be attained for placement on the employment list.

Special Testing: The County of Mendocino is committed