Public Health Nurse

Salary: $34.61 - $38.21 Hourly Location : Bozeman, MT Job Type: Full-Time and Part-Time Hours Available Job Number: 00636 Department: Health Opening Date: 12/09/2024 Closing Date: Continuous POSITION OVERVIEW This position is located in Gallatin City-County Health Department and performs duties that support the vision, mission and goals of the Department. This position is responsible for providing home visiting and other nursing services within the City-County Health Department to promote and maintain individual, group, and community health. This position's duties will include a heavy emphasis on home visits for high-risk families to: assess health issues; monitor growth and development of infants and children; provide education for healthy pregnancies; provide lactation and postnatal education; monitor clients and develop plans of care; and complete required documentation. Coordinates participation in community health activities and provides presentations on health topics. Work requires home visits to high-risk families, and may involve contentious situations. Other duties may include work in a variety of disease prevention and health promotion programs, school nursing services for rural schools, as well as outreach to the public and contributing to departmental response to public health emergencies. Contacts with the public in health care situations involves exposure to illness and disease. This position reports to the Maternal Child Health Services Group Manager, and the Maternal Child Health Nurse Supervisor and does not supervise other County personnel. Each duty checked below makes up at least 20% of the job, and all other functions are included in Other Duties as Assigned. All duties below are essential functions unless otherwise indicated. HOME VISITS Conducts home visits for high-risk families to assess individual and family health issues and provides education as appropriate. Monitors and evaluates clients, identifies patient needs, develops patient plan of care, and provides educational information on appropriate topics or makes referrals to community resources and services. Provides services to clients referred to the home visiting programs of the Health Department to ensure needs are met. Assesses family needs based on historical and current information. Develops treatment plans and establishes a plan with goals, objectives and activities that can be accomplished with support. Makes referrals to other community resource agencies and specialists as appropriate. Ensures all paperwork is completed, documentation is submitted and all necessary family information is gathered. Establishes partnerships with families as a service provider and advocate. Builds trust in the relationship between family members and the incumbent. Follows up with clients to ensure appropriate services have been obtained, to determine progress in following treatment plans, and to provide additional education and support. Serves as a liaison between the Health Department and other community service programs and providers. Reviews caseloads, files, statistics and summaries associated with the program to identify success, trends, issues of concern and opportunities to provide improved and/or more comprehensive services to high-risk families. Reviews and revises care plans and determines if changes are appropriate and necessary. Implements changes as needed. Responds to crises on an as-needed basis by assisting family members in resolving problems and de-escalating critical situations and events. Completes required documentation in an accurate and timely manner for the purpose of keeping current and progressive data related to needs, efforts, progress, outcome, and communication with family. Maintains current records for multiple programs. Provides intensive home visitation for the Health Department Programs in collaboration with the Social Workers and Father Engagement Specialist. IMMUNIZATIONS Administers immunizations to clients of varying ages, from newborn to the elderly. Determines vaccines required and establishes appropriate schedule. Assesses contraindications, precautions and risks. Provides individualized instruction to patient or parent. Keeps accurate records of immunizations. Promotes immunizations through public education and social media when needed. Assists the Immunization & Communicable Disease Program in daycare inspections and review of immunization records. COMMUNICABLE DISEASE PROGRAM Participates in all aspects of program service delivery including surveillance, follow- up of reportable communicable diseases (individual cases and outbreaks), public education, record keeping and data collection, training, and ensuring compliance with applicable rules and regulations. SCHOOL NURSING PROGRAM Provides nursing consultation to school personnel regarding issues related to student health, safety, nutrition, immunizations, communicable diseases and readiness for learning. Conducts educational health classes for a variety of different student populations on topics appropriate for age group including maturation and human sexuality. Educates medication administration to non-licensed school personnel and ensures compliance with safe practices and procedures. Serves as liaison between schools, parents and health care providers to facilitate individualized health care plans for students with chronic diseases or other special health care needs. Consults with and assesses individual students in relation to health concerns or injuries and determines appropriate courses of action. Conducts school screening programs including vision and pre-kindergarten. Works with Immunization program to organize and conduct school-based immunization clinics. Administers age-appropriate vaccines with parental consent. COMMUNITY HEALTH Enhances community health through participation in a wide variety of local and countywide activities that promote partnerships, collaboration and education associated with effective public health resources and services. Teaches