Registered Nurse II (PHN Option)

THIS IS A REOPENING OF AN EXISTING EXAMINATION. IF YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY APPLIED (OR STARTED AN APPLICATION) FOR THE REGISTERED NURSE II (PHN OPTION), EXAM # 17-5305-01, READ THIS ENTIRE BULLETIN. THERE ARE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO REAPPLY FOR THIS RECRUITMENT. IN ORDER TO REAPPLY FOR THIS POSITION, PLEASE CONTACT THE EXAMINATION ANALYST AT LINDSAY.CHRISTOPHER@ACGOV.ORG TO HAVE YOUR PREVIOUS APPLICATION RELEASED BACK TO YOU.

THIS IS A REOPENING OF AN EXISTING EXAMINATION. The scores and dispositions of candidates for this examination will be merged with previous exam participants. If you have previously submitted an application and choose to reapply, your new score/disposition will replace your current disposition.

Applications must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Applications will only be accepted on-line.

Supplemental Questionnaire: A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Failure to submit the Application or Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

HEALTH CARE SERVICES AGENCY
Alameda County's Health Services Program is administered by the Health Care Services Agency and includes the following program areas: Behavioral Health Care, Public Health, Environmental Health, and Agency Administration/Indigent Health. The ultimate mission of the Health Care Services Agency is to provide fully integrated health care services through a comprehensive network of public and private partnerships that ensure optimal health and well-being and respect the diversity of all residents.

PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Alameda County Public Health Department has worked for over 80 years to improve the health and safety of its residents and the neighborhoods they live in. Traditional public health concerns such as disease outbreaks, environmental hazards and access to health care have been joined by contemporary concerns: bioterrorism, crime, violence, and substance abuse. Each of these poses a threat to public health and wellness and calls for short and long-term solutions that lie well outside traditional public health boundaries.  For more information about our Alameda County Public Health Department, please visit the Alameda County Public Health Department Website and latest Annual Budget document found on www.acgov.org

THE POSITION
Registered Nurse II positions are located in the Health Care Services Agency, Social Services Agency and Community Development Agency. Registered Nurse IIs provide a variety of nursing care services, case management, treatment plan, teaching, counseling and referral to clients and families in a home and/or community setting, provide nursing assessment, planning, intervention and evaluation; coordinate care with other health care providers, professionals and other agencies and community representatives; assist in the prevention of communicable diseases; and perform related duties as required.

THE VACANCIES 
The current Registered Nurse II (PHN) vacancies are situated in the following programs/units within the Public Health Department: Acute Communicable Disease, California Children's Services, Field Nursing Services, In-Home Supportive Services, and Tuberculosis (TB). However the eligible list resulting from this recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies in other program areas.  

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT: In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications below, these positions require possession of a current and valid Public Health Nursing (PHN) Certificate issued by the California Board of Registered Nursing.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Acute Communicable Disease Unit
Alameda County Public Health Nurses, in the Acute Communicable Disease Unit, are responsible for the surveillance, investigation, and control of cases, contacts, and outbreaks of over 75 reportable communicable diseases; all reportable communicable diseases except for HIV, sexually transmitted infections and tuberculosis. Program activities include interviewing clients with reportable diseases, as well as their family members and health care providers, to collect clinical and risk factor information and to identify potentially exposed contacts. ACD staff educate clients about disease symptoms, transmission, treatment and prevention; identify and locate exposed contacts to provide education about potential symptoms and if appropriate, post-exposure preventive treatment; recommend interventions to prevent disease transmission in households, schools, day care facilities, health care facilities, and other congregate settings; maintain accurate surveillance of reportable conditions and review trends to identify areas for enhanced prevention and control efforts; initiate and lead key functions in the public health response to infectious disease emergencies; and serve as on-call duty officers to conduct mandated public health response to urgent communicable cases and outbreaks in the evening, on weekends, and holidays.

California Children's Services (CCS)
California Children’s Services (CCS) is a statewide program that provides case management and care coordination for clients' birth to 21 who have chronic, disabling and/or life threatening conditions. There are medical, financial and residential eligibility requirements. Under the direction of the CCS Nurse Manager, the Registered Nurse IV (RN IV), the Registered Nurse II (RN II) performs medical utilization review and comprehensive case management for a case load of children who have CCS medically eligible conditions. The RN II works in multi-disciplinary teams to determine medical eligibility and provides medical care coordination from the point of intake and initiation of the treatment care plan as part of the CCS interdisciplinary case management team. Nurses also ensure that clients are receiving necessary services with the most appropriate provider.

The RN II is expected to have knowledge of: principles, methods and procedures for utilization review and relating to acute hospitalizations, home care, medical and nursing services and other levels of institutional care, CCS and Medi-Cal regulations; health care delivery system with respect to medical services available to the child and family; and family adaptation to handicapping conditions involving physical and psycho-social needs.

Field Nursing Units
The Field Nursing Units are under the direction of the Public Health Nursing Division of the Public Health Department and are based in Oakland (Northern Region) and Hayward (Southern Region). The Field Nursing Units are supported by a multidisciplinary staff, including generalist public health nurses (PHNs), community health outreach workers, a social worker, a medical translator, and specialist clerks. The PHN RNII is responsible for providing case management and care coordination services to diverse, low income populations, such as single adults, families with children, older adults, persons with chronic disease(s), persons with disabilities, and pregnant women with high risk behaviors and/or circumstances such as substance use, mental illness, homelessness, history of abuse or neglect, failure to use healthcare system, and/or lack of knowledge of parenting or health condition(s). Services are provided in a variety of settings, such as in the client’s own home, school, clinic, and/or other community setting.  In addition, the PHNs conduct immunization clinics, perform health screenings at health fairs/community events, conduct jail inspections, and other activities. As disaster service workers, PHNs are expected to participate in department disaster response and recovery efforts and assist with acute communicable disease surveillance and response during moderate to large-scale communicable disease outbreaks.

