Correctional Health Nurse II

Responsibilities

• Serve as the team leader of the medical team on a 12.5‑hour rotating shift.
• Provide guidance and support to lower‑level medical staff in delivering appropriate and effective medical care to inmates.
• Perform quality audits to ensure staff adherence to agency operating procedures and health‑care standards set by the American Correctional Association, the National Commission of Correctional Health Care, the Virginia Board of Corrections, and the Virginia Board of Health Professionals.
• Conduct new‑hire orientation, peer monitoring, and training; act as the medical team training officer.
• Assist the supervisor with scheduling, delegation of assignments, and development/implementation of new initiatives, operational processes, and procedures.
• Provide direct health‑care services to Adult Detention Center inmates, including admission interviews to gather medical, mental‑health, and social histories.
• Perform medical, dental, and mental‑health screenings and assessments.
• Deliver therapeutic nursing services such as administering tests (e.g., PPD, pregnancy), injections, dispensing medications, and collecting vital signs.
• Review and interpret laboratory and diagnostic test results for advanced‑level practitioner follow‑up.
• Assess and identify co‑occurring mental‑health issues, determine risk of harm to self or others, and coordinate appropriate referrals.
• Monitor patients’ medical status through acute and chronic disease management and alcohol/drug withdrawal/detoxification processes.
• Tri­age and refer patients to the staff physician, nurse practitioner, dentist, mental‑health, or substance‑use disorder professionals as needed.
• Administer medication in accordance with authorizing orders and standard operating procedures.
• Document all treatment and counseling in the appropriate records.
• Ensure proper use of personal protective equipment and maintain universal precautions, promoting their observance by all agency staff.

Schedule

The incumbent works a 12.5‑hour shift on a squad schedule, 15 days per month (87.5 hours per two‑week pay period). Day shift runs from 6:30 am – 7:00 pm; night shift runs from 6:30 pm – 7:00 am. The position requires availability for evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays, and may be called to duty during inclement weather or other emergencies.

Pay

This full‑time position includes a $10,000 sign‑on bonus for fully qualified new county employees. Additional compensation may include evening/night differential, foreign‑language stipend, holiday pay, and an environmental stipend. Annual performance increases may be provided as permitted by the County budget.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in nursing from a college or university accredited by the National League for Nursing, plus one year of post‑licensure nursing experience; or an associate’s degree accredited by the National League for Nursing (or equivalent) plus two years of post‑licensure nursing experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working as a nurse in an Emergency Room (ER) or Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
• Experience working as a nurse in correctional health.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of nursing standards, theories, principles, practices, methods, and protocols.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local regulations, policies, and procedures related to nursing services.
• Knowledge of training principles and techniques.
• Knowledge of general operations in the Adult Detention Center and available community resources for referral, continuity of care, and reintegration.
• Knowledge of human growth and development, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology (including therapeutic use, side effects, contraindications), preventive medicine, epidemiology, and nutrition.
• Knowledge of federal and state pharmacology regulations governing medication storage, dispensing, and administration.
• Knowledge of psychiatric, psychological, and sociological terminology and concepts.
• Knowledge of substance‑use disorders, addiction signs and symptoms, assessment techniques, and applicable treatment interventions.
• Ability to effectively guide, educate, and motivate nursing personnel.
• Ability to assess and monitor the effects of medical and psychiatric medications.
• Ability to maintain security of the work environment and comply with facility rules, regulations, policies, and directives.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with co‑workers, public and private organizations, and community medical and mental‑health providers.
• Ability to maintain composure in fast‑paced, potentially stressful situations.

Certificates and Licenses

• Current license or multistate licensure privilege to practice as a Registered Nurse in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
• Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certification (required within 12 months of hire).

Special Requirements

• Completion of a criminal background check, pre‑employment medical evaluation, polygraph exam, psychological exam, and clearance from the National Practitioners Database.
• Designation as emergency/essential services personnel (required to report for duty during inclement weather or other emergencies).
• Ability to work a shift schedule that includes evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to quickly assess an emergency and respond appropriately.
• Physical capability to perform duties in a correctional‑facility medical environment, with accommodations available as required.

Selection Procedure

• Panel interview, which may include an exercise.