SENIOR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE - 40001928

Durham County Government employs approximately 1,900 employees that work towards providing needed services throughout the community. With a wide array of services, Durham County Government is at the heart of a rapidly growing and diverse area offering residents, employees and visitors exciting opportunities to live, work, grow and play. For more information about Durham County Government, visit www.dconc.gov.

**Click here NC 05014 for full details of job classification and description.**

**This position is eligible for a $6,000.00 sign on bonus.**

**This posting is subject to close without prior notification.**

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

The primary purpose of this position is to independently plan, implement, and evaluate nursing care of individuals in need of immunizations, to assist in the investigation of all reported cases of vaccine preventable disease and other communicable disease as assigned; to assist with investigation of animal bites to a human and assure proper prophylaxis if indicated; to provide education to healthcare providers and the public re: vaccine-preventable disease and the importance of immunization. To conduct communicable disease screenings on all refugees seen in the clinic, administer vaccinations to all refugees as needed, provide necessary follow-up and referral, and assist with change of status applications. 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The functions listed below are those that represent the majority of the time spent working in this position. Management may assign additional functions related to the type of work of the position as necessary.

• Independently plan, implement, and evaluate nursing care of individuals in need of immunizations.
• Conduct communicable disease screenings on refugees seen in the clinic, assess vaccination status and administer vaccinations to refugees as indicated or assigned, provide necessary follow-up and referral, and assist with change of status applications (I-693).
• Serve as a DCoDPH liaison to the NC Refugee Health Program.
• Knows and follows all DCoDPH Refugee Health policies and standing orders; knows and follows the Refugee Health Technical Guidance manual for NC Local Health Departments issued by the NC Refugee Health Program.
• Knows and follows all Immunization Clinic policies, procedures, and standing orders; knows and understands how to correctly use NCIR.
• Orients new /other Senior Public Health Nurse staff to clinic responsibilities as needed.
• Assists with communicable disease surveillance and outbreak response.
• May be required to provide nursing services and health support in other Community Health clinics and programs.
• Perform related tasks as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Must be able to work independently and make sound nursing judgments in a variety of complex health situations.
• Must have the ability to accurately record the services rendered and to interpret and explain records, reports and medical instruction.
• Must have good verbal and written communication skills.
• Considerable knowledge of, and skill in, the application of nursing theory, practice, principles, and techniques employed in the field of public health and related programs;
• Considerable knowledge of and ability to apply the principles and practices of public health;
• Knowledge of available resources and organizations and the ability to coordinate these as needed;
• General knowledge of current social and economic problems relating to public health, including health disparities;
• Ability to plan, coordinate, and oversee the work of others;
• Ability to deal tactfully with others and to exercise good judgment in appraising situations and making decisions;
• Ability to work in partnership with patients and with other service providers to elicit needed information and to maintain effective working relationships;
• Ability to record accurately services rendered and to interpret and explain records, reports, and medical instructions;
• Adequate computer skills to allow communication, patient record documentation, and accessing of information.

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• Graduation from an accredited school of professional nursing and one year of professional nursing experience.

SPECIAL CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSES REQUIREMENTS:

• A current license to practice as a Registered Nurse in North Carolina by the N.C. Board of Nursing.  General Statutes of NC, Chapter 90, Article 9
• Must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license with an acceptable driving history.

EMERGENCY PREPARDNESS REQUIREMENTS:

Primary work hours are between the hours of 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM.  Employee is subject to be called upon at any time to help the agency respond to a public health emergency, which may include but is not limited to outbreak investigations, staffing mass dispensing or immunization clinics, providing disaster relief, or incidents (man-made or natural and intentional or non-intentional) as they arise, or any public health response as requested by the Health Director.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT COMPLIANCE:

Durham County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires Durham County to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss ADA accommodations with management.

To further the mission of the Durham County Department of Public Health (DCoDPH) to partner with our community to advance health equity, protect the environment, and promote health and wellness for all, DCoDPH is implementing the employee vaccination and tuberculosis screening policies. All DCoDPH employees are considered healthcare personnel (HCP) working in a health care setting with the potential for exposure to patients and/or infectious materials and, therefore, are required to comply and provide documented proof of the following:

• Measles, Mumps & Rubella (MMR) vaccination/immunity 
• Varicella-Zoster Virus (Chicken Pox) vaccination/immunity 
• Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis)
• Tuberculosis (TB) baseline screening within the last twelve (12) months prior to employment
• Hepatitis B vaccination/immunity – only required for DCoDPH employees with potential Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) exposures.

Identified DCoDPH HCP with potential Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) exposure have an additional requirement for the Hepatitis B vaccination. Required vaccination, serological testing to determine immunity, and baseline tuberculosis screening are available for all Public Health employees who elect to become DCoDPH patients upon request and at no cost.

Proof of vaccination and tuberculosis screening must be provided to Human Resources within seven (7) business days prior to the date of employment.

Durham County Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer