Public Health Nurse I - Extra-Help
an Extra-Help Public Health Nurse I!
Starting salary up to $52.06/hour and an additional $1.15/hour bilingual premium for bilingual assignments
Depending upon experience, we are hiring Public Health Nurses (PHNs) at the I or II level. If you are interested in applying at the II level of this opportunity, you must apply to the separate, concurrent recruitment being conducted.
PHN I is the entry-level in the PHN series. The position requires qualified candidates to possess a California State Public Health Nursing Certificate. Through on-the-job training and experience, a PHN I gain the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to promote to PHN II.
PHNs provide a wide range of services on behalf of vulnerable families and populations in the community, including:
- Performing health system planning and coordination, to ensure clients receive access to high-quality health care and community resources
- Facility reviews and technical assistance to health care agencies, assuring compliance with regulations and County optimal quality of service standards
- Conducting disease investigations
- Providing comprehensive case management services
- Collaborating with other health programs and agencies
- Processing agency referrals to address the many social determinants of health such as access to food, affordable health care, housing, education, jobs, parenting information, family counseling, health education, legal assistance, and violence prevention/early intervention resources
The ideal candidates for Public Health Nurse I positions will be detail-oriented, organized, self-starters with strong communication, customer service, and computer skills. In addition, they will possess:
- Experience working in community/clinic/public health settings with medically fragile individuals
- Working knowledge of modern public health practices and community based resources
- The ability to work independently and in close collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team
- Strong planning and organizational skills
- A commitment to using evidence-based tools, and interest in tracking outcomes for continuous quality improvement
- The ability to develop therapeutic relationships, and utilize concepts of reflection and motivational interviewing
- The ability to talk to people from diverse backgrounds and communities, engage them in conversations about their health and wellbeing, and ask the difficult questions so you and your clients may work together to better support their needs
The Department of Health Services currently has a position available in the following program:
Foster Care
This Foster Care PHN position performs a variety of public health nursing duties focused on the concepts of health care coordination for children in foster care. This position ensures children, served by the Human Services Department (HSD), receive needed preventive/wellness health care, and follow-up diagnosis and treatment services. This position also functions as a health care consultant to the social workers in HSD’s Family, Youth and Children’s Services Division. Additionally, the PHN initiates case management on medical, dental, nutritional, and mental health conditions found during health assessments; collaborates with foster family agencies, group home directors, and/or health care coordinators; and other health programs such as Mental Health, California Children's Services, Managed Care Plans, Medi-Cal Eligibility, etc. to identify and address access to care issues; and provides program planning and oversight.
This recruitment will be also used to fill future extra-help positions in a variety of programs, which may include home visiting services, disease control, and other identified specific population services.
Please visit www.sonomacountyconnections.org for more information about Sonoma County as a place to live, work, and build your career legacy.
APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.
Minimum Qualifications
Possession of a California State Public Health Nursing Certificate.
Driver’s License: Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level including necessary special endorsements, as required by the State of California to perform the essential job functions of the position.
Working Conditions: Duties may require exposure to hostile, emotionally disturbed or mentally ill persons and/or confrontational interpersonal situations; intermittently sit at a desk for long periods of time while reviewing patient charts and histories and preparing patient charts and reports; intermittently walk, stand, bend, climb and reach while making field visits, conducting clinics or making educational presentations or demonstrations; twist to reach equipment surrounding desk or treatment areas; perform simple grasping and fine manipulation; use telephone and write or use a keyboard to communicate through written means; see and hear with sufficient acuity to examine and assess patient conditions; lift moderate weight; may work in dangerous, high crime areas of the community; and/or standby, callback and work during non-routine hours.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Working Knowledge of: Modern principles, methods, and practices of public health nursing, including preventive medicine, epidemiology, public health education, gerontology, and sociological problems involved in public health nursing. Community aspects of public health nursing programs. Prevention, detection and treatment of communicable and chronic disease, handicapping conditions, mental illness and other disabling conditions; environmental, sociological, and psychological problems related to public health nursing programs. Principles and procedures involved in family planning, sexually transmitted disease control, and pre and post-natal care; and current literature and trends in community health.
Ability to: Organize and carry out public health nursing activities in assigned district or program; differentiate medical problems requiring immediate consultation with a physician rather than a deferred consultation; to follow prescribed protocols set up by physicians and to consult with physicians and other medical personnel; work effectively with families and individuals to assist them in solution to health problems; develop and maintain effective public relations with clients, staff, community groups and organizations; exercise independent judgment, analyze and evaluate situations independently and take appropriate actions; instruct in the prevention of disease and promotion of public health; and write and speak effectively and prepare and maintain clear and concise records and reports.
Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying
- Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
- You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
- You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
- Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.