Community Health Nurse
Category: Classified/Excluded
Pay Grade: C25
Job Code: 18104
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.
JOB SUMMARY
This is professional nursing work with varied assignments in the care and treatment of mentally or physically ill or injured patients consisting primarily of providing outreach medical services to the homeless and uninsured. Employees in this class are required to apply professional nursing principles and techniques to a wide variety of patient care problems. Evaluation of appropriate medical quality care may include initial patient assessment as dictated by immediacy in need of care and such routine duties will be carried out without direct supervision or detailed instructions.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS (examples, not all inclusive)
- Performs/completes medical history, vital signs, height/weight measurements, blood pressure checks, nursing notes and other pertinent medical data on patients;
- Provides medical services and treatment via the mobile medical unit;
- Provides initial evaluation of immediacy of patient care through nursing observation and evaluation of pertinent personal patient data;
- Administers oral, intramuscular and other medications, records their administration, reviews judgments on patient conditions, treats and cares for physically ill patients and teaches personal hygiene care;
- Evaluates client risk and assesses need for immediate intervention;
- Examines and treats patients, demonstrates and explains the therapies, medications and treatments prescribed;
- Assists patients in accessing medical care; responds to questions regarding the health care program;
- Encourages active participation in the county health program to improve their health outcomes, and reduce unnecessary ER visits;
- Provides medical educational programs to clients, community, and providers;
- Participates on a task group providing testing, input and recommendations for the development of the electronic application for the Human Services health program;
- Performs inventory of medical supplies and orders additional supplies as needed;
- Inputs clients demographic and socioeconomic information in various computer applications and software programs with accuracy;
- Schedules appointments with outside doctors, hospitals, clinics, labs and radiology facilities;
- Performs other related job duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience:
Current Florida license as a Registered Nurse; or Current Florida license as a Licensed Practical Nurse with three (3) years of experience in a hospital or clinic; or an equivalent combination of education, training and/or experience.
Special Qualifications (May be required depending on area of assignment):
- Florida Driver’s License or Florida Commercial Driver’s License and endorsement, if any.
- Assignment to work a variety of work schedules including compulsory work periods in special, emergency, and/or disaster situations.
- Other highly desirable knowledge, skills, abilities, and credentials required for a specific position.
- Be a non-smoker.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Knowledge of basic professional nursing theory and practice with emphasis upon anatomy and physiology, nutrition and care for aged or delivery of appropriate medical care;
- Knowledge of bio-hazardous waste protocols and procedures;
- Knowledge of CPR and external defibrillator;
- Skill in the application of professional nursing techniques;
- Ability to draw blood and perform other laboratory work procedures;
- Ability to apply standard nursing knowledge and techniques to a wide variety of patient care situations;
- Ability to operate a personal computer and other automated systems to enter and retrieve information, monitor work performed and to communicate information in reports, etc;
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with patients, co-workers, physicians, and superior.
PHYSICAL/MENTAL DEMANDS
The work is light work which requires exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force to move objects. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:
- Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
- Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
- Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
- Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
- Handling: Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand.
- Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
- Mental acuity: Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
- Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
- Repetitive motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
- Speaking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
- Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
- Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
- Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
- Visual acuity: Have close visual acuity such as color differentiation, depth perception, and adequate field vision.
- Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.
WORKING CONDITIONS
Work is typically performed in a dynamic environment that requires sensitivity to changing goals, priorities, and needs.