SENIOR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE - 40001085

Durham County Government is home to over 2,000 dedicated professionals working together to deliver essential services that strengthen and support our vibrant, diverse community. As the heart of a fast-growing region, we offer meaningful careers across a wide range of fields—giving you the opportunity to make a real impact where you live, work, grow, and play.

Position metadata: Full-time (37.5 hours, non-exempt), eligible for a $6,000 sign-on bonus. Primary work hours are between 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM. This position may be subject to emergency response duties, including outbreak investigations, staffing clinics, shelter services, or disaster relief.

About the role

This employee functions as a Registered Nurse in the Women's Health Program at Durham County Department of Public Health (DCoDPH). The Maternal Health Clinic is a component of the Women’s Health Program in the Medical Services Health Division. The clinic provides comprehensive services relating to prenatal care with the purpose of reducing infant mortality and morbidity. This position functions as a Senior Public Health Nurse in the Maternal Health clinic at DCoDPH.

Responsibilities

Direct Patient Care

• Provides obstetrical/maternal health services including education and counseling to pregnant clients
• Monitors patients' vital signs, weight, and urine results
• Administers medication and vaccines as ordered by medical provider
• Administers injections, follows up on abnormal labs and missed appointments, and triages phone calls
• Instructs patients on prenatal care for each trimester and provides other education
• Assists medical providers in performing physical exams and procedures
• Participates in charge nurse duties, orientation, and precepting of new Women's Health Program staff and nursing students
• Assists in performing NST (Neonatal Non-Stress Test) and ultrasound
• May be required to work in other clinical areas across the organization
• Participates in COVID and emergency response activities and performs other tasks as requested by supervisor, Program Manager, and Division Director

Charge Nurse Duties

• Manages other nurses and community health assistants assigned to clinic
• Manages and coordinates clinic flow
• Redirects and reassigns staff when clinic flow shifts
• Assesses charts for needed labs and procedures when patient checks in
• Checks to ensure needed tests have been performed and appropriate referrals have been made when patient is leaving
• Reviews patient encounter sheets for accuracy
• Responds to patients’ requests via phone call or walk-in to identify needs and advise appropriate follow-up
• Assists with orientation of new staff and students
• Assists with conducting record audits
• Performs other tasks as requested

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited school of professional nursing and one year of professional nursing experience
• Current license to practice as a Registered Nurse in North Carolina by the N.C. Board of Nursing

Skills

• Ability to work independently and make sound nursing judgments in complex health situations
• Ability to record services rendered accurately and interpret/explain records, reports, and medical instructions
• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Considerable knowledge of nursing theory, practice, principles, and techniques in public health
• Ability to apply principles and practices of public health
• Knowledge of available resources and ability to coordinate them as needed
• General knowledge of current social and economic problems relating to public health, including health disparities
• Ability to plan, coordinate, and oversee the work of others
• Ability to deal tactfully with others and exercise good judgment in appraising situations and making decisions
• Ability to work in partnership with patients and other service providers
• Adequate computer skills for communication, patient record documentation, and accessing information
• Flexibility to work in other nursing units of DCoDPH as needed

Pay

Salary range: $66,016.00 - $112,148.00

Health Requirements

As a healthcare personnel (HCP) working in a health care setting, employees are required to comply and provide documented proof of the following:

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

Required vaccination, serological testing, and baseline tuberculosis screening are available at no cost for employees who elect to become DCoDPH patients. Proof must be provided to Human Resources within seven (7) business days prior to employment.