Staff Nurse - Meriden - 8 hours/week

Primary Care Nurse

The Primary Care Nurse (PCN) provides high quality, comprehensive, professional nursing primary nursing care to individuals and families throughout the lifespan. As part of a clinical team, the PCN works at the top of his or her licensure to enhance the safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of care through both the performance of professional nursing responsibilities and the delegation of technical and clerical functions as appropriate to medical assistants. Provides patients with both general and focused health education regarding preventive, chronic, and episodic health care issues. Assumes responsibility, in collaboration with primary care providers to coordinate care, support transitions between levels of care, and counsel, educate, and support patients in improving health status. Applies principles of advanced access, planned care and the chronic care model, and rapid cycle performance improvement using the PDSA approach at CHCI.

Responsibilities:

Support primary care of patients under planned care model. Collaborates with PCP to identify needs for preventive care, evidence based chronic disease care, and care coordination. Provides general and specific health care education. Works with patients to identify and monitor self management goals. Collaborates care with other community based providers. Follows up on emergency room visits and hospital discharges. Assists providers with exams, treatments, and procedures as needed.

Ensures safe, accurate, clinically appropriate collection, storage, and processing of all biologic specimens. Administers medications, including vaccines and immunizations, orally, subcutaneously, intramuscularly, intradermly or via nebulizer at the order of prescribing provider and under standing orders as established by CHCI. Adheres to CHC protocols regarding documentation of medication, route, dosage, and information provided to patient. Monitors patient response to medication based on specific medication administered; detects, reports, and responds to any adverse reaction. Provides patient education as appropriate to the administered medication.

Performs wide range of nursing activities as needed and after initial prescription by primary care provider such as wound care, catheterization, etc. Accurately documents all aspects of patient care in the medical chart on a timely basis. Schedules tests and referrals for specialty care on order of provider.

Maintains strict infection control standards in accord with CHCI protocols and universal precautions OSHA and CLIA standards.

Acts as a resource person for medical assistants regarding patient preparation, needs and procedures needed.

Monitors and ensures follow up of all abnormal Pap Smear results, STDs, lead screens and other tests and screens performed at CHCI.

Oversees the maintenance of supplies and equipment, ordering supplies as necessary.

Maintains compliance with agency mandatory annual training (Patient Safety, Abuse, Age Based Competencies, EOC, Abuse trainings, etc.)

Expert use of electronic health record to ensure timely, safe, confidential storage and retrieval of patient information

Education: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or Associates of Science in Nursing (ASN)

Organization Information: Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC) is one of the country's most creative and dynamic providers of primary medical, dental, and behavioral health services, and a leader in practice-based research, health professionals training, and use of innovative technologies to advance health and healthcare. CHC is designated as a federally qualified health center and a patient-centered medical home by HRSA, the Joint Commission, and NCQA, respectively. We deliver more than 500,000 patient visits per year from primary care hubs and community clinics across the state of CT, all connected by technology and common standards for quality. We employ several hundred medical, dental, and behavioral health providers who are engaged in practice, teaching, and research. Our Weitzman Institute is devoted to research and practice transformation and is recognized around the country as one of the premier research institutes focused on improving health care and health outcomes for special and vulnerable populations. In addition, the organization has developed three wholly owned subsidiaries from the original pilot developments within the Weitzman Institute: the National Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship Training Consortium (NNPRFTC), the National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement and ConferMed.

Location: Community Health Center of Meriden

City: Meriden

State: Connecticut

Time Type: Part time