Outreach Nurse

Job Title: Outreach Nurse

Job Summary:

The Outreach Nurse is a critical member of the Outreach, Harm Reduction, and Community Engagement Team at Lyon-Martin Health Services Inc. This role is responsible for providing clinically appropriate nursing care to clients within the scope of their license and credentials through in-clinic and telehealth visits, phone communication, home visits, and street-based outreach.

The Outreach Nurse will work closely with the Outreach Manager to support the Outreach team in all harm reduction and overdose prevention outreach activities, distributing supplies and providing nursing care to unhoused and marginally housed individuals in the local neighborhoods of San Francisco, with a focus on queer, transgender, and intersex people of color, people who use drugs, and sex workers.

This position also works closely with other clinic staff to staff our drop-in harm reduction clinic. The Outreach Nurse will be expected to uphold and imbue in others a commitment to addressing racism, ableism, fatphobia, gender and sexual discrimination within the organization and our clinical practice.

Key Responsibilities:

• Alongside the Outreach Manager and Outreach Coordinators, distribute harm reduction supplies, including syringes/needles, Narcan, fentanyl test strips, and other drug use supplies, food/water, safer sex supplies, first aid supplies, hygiene supplies, and street sleeping supplies.
• Facilitate Narcan trainings and fentanyl testing trainings.
• Administer COVID testing and vaccination.
• Connect community members to our clinic services, including primary care, gender-affirming care, Suboxone, HIV/Hep C care, gynecological care, mental health services, and more.
• Coordinate Harm Reduction Drop-In Nights at the Clinic, distributing supplies and providing nursing support.
• Maintain inventory of supplies and coordinate orders when needed.
• Assist clients with laundry access.
• Participate in regular Outreach team meetings.
• Collaborate with the Manager to plan and staff various community engagement events and trainings for community members.
• Table at events to educate community members about our services and distribute harm reduction supplies.
• Provide nursing care within the scope of license and agency credentials to outreach clients in designated SIP Hotels, SRO buildings, Navigation Centers, Shelters, and during Street-based Outreach.
• Utilize motivational interviewing skills and encourage engagement in care with an emphasis on transitioning outreach-based services to clinic-based care as soon as possible for a given patient.
• Facilitate team functioning and efficiency by providing clinical support and instruction to other outreach staff and volunteers.
• Assess and provide nursing advice to outreach clients, either in the form of general health education or patient-specific advice.
• Use sound clinical judgment to provide appropriate nursing interventions, following nursing standing orders and/or clinic policies.
• Triage client needs to provide referral to appropriate level of care.
• Complete timely and appropriate documentation of client encounters.
• Collaborate with Outreach Manager to maintain grant compliance and adhere to reporting requirements.

In-Clinic Care Responsibilities:

• Provide nursing care within the scope of license and agency credentials according to pre-arranged schedules.
• Document visit notes and client interaction completely in an accurate, detailed, and timely manner.
• Respond to in-basket messages in a timely manner.
• Work as a part of a patient panel team with Primary Care Provider, Medical Assistant, and Care Coordinator.
• Assist team Primary Care Provider team with triage of tasks.
• Utilize motivational interviewing skills and encourage patient activation and self-management.
• Facilitate team functioning and efficiency by taking responsibility for additional patient assessments or medical assistant functions.
• Assess and provide nursing advice to patients who walk-in with medical complaints or who call-in with medical concerns seeking advice.
• Respond to patient requests for information and assistance in a timely manner.
• Inform clients of normal and abnormal lab results and follow-up plans.
• Assist with prescription issues, such as submitting and following up on prior authorizations for prescriptions and helping to troubleshoot pharmacy issues.
• Work collaboratively with mental health staff to facilitate integration between primary care and mental health in order to improve patient outcomes.
• Maintain licensure and BCLS/CPR certification.
• Provide timely care coordination and management for medically complex patients.
• Provide de-escalation to clients who may become triggered during session and link them to care.
• Foster safety, consistency, and connection with clients.
• Follow through on commitments with clients and colleagues.

Leadership Responsibilities:

• Provide clinical leadership to support staff, including medical assistants, patient care coordinators, front office staff, and receptionists.
• Participate in training medical assistants, nursing students, and volunteers to improve the skills of back office staff.
• Incorporate constructive feedback into behavior change.
• Participate as an active member of the Care Support Team through case-conferencing and other collaborative work.
• Demonstrate comfort in changing systems, champion change, and lead change processes.

