Nurse Practitioner

About the role

Iowa Medical and Classification Center serves as the reception and classification center for all those entering the adult male institutional corrections system, processing an estimated 400‑500 new commitments each month before they move to other facilities. IMCC is a multi‑faceted facility employing a diversified professional workforce that provides comprehensive services to offenders and patients. The center operates a medium‑security general population unit and runs the state’s only licensed forensic psychiatric hospital, offering inpatient psychiatric and evaluation services to non‑adjudicated patients. In 2007, an additional unit with 178 medical and psychiatric beds was added to meet growing mental health and medical needs. Career opportunities exist across many departments, including Security, Treatment, Medical, Administrative, Business, Records, Maintenance/Trades, Warehousing, Food Service, and other support areas.

Responsibilities

• Provides comprehensive medical evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and continuity of care for incarcerated patients in accordance with generally accepted standards of advanced nursing practice and Department of Corrections policies.
• Performs admission physical examinations, chronic care clinics, sick call, periodic health assessments, preventive services, and medically necessary follow‑up evaluations.
• Orders, interprets, and documents laboratory tests, diagnostic imaging, and other diagnostic studies; prescribes medications and therapeutic interventions consistent with scope of practice; initiates specialty referrals when clinically indicated; and maintains accurate, timely, and complete electronic health records.
• Coordinates patient care with physicians, nursing staff, mental health professionals, pharmacists, dentists, custody staff, and outside healthcare providers to ensure safe, effective, and continuous medical care.
• Provides patient education and delivers care in a manner that promotes professionalism, ethical conduct, sound clinical judgment, and adherence to evidence‑based medical practice.
• Exercises independent clinical judgment in the evaluation and management of patients with acute, chronic, and medically complex conditions within the scope of advanced nursing practice.
• Provides clinical consultation and guidance to healthcare staff regarding patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and continuity of care.
• Assists in resolving complex clinical issues through interdisciplinary collaboration, evidence‑based decision‑making, and appropriate utilization of specialty and community healthcare resources.
• Consults with physicians and other healthcare professionals as appropriate to support optimal patient outcomes.

Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master's Degree in Nursing and certification as a clinical nurse specialist, nurse midwife, nurse practitioner or registered nurse anesthetist; OR graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with satisfactory completion of a formal advanced practice educational program of study in a nurse practitioner program and appropriate clinical experience as approved by the Iowa Board of Nursing.
• Licensure as an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) and registered as an ARNP by the Iowa Board of Nursing (IBON). For additional information review the IBON Iowa Administrative Rules at 655--7.2(152).