classes and makes public presentations on topics such as prenatal care, breastfeeding, parenting, and blood borne pathogens. Collaborates with other organizations and agencies to provide comprehensive health services to individual clients, as well as develop population-based services. Participates on community boards and committees as a health care professional. FETAL, INFANT, CHILD & MATERNAL MORTALITY REVIEW PROGRAM (FICMMR) Manages and coordinates the activities of the FICMMR team, according to guidelines established by DPHHS. Recruits and maintains multi-disciplinary team membership. Receives reports of fetal, infant or child deaths, and seeks reports from appropriate team members. Facilitates the reviews to gain a complete and accurate understanding of the circumstances leading to the death. Identify any modifiable risk factors, gaps or barriers the team can address focusing on prevention. Engage and utilize your team (or health department staff) to help select, plan, deliver and evaluate best practice, injury prevention activities or strategies to address preventable deaths. OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED Perform a variety of other duties as assigned by supervisor. This includes coordinating special projects and events, system and grant research and analysis, representing the profession and the County at meetings, conferences, and special events, attending continuing education and training as required and accounting of time electronically at the end of the workweek. If the County Commission proclaims a local emergency due to an actual or threatened disaster such as an earthquake, fire, riot, flood, etc., County employees may be required to provide services during the emergency and for a subsequent period of assessment and recovery. QUALIFICATIONS This work requires knowledge of the principles and practices of public health nursing including: home visiting; family and community assessments; human growth and development; educational methods for individuals; groups and the public in general; public health laws and rules; community resources; vaccine preventable diseases and related vaccinations; and record keeping and basic computer skills. Also required is the ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing; and use of a variety of medical equipment and tools. The incumbent must have knowledge of all of the Department's programs in order to provide assistance as needed. EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE This position must have a minimum of an Associate's Degree in Nursing from a National League of Nursing (NLN) accredited school of nursing, be licensed as a Registered Nurse in the State of Montana, and one year of work experience as a registered nurse preferably in public health. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION Licenses and Certifications : Applicants for this position must possess a valid driver's license and be insurable under the County's liability policies. As a condition of hire, the final candidate will be required to successfully pass a criminal history check and background investigation. For application consideration please be prepared to attach the following required documents: Cover Letter Resume Schedule and employment type are flexible and are to be discussed during the interview. This could be a full-time or a part-time position. Basic Spanish language preferred, but not required. Gallatin County is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment on the basis of merit and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, national origin, or physical or mental disability. Excellent Medical Health Benefits - Group health benefits, including dental and vision coverage, are available to eligible County employees. The medical health benefits premium is covered for full-time employees. The County contribution is pro-rated on hours paid for part-time employees. The employee pays the premium portion for dependent coverage. Family health benefits coverage is $205.00 per pay period. Medical deductible is $400 for an individual and $1,000 for a family. Flexible Benefits Plan - Pre-tax out-of-pocket medical expenses and day care expenses. Supplemental Medical Coverage and voluntary Life Insurance Coverage are offered through Mutual of Omaha.. Public Employees Retirement System - Montana public employees of the state, university system, local governments and certain employees of school districts are covered by the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). New members to the PERS have an opportunity to choose between two retirement plan options: the Defined Benefit Plan or the Defined Contribution Plan. Sheriffs' Retirement System (SRS) - A public pension plan for all Montana Sheriffs hired after July 1, 1974 and Detention Officers hired after July 1, 2005. Supplemental Retirement Benefits are offered through Nationwide and Empower. Sick Leave - Full-time employees accrue 7.40 hours per month and are eligible to use sick leave once it is accrued. The accrual is pro-rated for part-time employees. Vacation Leave - Full-time employees accrue 9.20 hours per month and are eligible to use leave once it is accrued. The accrual is pro-rated for part-time employees. Holidays - The County observes eleven legal holidays in even numbered years and ten legal holidays in odd numbered years. Paid Parental Leave (PPL)- In recognition of the importance of bonding and care of a newborn child or a child placed for adoption, Gallatin County provides 240 hours of PPL to eligible full-time employees. The hours are pro-rated for part-time employees. Tuition Assistance - Because we value the professional and personal development of our employees, Gallatin County is proud to offer reimbursement of certain education expenses. Bilingual Pay - Gallatin County allows for bilingual pay to employees that provide translation services to County departments and offices. The bilingual pay allows for extra compensation to employees that provide this service.