Public Health Nurse

Public Health Nurse

Immunizations and General Communicable Diseases Program

Our Role: Please come join our team to do meaningful work that has a real impact in our community. We are a team-oriented, family-friendly organization over 130 dedicated public health professionals. We work hard every day to keep our community safe and health. keeping you and your family - and our county and its many visitors safe is our job. It could be your job too!
 
The Position: The incumbent performs communicable disease investigation and surveillance activities using current disease investigation protocols. These investigations are authorized by Washington Administration Codes (WAC 246-101). The purposes of the investigations are to determine the source(s) of illnesses and to eliminate or reduce the spread and effect of these illnesses. Comprehensive working knowledge of communicable disease control, public health emergency preparedness and immunization practices is required.

Under the direction of the Public Health Nurse Supervisor, with oversight from the Immunizations and General Communicable Diseases Program Manager, in collaboration with the Assistant Community Health Director and Community Health Director, the incumbent assists in the coordination of the Health District’s immunization services and the distribution of state-supplied vaccines in Kitsap County. The purpose of the immunization program and the distribution of state-supplied vaccines are to prevent vaccine-preventable communicable diseases. The incumbent may also provide nursing services related to immunizations and other communicable diseases including direct patient care services, epidemiological surveillance, and community health education programs for public and private providers.  
 
Due to the small number of staff the incumbent will also provide comprehensive nursing
services for cross-coverage in a variety of assignments within the nursing scope of practice.
 
Hours: 40 hours per week – 100% FTE, requires occasional evening and weekend hours.
 
Status: Permanent full-time position.  
 
Benefits: The district offers a comprehensive health benefit plan which includes medical, dental, and life coverages, including several voluntary plan selections through The Standard, Aflac, and Met Life. The district provides medical and dental coverage contributing percentages of the average medical and dental insurance premium costs for full time employees as follows: Employee @ 100%, Employee & Spouse @ 90%, Employee & Child(ren) @ 90%, and Full Family @ 85%. Benefits include generous paid time off, and twelve paid holidays per year.  Employees participate in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), a defined benefit retirement plan managed by the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and Social Security. Several deferred compensation retirement savings plans are also offered.

Other:  After a successful trial service period, generally at least three months, a hybrid telework agreement may be established as mutually beneficial.  
 
The ideal candidate has a passion for public health and the community we serve.  
 