Performance and Quality Improvement Responsibilities:

• Active participant in Quality Improvement activities and may act as change champion or lead.
• Work closely with staff collecting and reporting contractual data as necessary.
• Meet benchmarks for applicable quality indicators as noted in the annual quality management plan.
• Support the quality assurance of medication supply, vaccine management, dispensary, point of care testing, laboratory, infection control.
• Assist in continuous quality improvement through ongoing problem/needs identification and problem solving.

Organizational Responsibilities:

• Keep up to date with operational and procedural requirements.
• Assure organizational readiness for accreditation surveys and ongoing monitoring and reporting of conformance to quality within the clinics.
• Support the interpretation of standards and processes to meet best practice standards established in the health services program.
• Adhere to company dress code and maintain professional appearance.
• Complete mandatory trainings within deadlines.
• Supervise students and volunteers as appropriate.
• Maintain availability for various administrative/clinical duties as requested by supervisor.

Competencies:

• Communication, Written: Deliver written communications that have clarity and impact.
• Communication, Verbal: Effective listener; clearly and thoughtfully communicate with others in person and on the phone.
• Reliability: Accountable; maintains focus; punctual; good attendance record; meets deadlines.
• Time Management: Organize and establish priorities; get the job done in a timely manner.
• Customer Service: Persist in efforts to solve issues even when faced with internal barriers; take personal responsibility for customer service outcomes; respond quickly and effectively to requests for assistance and support.
• Computer Literacy: Skilled computer-based work tasks; use technology to enhance job performance.
• Teamwork: Accountable to team; participate effectively in group- and teamwork; collaborate positively with other team members; give and accept constructive criticism.
• Tolerance for Stress, Ambiguity, and Change: Maintain composure even while under great pressure; handle complex problems and change with minimal supervision; demonstrate flexibility and versatility in achieving key goals and priorities.
• Attention to Detail: Strive to eliminate errors; make accurate work a priority; seek opportunities to improve performance.
• Decision Making: Collect, organize, and analyze information before making decisions; take a thoughtful approach when considering options; may seek supervision and/or input from others.
• Integrity and Ethics: Actively model the highest ethical standards; be honest and accountable; maintain confidentiality and appropriate boundaries at all times; handle sensitive information and issues with discretion and tact.
• Relationship Orientation: Establish rapport easily with others; listen attentively to others' perspectives; use good judgment when sharing information and maintaining confidentiality; appropriately express empathy.
• Presentation Skills: Adapt presentation techniques to fit audience level and technical needs; develop and deliver communications that have clarity and impact; convey confidence, presence, and professionalism; use appropriate visual aids to illustrate key points and enhance learning.
• Interpersonal Skills: Use active listening and discussion skills to identify issues, ensure understanding, and facilitate problem solving; work cooperatively with diverse groups; deal with others in a pleasant and professional manner; accurately assess verbal and non-verbal cues.
• Accountability: Make and meet commitments; accept responsibility for behavior and outcomes.
• Follow Through: Monitor status of projects and tasks; thoroughly deal with project details; deliver clear, accurate depiction of status.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Ability to work with a diverse population while withholding judgment; willingly open to learn and understand different perspectives.

Education, Knowledge, Skills:

• Graduation from an accredited school of nursing.
• Possession of a valid California license as a registered nurse.
• Possession of BLS/CPR certification.
• Two years of direct patient care experience; one year in ambulatory care and/or a community health center preferred.
• Commitment to working in an environment offering abortion services and the full-scope of pregnancy options counseling.
• Experience with and commitment to harm reduction and trauma-informed care.
• Culturally sensitive/humble and able to work with a diverse population.
• Experience working with lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and intersex clients.
• Experience working with populations with varying disabilities, racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, and economic statuses.
• Experience working with clients who do sex work, those experiencing homelessness, people who have challenges with mental illness and/or are using substances, those with a history of incarceration, people of varying ages.

Desired:

• Bilingual Spanish/English.
• Strong phlebotomy skills.
• Experience with electronic medical records.
• Comfort working on teams and with safety net populations.

Benefits:

Employees regularly scheduled for 16 hours or more per week are eligible for full benefits, which include 100% employer-paid Platinum level medical plans for both employees and their minor dependent(s), Premium dental, vision, life, and acupuncture/chiropractic plans, as well as an up to 3% 403(b) match and access to pre-tax health, dependent care, and commuter benefits.

Available Pay Differentials:

$5.00/Hour pay differential for hours worked between 10pm and 2am; $1.00 per hour worked for employees certified bilingual in Spanish, Chinese, or Tagalog.

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