Nurse Specialist I

GUILFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT

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GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES

Child Care Health Consultants (CCHCs) are trained health professionals with experience in child and community health as well as early care and education (ECE). CCHCs provide health and safety support to child care providers to enhance the quality of care of licensed child care facilities. This role is performed independently, while maintaining close collaboration with center directors and the Nursing Services Supervisor.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS

The Child Care Health Consultant is responsible for assessing the health and safety needs of the child care providers, children and licensed facility. CCHCs work with child care facilities to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate strategies to achieve high quality, safe, healthy child care environments. Consultants provide technical assistance through consultation and coaching for early educators on a wide variety of health and safety topics. Child Care Consultants play a critical role in interpreting and helping to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal health and safety regulations. They assist centers and home-based providers in establishing comprehensive policies and procedures for health and safety practices and emergencies. Additionally, consultants actively collaborate with various community agencies and partners to help ensure the health needs of the early care and education environments.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential Duties and Tasks

• Utilize the nursing process to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate patient care in accordance with nursing theory.
• Provide onsite health consultation services to children and staff in child care settings.
• Conduct onsite indoor/outdoor coaching assessments of health and safety practices
• Provide consultation and coaching for early educators on inclusion of children with special health care needs
• Assist child care providers with best practice child care policy development
• Promote developmentally appropriate environments and best practices for child care.
• Review and assess health records of children and staff as necessary, including monitoring for communicable diseases.
• Support the development and implementation of health and safety policies and procedures.
• Facilitate partnerships among child care facilities, families, and healthcare providers to improve child health outcomes.
• Connect children, families, and child care staff with health, dental, and wellness resources within the community.
• Provide Technical Assistance for child care staff on practices to reduce infectious diseases and prevent injuries.
• Provide Technical Assistance for child care staff on safe sleep, emergency preparedness, safe handling and health and nutrition.

RECRUITMENT STANDARDS

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of the methods and techniques of general nursing care and their relation to medical and surgical practice.
• Knowledge of methods and techniques used in the prevention of communicable diseases.
• Knowledge of social and economic problems relating to public health, including social determinates of health and health equity.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with recipients of public health care, other public employees and the general public.
• Ability to understand and carry out detailed instructions of a technical or professional nature.
• Ability to interpret and explain public health laws and regulations.
• Ability to keep records and complete reports.
• Ability to make independent assessments and nursing judgments.
• Ability to apply nursing theory principles and techniques employed in the field of public health and related programs.
• Ability to operate a computer to allow for communication, patient record documentation and accessing information.
• Good individual patient and family teaching skills.

Minimum Qualifications: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a Bachelor's Degree (BSN), which includes 0-6 months of professional nursing experience in a public health setting or related environment; OR, an Associate's Degree (ADN) with 2 years of experience in a public health setting or related environment; Additional training in specialty area may be required.

Preferred Qualifications: Previous CCHC experience, pediatric experience, case management and/or consulting experience.

NECESSARY SPECIAL QUALIFICATION

Possession of a current license to practice as a Registered Nurse issued by the North Carolina Board of Nursing or another Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact State (eNLC) and such other qualifications which may be prescribed by the State Department of Public Health.

Physical Demands and Work Condition:

Sits, walks and stands during a workday. Must be able to physically perform the basic life support functions of walking, fingering, grasping, talking, hearing, and repetitive motions. Must be able to lift patients (children) and objects up to 30 pounds as required for some positions. Must have the visual acuity to record observations and physical assessments of clients, to read and interpret test results, administer immunizations/prescription dosages, and record medical findings. Nurse may occasionally be in contact with difficult patients. Nurses may be exposed to infection from disease-bearing patients, and specimens. Employees will have periodic exposure to hazards in the field (driving, rural or inner-city settings, inclement weather, clients). Work conditions may be mildly disagreeable if working in poor home environments or with difficult patients.

May Require Driving:

This position may require driving for this position whether driving a County owned or personal vehicle to conduct county business such as but not limited to attending conferences, meetings, or any other county related functions. Motor Vehicle Reports may be verified for valid driver's license and that the driving record is compatible with the county's driving criteria. If a personal vehicle is operated for county business proper insurance is maintained as per Guilford County's vehicle use policy.

Special Note: This generic class description gives an overview of the job class, its essential job functions, and recommended job requirements. However, for each individual position assigned to this class, there is available a completed job description with a physical abilities checklist which can give further details about that one specific position. These documents should be reviewed before initiating a selection process. They can provide additional detailed information on which to base various personnel actions and can assist management in making legal defensible personnel decisions.

Guilford County is committed to providing Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) to employees and applicants for employment regardless of color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation or political affiliation. The County is committed to complying with all applicable federal, state and local laws that pertain to employment, and to providing a work environment that is free from discrimination of any kind. If you need an auxiliary aide, make the request forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the time the accommodation is needed by calling