Public Health Nurse I, Santa Rosa, California

Position Information

The County of Sonoma's Department of Health Services seeks candidates for
Multiple Full-Time and Extra-Help Public Health Nurse I Positions!

Starting salary up to $106,505 /Year
Plus, a cash allowance of approximately $600/Month*
Plus, an additional $1.15/hour bilingual premium for bilingual assignments

This is a continuous recruitment. It may close without notice, at any time, once a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received.

Please Note : These positions will be filled at either the I or II level. If you are interested in applying at the II level, you will need to apply to the separate, concurrent recruitment being conducted for that level.

The Public Health Nurse I is the entry-level classification in the Public Health Nurse series, where incumbents apply the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities in learning to perform the full scope of public health nursing duties . This level requires possession of a California State Public Health Nursing Certificate .

What Sonoma County Employment Offers Working at the County of Sonoma offers expansive opportunities for growth and development, the ability to be a part of a challenging and rewarding work environment, and the satisfaction of knowing you're working to better our communities. You can also look forward to excellent benefits* including:

• An annual Staff Development/Wellness Benefit allowance up to $850 and ongoing education/training opportunities
• Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
• Significant portion of health care premiums paid by the County and access to several health plan options
• County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits
• Retirement fully integrated with Social Security
• Eligibility for a salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range

Public Health Nurses provide a wide range of services on behalf of vulnerable families and populations in the community, including:

• Health systems planning and coordination to ensure access to high quality health care and community resources
• Facility reviews and technical assistance to health care agencies, to assure compliance with regulations and optimal quality of service
• Disease investigations
• Comprehensive case management
• 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

Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH) Field Nurs ing
Public Health Nurses (PHN) working in the MCAH Field Nursing program use a trauma-informed approach to serve low income, Medi-Cal eligible pregnant and parenting women and their children up to five years of age. The focus is on populations facing multiple risk factors inclusive of physical and/or mental health issues, substance use, domestic violence, and homelessness alongside a myriad of issues related to poverty. The intent is to assist families in overcoming barriers to care and linking them to services. The PHNs provide case management including nursing assessment, planning and guidance to pregnant and/or parenting women in their homes, and screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) to help improve their overall physical and mental health. Furthermore, the ACEs conversation assists the primary caregiver in understanding the negative impact of their own trauma history and fosters a desire to limit potential trauma to their child, thus reducing the risk of intergenerational trauma. The PHNs maintain an active caseload of 25-30 clients.

In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)

Under the direction of the Supervising Public Health Nurse and in collaboration with the County of Sonoma Adult and Aging Division, the IHSS PHN I plays a crucial role in the assessment of elders and people with disabilities. This includes complex health issues that require the specialized skills of a PHN. Additionally, IHSS PHNs assist the IHSS Social Worker to accurately assess the type and level of services that a client is eligible to receive. This may include:

• Accompanying social workers on home visits to provide a nursing assessment
• Consulting with social workers regarding assessments with unfamiliar medical issues
• Assisting with complex paramedical requests
• Providing health education to IHSS clients, providers, and other supports; and providing in-service training to IHSS staff

The role of the IHSS PHN is also to build and maintain relationships with medical providers and act as a liaison between the IHSS Program and these partners. The PHNs use accepted standards of practice as set forth by the California Board of Registered Nursing and the Nursing Practice Act.

The Ideal Candidates

The ideal candidates for these 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
• A willingness to innovate within the trauma-informed model is needed
• The ability to develop therapeutic relationships, utilizing concepts of reflection and motivational interviewing
• Experience specific to maternal child population is preferred for MCAH Field Nursing positions
• Familiarity with Targeted Case Management is desirable

This recruitment is being conducted to fill three full-time positions in the Department of Health Services. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help (temporary) positions as they occur during the active status of the list. Qualified County employees who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment.

* Salary is negotiable within the established range. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found in the Engineers and Scientists of California Union Local 20 Memorandum of Understanding (ESC MOU).
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.

Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the application, examination, and department selection processes.
APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

Responses to supplemental questions will be used in assessing minimum qualifications. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses which state "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (Weight 100%). Each application and supplemental questionnaire will be thoroughly evaluated for satisfaction of minimum qualifications and relevance of educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities that relate to this position. Candidates possessing the most appropriate job-related qualifications will be placed on an employment list and referred to the department for selection interviews.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A background investigation is required prior to employment. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to applicants.

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer are contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications are accepted on-line at www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org . Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be RECEIVED by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Continuous recruitments may close without notice at any time that a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma prioritizes and is committed to continuously providing a workplace where equal employment opportunity is afforded to all people. Please view the County's Equal Employment Opportunity Policy for further information.

HR Analyst: DP
HR Technician: AC