In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program
The IHSS program is under the direction of the Department of Adult and Aging Services of the Social Services Agency. The IHSS program provides assistance to eligible aged, blind and disabled individuals who are unable to remain safely in their homes without in-home supportive assistance. The objective of IHSS is to prevent premature institutionalization and/or nursing home placement. The public health nurses within the IHSS program provide medical case planning and coordination to clients through direct and indirect services. The PHNs are assigned a caseload of clients who have a variety of medical needs, mental health issues, and transitional support needs that fall between long term care/acute care facility and the home. Services are provided in a variety of ways, including telephone, mail and fax correspondence, multidisciplinary meetings, as well as home visits.

Tuberculosis (TB) Unit
Registered Nurse IIs in the TB unit work under the supervision of the TB Nurse Manager (RN IV) and under the guidance of an RN III to provide case management to a caseload of clients with active and suspected active TB disease; to conduct monthly visits to the family, investigate contacts and assure access to care; oversee direct observation therapy (DOT) as needed, and to perform other duties as assigned. The work of the Registered Nurse IIs in the TB unit is specific to TB cases and their contacts, and requires knowledge of public health nursing standards, access to health care in the local community, knowledge of tuberculosis disease and transmission, diagnosis and treatment of active TB disease and latent TB infection, knowledge of co-morbidities and complex socio-economic problems that adversely affect TB treatment outcomes, and responsibility for assuring completion of TB treatment; contact tracing, early identification of secondary cases and contacts at risk for rapid progression to TB disease if infected; surveillance (including case reporting); understanding of epidemiology of tuberculosis in Alameda County and how it guides public health nursing practice, and performing outreach (when resources permit) to persons at high risk for TB infection and disease.

License/Certificate:

- Possession of a current and valid license to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of California.
- Possession of a current and valid Public Health Nurse (PHN) Certificate issued by the State of California
- Some positions may require a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's license.

Special Requirements:

1. In compliance with the Administrative Simplification provision of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), employees in this classification are required to possess a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number prior to their first day on the job.

2. In Compliance with Medicare regulations, employees in this classification are required to complete the "Medicare Enrollment Process for Physicians and non-Physician Practitioners" through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, prior to their first day on the job. Active enrollment in Medicare is a condition of employment. Failure to attain or maintain active enrollment will result in termination.

Either I
Experience:

The equivalent of six months of full-time experience as a Registered Nurse I in the Alameda County classified service. (Non-classified includes District Attorney's Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)

Or II

The equivalent of one year of full-time recent experience with the last five years at a comparable level as a Registered Nurse in a clinical and/or public health setting.
Some positions may require one (1) year of experience in a specialty area.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT: In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications below, these positions require possession of a current and valid Public Health Nursing (PHN) Certificate issued by the California Board of Registered Nursing.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• Theories, principles, procedures, techniques, standards and practices of public health nursing.
• Anatomy, physiology, chemistry, pharmacology, growth and development, medical surgical nursing, nutrition, community health, and population based communities.
• Principles and practices of the nursing process.
• Wellness to illness continuum.
• Nursing procedures, techniques, equipment and supplies.
• Contact investigation and infection control principles.
• Health systems, agencies, and patterns of referral.
• Major disease conditions, current prevention techniques, therapies, and treatments.
• Community resources and health systems.
• Collaborative health planning with multi-disciplinary teams.
• Principles and practices of effective organization.
• Computer applications related to the work.

Ability to:

• Maintain confidentiality.
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Teach and counsel patients, families, and staff.
• Exercise independent judgment.
• Interpret data.
• Analyze, evaluate and draw logical conclusions.
• Respond effectively to emergency situations.
• Exercise interpersonal sensitivity to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, clients, other agencies and the public.
• Practice effective nursing in diverse/multicultural environments.
• Plan, organize and prioritize.
• Make effective use of available materials and human resources.
• Provide safe, effective and efficient nursing care.

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST of the following steps: 1) A review of the candidates’ applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process. 2) A screening of applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires to select the best qualified candidates. Those selected will move on to the final step in the examination process. 3) Those candidates who have passed the Supplemental Questionnaire screening for the class will be placed on the eligible list based on an evaluation of education, training, and expertise. Candidates must attain a qualifying rating on each portion of this examination. We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination steps.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position.  Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN

Deadline for Filing:                                               5:00pm, Wednesday, January 10, 2018
                                                                              5:00pm, Wednesday, January 31, 2018
                                                                             5:00pm, Wednesday, February 28, 2018
                                                                                          5:00pm, Friday, March 30, 2018
Review of Minimum Qualification & SQ:                                                               Ongoing 
Department Hiring Interview:                                                                                      TBD

*Updated 1/31/2018
**Updated 2/27/2018

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.  

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Welfare Benefits

• Medical – HMO & PPO Insurance
• Dental – PPO & DHMO Insurance  
• Vision
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage) 
• County Allowance
• Health Flexible Spending Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Accident, Critical Illness & Hospital Indemnity
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Short-term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan – (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan

For your Work/Life Balance

• 11 paid holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Management Paid Leave**
• Group Auto/Home
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1^st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and alamedacountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Lindsay Christopher, Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services, County of Alameda
510-272-6393
Lindsay.christopher@acgov.org

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer