Solano County is seeking experienced public service professionals to join our team as a Public Health Nurse in the Child Welfare Services and Public Health Services Divisions of the Health and Social Services Department.
The Public Health Services Division believes that health is all about people; where they live, learn, work, and play. From our staff to our clients, we provide people with the tools they need to maintain and improve their health. The services we provide are incredibly diverse and include such activities as conducting public health nurse home visits for moms and babies, providing medical care in our clinics, and much more. You will not find a more committed group of people than public health workers. It takes a special kind of dedication to enter the public health field. Our passion is promoting health, livable communities and healthy lifestyles. As a result, we care for individuals and the community with compassion and respect.
In the Child Welfare Services (CWS) Division, the health and well-being of children in foster care, especially those medically fragile, holds utmost importance. These children face unique health challenges alongside the effects of neglect, emotional abuse, and physical injuries they may have endured.
As the Child Welfare Public Health Nurse (PHN), your role involves supporting primary social workers by facilitating access to medical records, aiding in appointment scheduling, coordinating referrals, and liaising with medical providers. Additionally, the PHN will offer expertise in complex medical conditions and treatment plans through consultations with primary social workers. Collaborating with substitute care providers to impart health education regarding a child's medical condition is also part of this role.
The Public Health Nurse promotes community health maintenance through health assessment, education and counseling in the detection, prevention and control of disease. It's crucial for the PHN to possess a deep understanding of working with diverse populations and demonstrate sensitivity to issues of poverty, race, equity, and inclusivity while engaging with children served by Solano County.
Duties may include but are not limited to the following:
- Performs epidemiological investigations, health assessment, education and counseling for the detection, prevention and control of disease and health threats to promote community health maintenance.
- Educates and counsels the client and their family in health maintenance, promotion and disease prevention, to enhance the individuals’ abilities to recognize need for and to seek treatment to meet health care and general social needs; acts as a patient advocate to ensure that nursing services meet community and individual needs.
- Assesses the physical, psycho-social and health care status and needs of families, individual clients, or children in foster care; interviews individuals and/or family, collecting a health history and data regarding current health status and life situations; obtains and reviews medical records and health histories to identify medical conditions; observes client and client-family interaction in the home; develops plan of care; detects cases of physical and/or emotional illness; participates in epidemiological studies by conducting community investigations.
- Confers with other health professionals to coordinate client care and assist in improving client’s health; participates in policy development; refers clients and/or families to appropriate community or public agencies to obtain services or assistance to improve or maintain social functioning and health; refers clients to physicians if medical intervention is indicated.
- Collaborates with community, county, state and out-of-state programs in the development of health-based systems and resources for the target population.
- Manages an assigned caseload, including needs assessment, care coordination and service authorization; provides nursing consultations and recommendations to ensure that medical needs are met; interprets and explains program guidelines to beneficiaries, service providers and community agencies; maintains cases according to program requirements; records data on patients and completes state forms, nursing daily reports and provides written referrals to other agencies; plans and organizes caseload to ensure that work is completed within professional practice and ensures caseload is covered during short periods of absence; acts as client advocate with health care providers.
- Participates in public health clinics by conducting health screening and assessment; screens, recommends, and administers vaccines and tuberculosis tests and provides venipuncture testing; trains staff in collection of specimens; interviews and counsels patients; may participate in clinic management.
- May be assigned to work within or lead an area of specialization (e.g., geriatric or maternal health) or target population; may be responsible for coordination of small public health programs and/or clinics which may involve the functional supervision of support staff or volunteers; may participate in procedural development/review activities or in-service training coordination; may provide training to County staff and outside agencies on health related topics.
- Maintains professional knowledge in applicable areas and keeps abreast of changes in job-related rules, statutes, laws and trends and of new technology and products applicable to the area of specialization; participates in disaster preparedness for control of communicable diseases; makes recommendations for the implementation of changes; reads and interprets professional literature; attends training programs, workshops and seminars as appropriate.
Experience: One year of public health and clinical nursing experience.
Education/Training: A Bachelor’s degree is required in Nursing from a nursing school accredited by the National League for Nursing or equivalent.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
Possession of a valid Registered Nurse license issued by the California State Board of Registered Nursing and certification in Public Health Nursing.
Possession of a current CPR certificate.
Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid Class C California driver’s license may be required.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Positions allocated to this class may require specialization in target populations, programs and/or bilingual skills.
Independent travel is required.
Incumbents must be able to work in an environment that may include exposure to communicable disease.
Candidates for employment must as a condition of employment sign a statement agreeing to comply with Section 11166 of the California Penal Code relating to child abuse reporting.
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