Promotes community health maintenance through health assessment, education and counseling in the detection, prevention and control of disease.
CLASS CHARACTERISTICS
This class is characterized by the responsibility to work with individuals and/or families in an assigned geographic area within the County and/or in clinics operated by the department. Incumbents of this class learn public health practices and departmental procedures while gaining needed experience to demonstrate competency at the fully qualified professional level. Clients typically have limited knowledge of health principles, nutrition, disease process, appropriate care or available resources. This class is distinguished from Public Health Nurse in that the latter works at the fully qualified professional or journey level. This classification is flexibly staffed to the journey level.
Supervision Received and Exercised
Receives general supervision from the Public Health Nurse Manager and/or other Supervisor/ Program Manager.
May provide technical and functional supervision of lower level nursing staff, support staff or volunteers.
Examples of Duties
Educates and counsels the client and their family in health maintenance, promotion and disease prevention, to enhance the individuals’ abilities to recognize need for and to seek treatment to meet health care and general social needs.
Assesses the physical, psycho-social and health care status and needs of families, and/or individual clients; interviews client and/or family, collects health history and data regarding current health status and life situations; observes client and client-family interaction in the home; develops plan of care; detects cases of physical and/or emotional illness; participates in epidemiological studies by conducting community investigations.
Confers with other health professionals to coordinate client care and assist in improving health; refers clients and/or families to appropriate community or public agencies to obtain services or assistance to improve or maintain social functioning and health, or to physicians if medical intervention is indicated.
Manages and caseload of clients requiring prioritization of patient care; records data on patients and completes state forms, nursing daily reports and provides written referrals to other agencies; plans organizes caseload to ensure that work is completed within professional practice and reinsures caseload is covered during short periods of absence; acts as client advocate within health care providers.
Participates in public health clinics by conducting health screening and assessment; interviewing and counseling patients; may participate in clinic management.
May be assigned to work within or lead an area of specialization (e.g., geriatric or maternal health) or target population; may be assigned additional responsibilities for growth, development and to demonstrate competency as required for promotion.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Knowledge of:
Principles and practices of general clinical and public health nursing, including community aspects of nursing programs and provisions for continuity in patient care.
Health prevention techniques; cases, means of transmission and methods of control for communicable diseases, including tuberculosis and venereal diseases.
Use and effects of medicines; principles of clinical health screening including charting histories and system reviews.
Laws and regulations governing public health.
Pediatrics including child growth and development; procedures involved in promoting maternal and child health; principles of mental health; child abuse and neglect detection practices.
Environmental, sociological and psychological problems encountered in public health disease processes and contemporary health management principles; cultural differences affecting health care service delivery and public health; sociological and emotional problems involved in care of those with special needs and medical conditions.
Principles of nutrition; personal hygiene practices; effective counseling and coaching techniques.
Current literature and trends in public health nursing; work of other social and health agencies and functions of other professions as related to public health nursing.
Skills to:
Utilize basic office equipment as well as medical supplies, tools, and equipment.
Drive a motor vehicle.
Ability to:
Make home visits in assigned geographic areas; provide transportation services as needed; plan, organize and carry out public health nursing activities in a local area; perform an assessment of health status determining the need for and level of nursing and/or medical care; interview and counsel clients on health and related matters.
Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; deal firmly and fairly with clients of various socio-economic backgrounds and temperaments; demonstrate tact, diplomacy and compassion.
Exercise independent judgment; identify problems and develop a plan for follow-up.
Establish, maintain, and foster positive and harmonious working relationships with those contacted in the course of work; work effectively with individuals and families to assist them in satisfactory solution of health problems.
Prepare clear and concise reports; maintain accurate records and document actions taken; collect and analyze data to draw logical conclusions and make appropriate recommendations.
Work with groups; conduct classes on health and wellness in the community; refer clients to social service agencies and health care providers; act as patient advocate.
Identify and report child and adult abuse and neglect, and domestic violence.
Maintain confidentiality of information.
Education and Experience
Experience:
Some clinical nursing experience desirable
Education/Training:
A Bachelor’s degree is required in Nursing from a nursing school accredited by the National League for Nursing or equivalent.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
Possession of a valid Registered Nurse license issued by the California State Board of Registered Nursing.
Possession of or ability to obtain certification in Public Health Nursing.
Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid Class C California driver’s license maybe required.
Independent travel is required.
Incumbents of this class should demonstrate necessary knowledge and abilities to be promoted to Public Health Nurse within two (2) years of appointment.
Positions allocated to this class may require specialization in target populations programs or programs.
Positions allocated to this class may require bilingual skills.
Selectees for employment must as a condition of employment sign a statement agreeing to comply with Section 11166 of the California Penal Code relating to child abuse reporting.
Incumbents must be able to work in an environment which may include exposure to communicable disease.
ADA Compliance
Physical Ability: Tasks require the ability to exert moderate, though not constant physical effort, typically involving some combination of climbing and balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling, and which may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of moderate weight (12-20 pounds).
Sensory Requirements: Requires the ability to recognize and identify similarities and differences between shade, degree or value of colors, shapes, sounds, forms, textures or physical appearance associated with job-related objects, materials, tasks or people.
Environmental Factors: Requires the ability to work under conditions where exposure to environmental factors poses a moderate risk of moderate injury or illness.
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