Vacancies in Greensboro and High Point

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES
The Nurse Specialist provides intermediate level professional nursing work in providing primary, preventive and rehabilitative care to individuals in a public health clinical or community setting. Work is performed under the direction of a Nurse Services Supervisor.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS
The Nurse Specialist I independently assesses patient needs for nursing care or medical intervention. Work is performed in a clinical setting, in homes, schools, day care centers and business and industry. Employee assesses needs, develops basic nursing care plans and patient goals, explains physician findings and ascertains that instructions are being followed. Employees must differentiate levels of patient criticality to identify crisis situations requiring physician or agency intervention. Nurse may be assigned as a lead worker from time to time.

Essential Duties and Tasks
Employees may be assigned to one of the following areas:

Family Planning and Maternity
Utilize skills of a register nurse in promoting wellness through clinical care to men and women in a Clinical Services Program medical setting. Assess medical, social, and psychological history in pre and post interviews with clients in the Maternity, Family Planning, and STD Clinics. Provide care in a team setting to aid in the mission of ensuring all low-income pregnant women have access to early and continuous prenatal and postpartum care; reduce the rate of unintended pregnancies; improve health practices among low income families; and reduce the rate of sexually transmitted infections in Guilford County. Administer care and treatment, including vaccinations, as prescribed by Advanced Practice Providers.

Centering
Utilizes skills of a registered nurse in promoting wellness through clinical care in a Clinical Services medical setting. Assess medical, social and psychological history and make appropriate referrals to providers, social worker, nutritionist, a substance abuse counselor as indicated. Interpret Provider’s physical findings and perform prescribed treatment or medication. Assist providers with the Centering Pregnancy® model of care as scheduled by prepping charts, reviewing charts, ordering lab tests, coordinating care within the Centering group, and co-facilitating group when trained.

TB/CD
The primary function of this position is to provide case management services on all reported clients with suspected or confirmed TB disease by conducting targeted testing (LTBI), investigative visits developing a plan of care (which includes but is not limited to by providing diagnostic monitoring and screening tests, including radiology services), and treatment services with ongoing evaluation and surveillance monitoring activities following the CDC/NC and Guilford County guidelines/protocols. Assist in assuring TB outbreak control by conducting contact investigation using the general epidemiologic framework (covered in the contact investigation guidelines) and the specific state-required forms. Assist in providing TB education and training to healthcare providers in the community with TB specialty resources using printed TB materials, videotape presentations and demonstrations as indicated. Extensive State training in TB and Communicable Disease is provided by Public Health.

Refugee
Primary purpose is the coordination and provision of health screenings to Refugees to detect infectious or chronic disease and ensure appropriate treatment, follow-up and health education, as defined by the Immigration and Nationality Act. Also responsible for the prevention of Communicable Diseases for the citizens of Guilford County including sexually transmitted diseases, vaccine preventable diseases, tuberculosis and AIDS as well as other communicable diseases by providing customer services in the clinical area and community. Additionally administer adult and child immunizations, and other duties as requested by the supervisor.

STI
Utilizes skills of a registered nurse to promote prevention of STIs through clinical care and education in Clinical Services. Will assess medical, social, sexual, and psychological history in pre and post interviews with clients in the STI Clinics. Will administer care and STI treatment as prescribed by the physician and advanced practice providers, also following standing orders. Assist as needed in the Primary Care Clinic. Will also provide adult immunizations to STI clients and to other Guilford County adult and child clients.

Minimum Qualifications
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a Bachelor's degree (BSN), which includes 0-6 months of professional nursing experience in a public health setting or related environment; OR an Associate's degree (ADN) with two years experience in a public health setting or related environment. Additional training in specialty area may be required.

Necessary Special Qualifications
Possession of a current license to practice as a Registered Nurse issued by the North Carolina Board of Nursing and such other qualifications which may be prescribed by the State Department of Health.

Documentation of immunity to: measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox, per CDC recommendations. Screening/proof of Hepatitis B immunity, as recommended by the CDC.

All Public Health staff are required to have Flu immunization each Flu season.

Preferred Qualifications:

Physical Demands And Work Condition
Sits, walks and stands during a workday.
Must be able to physically perform the basic life support functions of walking, fingering, grasping, talking, hearing, and repetitive motions.
Must be able to lift patients (children) and objects up to 30 pounds as required for some positions.
Must have the visual acuity to record observations and physical assessments of clients, to read and interpret test results, administer immunizations/prescription dosages, and record medical findings.
Nurse may occasionally be in contact with difficult patients.
Nurses may be exposed to infection from disease-bearing patients, and specimens.
Employees will have periodic exposure to hazards in the field (driving, rural or inner-city settings, inclement weather, clients).
Work conditions may be mildly disagreeable if working in poor home environments or with difficult patients.

Special Note
This generic class description gives an overview of the job class, its essential job functions, and recommended job requirements. However, for each individual position assigned to this class, there is available a completed job description with a physical abilities checklist which can give further details about that one specific position. These documents should be reviewed before initiating a selection process. They can provide additional detailed information on which to base various personnel actions and can assist management in making legal defensible personnel decisions.