Sheriff's Detention Nurse
Salary - $126,692.80 - $163,571.20 Annually
Location - County of San Diego, CA
Job Type - Regular - Full time
Job Number - 26454604
Department - Sheriff
Division - Detention Oper Area 3
Opening Date - 05/14/2026
Closing Date - 5/24/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
Job Summary
The County of San Diego Sheriff's Office is offering an exciting job opportunity as a
Sheriff's Detention Supervising Nurse
The starting salary for this position will be
based on the candidate’s qualifications at time of appointment.
FUTURE SALARY INCREASE
** June 2026 – 5.47% increase to base pay (3.5% Across-the-Board + 1.97% Market Adjustment)
** June 2027 – 4.97% increase to base pay (3.0% Across-the-Board + 1.97% Market Adjustment)
In addition to the base salary, the incumbent may receive:
10% premium for institutional work location
Relocation reimbursement (up to $8,000)
5% base pay effective 5 years after service date
The Sheriff's Detention Supervising Nurse is under general direction and will supervise the professional nursing care for individuals detained in the Sheriff's Office detention facilities. The incumbent will demonstrate professional, as well as personal accountability and is responsible to organize and maintain the complex health care delivery system. Services and programs will include, but not limited to, inpatient/outpatient case management, quality assurance/quality improvement, clinical nursing education, infection control, standards and compliance, telemedicine, medication management, psychiatric nursing, medical information management and emergency care. The incumbent will identify employee performance issues, maintain personnel records, and will ascertain the training needs of individual staff members.
Ideal Candidate:
- Demonstrates an excellence in nursing with good assessment skills, sound nursing judgment and a desire to provide quality nursing care to our inmate population.
- Understands the importance of customer service and exemplifies this in their interactions with clients both internally and externally.
- An effective communicator who is driven to excel, possesses leadership skills, and holds self and others accountable.
- An innovative problem solver who demonstrates ethical behavior and leverages resources, is supportive of change and maximizes team effectiveness.
- Has nursing experience in correctional, psychiatric, geriatric, cardiac care, primary care, and/or in emergency or urgent care settings.
- Has basic knowledge of budget and contracting principles.
- Has prior experience managing a medical unit, a facility or specialized division (i.e. Infection Control, Case Management, etc.
Hiring Process and Timeline:
The timeline for this recruitment is outlined below.
- Job Offer and Background Process begins: Shortly after the interviews. Note: Current County employees may be excluded from additional background screening.
- Pre-employment Medical Screening: Approximately 3 days following successful background investigation results.
- Anticipated Start Date: Start date will be based upon successful completion of medical screening or other mutually agreed upon date.
If you are not selected for this interview process, you may have the opportunity to compete for future vacancies.
Education and/or Experience:
Education, training, and/or experience that demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skills and abilities listed above. Required education/experience:
- Valid California Registered Nurse license is required at the time of appointment and must be maintained throughout employment. Failure to maintain such license will be cause for dismissal; AND;
- A current CPR card and Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) card is required at the time of appointment and must be maintained throughout employment. Failure to maintain certification may be cause for dismissal; AND;
- Graduation from an accredited school of nursing is required, AND
- Three (3) years of full-time registered nursing experience; OR, two and one-half (2½) years of full-time registered nursing experience in a psychiatric, corrections or public health clinic facility.
Notes
- At least one (1) year of supervision and/or management experience is highly desirable.
- Some experience or coursework in the area of psychiatric nursing, and/or correctional nursing is highly desirable.
- A Master’s Degree in Nursing, Public Health, or Health Administration is highly desirable.
For more information, please click on this link to review the complete job description for Sheriff's Detention Supervising Nurse.
Blind Applicant Screening:
The Department of Human Resources removes personally identifiable information from all new recruitments. This practice, called Blind Applicant Screening, will hide a candidate’s personal information that could influence or bias a hiring decision. Personal information includes name, phone number, address, gender, age and race. This process will help contribute to a fair and equitable selection process leading to a more diverse and inclusive workforce.
The most highly qualified candidates, based on the evaluation results, will be referred for an interview. Be sure to include your experience in meeting the minimum requirements in both the Work Experience section and the Supplemental Questionnaire section of the Application. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the application Work History and/or supplemental questionnaire.
Conditions of Employment:
As part of the County of San Diego’s pre-employment process, prospective candidates will undergo a background check (including fingerprinting) and a pre-employment medical screening prior to beginning County employment. Additional types of background investigations may be conducted based on the job-related activities of the position. Current County employees may be excluded from this process.
Working Conditions:
- Work environment is in a locked detention facility.
- Incumbents may be exposed to infectious illnesses and to inmate patients whose behavior is unpredictable and occasionally violent and combative.
- May be subject to verbal and physical abuse from patients and exposed to communicable diseases.
- Incumbents may be subject to work rotating shifts (Morning, Mid-day, and Night), holidays, and weekends.
- Must be able to lift up to 25 lbs. and occasionally 60 lbs.
Background Qualifications:
- Must have a reputation for honesty and trustworthiness.
- Felony convictions will be disqualifying.
- Misdemeanor convictions may be disqualifying depending on type, number, severity, and recency.
- Prior to appointment, candidates WILL be subject to a thorough background investigation which may include a psychological, polygraph or other examination or test.
Evaluation:
The names of qualified applicants will be placed on a six (6) month employment list based on scores received during the evaluation of information contained in their employment and supplemental application. Please ensure all information is complete and accurate as the responses you provide on the supplemental application form will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in the initial screening process, your application will be reviewed individually to confirm that the information you provided is accurate and qualifying.
Accommodations:
Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of the job, on a case-by-case basis.
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