Essential Functions

• Provides guidance as needed to Health District staff, private medical providers, community partners and the citizens of Kitsap County in the areas of communicable disease investigations and immunizations.
• Participates in and contributes to ad hoc special activities, assignments, and presentations related to communicable diseases, immunizations and emergency preparedness.
• Provides ongoing disease surveillance, conducts communicable disease investigations and implements disease-control strategies. Responsible for evaluating effectiveness of interventions, updating disease investigation protocols as necessary, completes, and submits appropriate case reports to the State Department of Health.
• Coordinates epidemiological activities, provides guidance to clinical staff pertaining to communicable disease investigation, tuberculosis and immunizations. Collaborates with healthcare providers on prevention and control of communicable disease and tuberculosis. Provides leadership in outbreak response.
• Responsible for case management of patients with active tuberculosis, and latent tuberculosis infection. Responsibilities include maintaining patient medical records, overseeing of directly observed therapy by Infectious Disease Case Managers, participating in Department of Health’s quarterly cohort case review, completing and submitting appropriate case reports to the Department of Health.
• Assists in the coordination of vaccines provided through VFC and the Washington Vaccine Association to private providers. Assists in the updates of immunization protocols whenever there are changes in the ACIP recommendations and communicates these changes to all providers administering these vaccines in Kitsap County.
• Provides consultation and training on vaccines administration and safety to providers and health care professional including TST administration and reading.
• Provides cross-coverage for all other communicable disease and immunization program staff and other clinical services as needed.
• Attends appropriate continuing educational courses, program specific training sponsored by the Department of Health and reviews educational material to keep current in communicable disease, public health emergency preparedness, and tuberculosis.
• Responsible for providing ongoing surveillance of influenza in our community. Obtains vaccine, conducts investigations and collects specimens when indicated. Collaborates with healthcare providers regarding current CDC recommendations and provides leadership in implementation.
• Provides public health support to community-based programs.
• Provide ongoing, current, information to the IT and Communications Team staff to maintain the Communicable Disease and Tuberculosis sections of the Health Districts web site.
• Completes timely and accurate random moments to comply with contractual requirements of Medicaid Administrative Match.
• Accurately completes and submits electronic time card on a weekly basis as required.
• Responds to public health emergencies as required by the District.
• Serves as a resource person for staff; motivates and mentors staff in providing quality and appropriate quantity of work in assigned area utilizing resources efficiently; models and promotes team building skills among assigned staff.
• Works both independently and within a collaborative team-oriented environment; contribute openly, respectfully disagree, understand the ideas of others, listen well and work for consensus.
• Models an organizational culture that promotes the practice of respect for people, openness, trust, safety, transparency, collaborative problem solving, managing with data, in the pursuit of continuous improvement and assurance.
• Demonstrates cultural competency and embeds health equity into all aspects of assigned work and associated interactions.
• Establishes and maintains cooperative, effective working relationships with coworkers, other District employees, and the general public using principles of good customer service.
• Reports for scheduled work with regular, reliable and punctual attendance.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Work is performed primarily indoors in clinic and office environments, with occasional travel to attend meetings, conferences, seminars, etc.   Work may also be performed in the field (physician’s offices, offsite clinics, public non-profit organizations, etc.).
• Requires the ability to communicate with others orally, face to face, and by telephone. Requires manual and finger dexterity and hand-eye-arm coordination to write and to operate computers and a variety of general office equipment.  Requires mobility to accomplish other desktop work, retrieve files, and to move to various District locations.  Requires visual acuity to read computer screens, printed materials, and detailed information.
• May occasionally be required to work a varying schedule which may include evenings and weekends.
• May be assigned to provide on-call coverage, which may include evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Exposure to individuals from the public who are upset, angry, agitated and sometimes hostile, requiring the use of conflict management and coping skills.
• Frequently required to perform work in confidence and under pressure for deadlines, and to main professional composure and tact, patience and courtesy and all times.
• The incumbent is required to use the combined senses to touch, sight, smell and hearing during on-going client assessment.  Duties require the ability to read typewritten and/or handwritten orders and notes in patient charts; measure medications; distinguish colors; observe changes in a patient’s skin color and condition; hear through a stethoscope to measure patient’s blood pressure and listen for heart and lung sounds.
• Coordination and dexterity to pour/measure medications; change dressings; and administer medications/ immunizations subcutaneously and intramuscularly.
• Strength and stamina to appropriately preform comfort hold techniques as necessary for children receiving immunizations.
• Ability to move freely throughout the work setting and to respond to emergency situations quickly.
• Off-site visits require the incumbent to carry supplies and/or equipment up and down stairs as well as into and out of a vehicle on a daily basis.
• While performing home visits, the incumbent may encounter unsanitary conditions, animals (pets), and clients and/or family members who are smoking, exposing the incumbent to second-hand smoke which may cause allergic reactions and/or illness.
• The incumbent may be exposed to emotionally disturbing experiences.  The incumbent is expected to remain calm, controlled, and professional regardless of the situation and to demonstrate care and compassion to the client, family member and other members of the health care team.
• Regularly the incumbent will be required the ability to lift/and or carry objects and materials up to ten pounds.   Occasionally, the incumbent in this position may be required to lift/carry objects up to twenty pounds; rarely the incumbent may be required to lift/carry objects up to fifty pounds.
• May be required to stay at or return to work during public health incidents and/or emergencies to perform duties specific to this classification or to perform other duties as requested in an assigned response position.  This may require working a non-traditional work schedule or working outside normal assigned duties during the incident and/or emergency.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) from a school accredited by the National League of Nursing with coursework that includes a community health component; or
• The combination of a bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as public health or health education, and at least four years of public health nursing experience, may be substituted for the BSN requirement, provided the candidate graduated from a school of nursing accredited by the NLN (diploma, AA or AS).

Degrees must be from appropriately accredited institutions.

Licenses, Certificates & Other Requirements

• Possession of valid Washington State Registered Nurse licensure through the Washington Department of Health is required.
• The incumbent must obtain required digital certificate for access into the WDRS secure reporting system.
• Performance of job duties requires driving on a regular basis, a valid Washington State driver’s license, the use of a District fleet vehicle, the use of a personal vehicle when a fleet vehicle is not available, and proof of appropriate auto insurance.

All required licenses must be maintained in an active status without suspension or revocation throughout employment.
 
To view the opportunity and complete the required electronic application, please visit the Careers section of our website at kitsappublichealth.org or GovernmentJobs.com.