PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE SPECIALIST - 40009651

General Description

This employee functions as a Registered Nurse in the Women’s Health Program (WHP) at Durham County Department of Public Health (DCoDPH). The WHP is comprised of the Family Planning (FP) and Maternal Health (MH) Clinics. This position functions as a Public Health Nurse Specialist (PHNS) in the FP Clinic at DCoDPH, with a focus on the Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCCP) and counseling to patients of the WHP.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Participates in clinic nurse duties, administrative nurse duties, precepting of new staff and nursing students, and following up on abnormal results related to breast and cervical cancer screening tests.
• Works with community partners and providers to facilitate breast and cervical cancer screening education and referrals.
• Aids during physical exams and procedures (as appropriate), provides full scope contraceptive counseling, administers injections, and follows up on abnormal labs and missed appointments.
• May be required to work in other clinical areas across the organization.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• A thorough knowledge of, and skill in, the application of principles and techniques employed in the field of public health, general nursing, and women’s health nursing, specifically contraception and family planning services;
• General knowledge of current health disparities and community resources related to public health;
• Ability to plan, coordinate, and oversee the work of others;
• Ability to deal tactfully with others and to exercise good judgment in appraising situations and making decisions;
• Ability to work in partnership with patients and other service providers to elicit needed information and to maintain effective working relationships;
• Ability to accurately record services rendered and to interpret and explain records, reports, and medical instructions;
• Considerable knowledge of and ability to apply the principles and practices of public health;
• Adequate computer skills to allow communication, patient record documentation, and accessing of information;
• Ability to be flexible and receptive to change in dealing with changing patient populations and changing program requirements.

Minimum Education And Experience Requirements

• At the minimum, candidates must have graduated from a four-year college or university with a B.S. in Nursing which includes a Public Health Nursing rotation and two years of Public Health nursing experience;
• Or a Master’s in Public Health and graduation from a school of professional nursing and two years of professional nursing experience;
• Or graduation from a school of professional nursing and three years of professional nursing experience including two years of Public Health nursing experience;
• Or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

Special Certifications And Licenses

• Must be licensed to practice as a registered nurse in North Carolina by the North Carolina Board of Nursing.

Preferred Qualifications

• CPR certified
• Bilingual

Required Vaccinations And Screenings

• Measles, Mumps & Rubella (MMR) vaccination/immunity
• Varicella-Zoster Virus (Chicken Pox) vaccination/immunity
• Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis)
• Tuberculosis (TB) baseline screening within the last twelve (12) months prior to employment
• Hepatitis B vaccination/immunity – only required for DCoDPH employees with potential Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) exposures.

Emergency Preparedness Requirements

• Primary work hours are between the hours of 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM.
• Employee is subject to be called upon at any time to help the agency respond to a public health emergency, which may include but is not limited to outbreak investigations, staffing mass dispensing or immunization clinics, providing shelter services or other disaster relief, or incidents (man-made or natural and intentional or non-intentional) as they arise, or any public health response as requested by the Health Director.
• Emergency duty may require the employee to travel during inclement weather.

Americans With Disabilities Act Compliance

• Durham County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
• ADA requires Durham County to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities.