Nurse Surveyor

About this Role

All California Department of Public Health (CDPH) employees perform work that is of the utmost importance, where each employee is important in supporting and promoting an environment of equity, diversity, and inclusivity, essential to the delivery of the department’s mission. All employees are valued and should understand that their contributions and the contributions of their team members derive from different cultures, backgrounds, and life experiences, supporting innovations in public health services and programs for California.

The Nurse Surveyor (NS) conducts inspections, investigations, surveys, and evaluations of health facilities for conformity with licensing and certification requirements of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and for compliance with state and federal laws, rules, and regulations relating to medical care. Advises healthcare facility administrators and community agencies regarding State health facilities inspection, licensing, and certification programs. Primary responsibility is for uniform application and enforcement of state and federal laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to areas affecting total patient care such as nursing, physician, restorative, pharmacy, social, dental, and related services. Extensive travel will be required.

Key Responsibilities

• Travels to and conducts in-depth surveys of healthcare facilities, individually or as part of a team, to determine compliance with state licensing and federal certification requirements.
• Conducts and documents interviews of healthcare facilities’ residents, staff, and other relevant personnel.
• Requests and reviews resident medical files for relevant patient information, documenting necessary information for legal action while ensuring patient confidentiality.
• Independently, or as part of a team, makes a determination of healthcare facilities’ compliance with state and federal laws and regulations based on survey findings and observations.
• Prepares written comprehensive narrative reports of findings including conclusions and recommendations and prepares written statements of deficiencies when deemed appropriate.
• In response to complaints submitted to the CDPH regarding patient care and healthcare delivery in licensed healthcare facilities, the incumbent travels to and conducts investigations of facilities, documenting fully for legal actions all evidence relating to non‑compliance.
• Conducts and documents interviews of healthcare facilities’ residents, staff, and other relevant personnel.
• Requests and reviews resident medical files for relevant patient information, documenting necessary information while ensuring patient confidentiality.
• Independently makes a determination of healthcare facilities’ compliance with state and federal regulations and prepares written comprehensive narrative reports of investigations including conclusions and recommendations, and prepares written statements of deficiencies when deemed appropriate.
• Develops and presents both written and verbal testimony to provide support for civil monetary penalties at informal conferences, citation review conferences, evidentiary hearings, informal dispute resolutions, municipal or superior court proceedings, and arbitration procedures.
• Responds to these legal actions as an expert witness on matters relating to State and federal laws and regulations pertaining to patient care and the healthcare delivery system.
• Attends meetings and participates in local programs to improve uniform compliance in licensed health care facilities.
• Attends training sessions in order to keep abreast of trends in the healthcare delivery system and industries.
• Advises and assists healthcare facility administrators in matters relating to the State requirements for inspections, licensing, construction, and operation of healthcare facilities.
• Other duties as required, including, but not limited to, collecting data required for special studies and preparing licensing and complaint packets for staff.

Qualifications

All employees shall possess the general qualifications, as described in California Code of Regulations Title 2, Section 172, which include, but are not limited to integrity, honesty, dependability, thoroughness, accuracy, good judgment, initiative, resourcefulness, and the ability to work cooperatively with others.

The competencies required for this position are found on the classification specification for the classification noted above. Classification specifications are located on the California Department of Human Resource’s Job Descriptions webpage.

Conflict of Interest (COI)

Background Check and/or Fingerprinting Clearance

Medical Clearance

Travel: Up to 35%

Bilingual: Pass a State written and/or verbal proficiency exam in

License/Certification: RN License

Other: