School Public Health Nurse

ob Announcement

$10,000 Sign-On Bonus*
“This position works 12 months per year in School Health Division.”


Benefits of working for the Fairfax County Health Department features:

• Robust one-year public health nurse orientation.
• Opportunity to make a difference by serving those most in need.
• Work collaboratively with community partners to address public health priorities. Focus on health education, health promotion and disease prevention.
• A Learning culture.
• Work life balance.
• Great health benefits.
• Supportive team environment.

Then look no further. Come join the Fairfax County Health Department team and use your skills and abilities to “protect, promote and improve the health and quality of life for all who live, work and play in our community.”

The School Health Program is accepting applications to fill full-time merit positions that are scheduled to work 12 months per year in our Springfield, Herndon, Annandale, Fairfax and Mount Vernon locations. Work schedule will be based on the service needs of the Health Department and Fairfax County Public School Standard School Year Calendar. The School Public Health Nurse works in the school health program assigned to school sites. 

The Fairfax County Health Department is a progressive public health leader serving 1.2 million residents from diverse ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds. With more than 100 years of leadership in the field, we are committed to promoting population health, protecting public health and the environment, and ensuring residents' equitable access to health services and information.

Provides a variety of community services using a multi-disciplinary approach serving diverse populations in the school community. Services and interventions include outreach which include home/school visits, community assessment, health promotion, education, case finding, care coordination and disease prevention for students, families, and communities. Must have strong working knowledge of computers (Microsoft Office Suite and other software applications). Must participate in the training, supervision, and evaluation of unlicensed assistive personnel.

Note: For more information about Fairfax County Public Health Nurses, click here.

Position may be underfilled as a Public Health Nurse I; the underfill requirements are stated below in the Employment Standards section. 

* This position includes a signing bonus for fully qualified new county employees in the amount of $10,000.

Multiple positions may be filled form this announcement.

 

Illustrative Duties

Provides nursing services (e.g., pregnancy testing, maternity, and foreign travel immunization, sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, and ambulatory care) to individuals, families, groups, and/or targeted at-risk populations in the home, clinic, office, or community setting;
Complies with professional standards, policies, regulations, and procedures based on federal and state laws and regulations and county community health policies and procedures;
Plans for and participates in health screening and assessment activities such as
school/community immunization clinics and hepatitis B or PPD clinics;
Administers diagnostic and screening tests for communicable diseases, maternity, psychosocial, mental, and other health care needs;
Gathers health and social histories from clients using a standard protocol;
Performs total client assessment by aggregating, analyzing, and interpreting health assessment findings to determine health care needs;
Acts as case manager to establish appropriate care plan for individual clients and client groups;
Implements and adjusts client's health care plan accordingly and administers treatments and medication as directed;
Identifies high-risk groups and participates in developing appropriate health care plans;
Documents health care service utilization, client outcomes, and information regarding referrals and follow-up of suspected deficiencies (e.g., scoliosis, vision or hearing defects);
Aggregates and reports statistics across cases, according to established policies, protocols, and procedures;
Provides input into client education needs and learning objectives;
Develops teaching plans and contributes to the development and delivery of health education classes to community groups;
Responds to or seeks information on responses to complex questions from clients, the public, and other health care providers, including questions about community resources;
Plans, implements, and evaluates community or school educations programs (e.g., health promotion, safety, universal precautions, HIV/AIDS education);
Participates in county nursing groups, task forces, committees or subcommittees, and in inter-intra-departmental nursing committees and subcommittees;
Serves as a liaison between the county's health departments and other entities within and outside of the county (e.g., school system, agencies with other counties) to ensure effective delivery of public health services;
Provides screening of individuals in high-risk groups via community health fairs and/or senior site programs, and intervenes on behalf of individuals in need;
Participates on inter-/intra-agency case management teams, providing consultation and nursing services;
Interprets guidelines and assists the community and schools in the implementation of federal, state, and county regulations, including Part H, child abuse reporting, communicable disease control, and immunizations;
Supervises paraprofessionals, aides, students, volunteers, and outreach workers;
Participates in inter-/intra-departmental nursing committees and subcommittees;
Attends discipline-specific training and workshops;
Orients and coaches new employees;
Assists in training new employees by teaching documentation and demonstrating procedures according to established policies, protocols, procedures, and guidance. 

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of nursing and public health theories, principles, practices, methods, processes, and procedures required to provide public health nursing;
Knowledge of human growth and development, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology (e.g., side effects, contraindications), preventive medicine, epidemiology, and nutrition;
Knowledge of current practices in public health nursing service delivery;
Knowledge of available community resources for referral or the ability to rapidly acquire such knowledge;
Knowledge of documentation, nursing diagnosis, and quality assurance;
Knowledge of professional standards of nursing practice;
Knowledge of applicable federal, state, and county laws and regulations;
Knowledge of county Health Department policies and procedures;
Ability to perform technical and complex nursing procedures (e.g., injections, venipuncture, blood pressure screening, STD check, tube feeding, nebulization), administering treatments and medications, and using medical equipment in delivering services to clients;
Ability to perform emergency treatment(s), with limited supervision, for life threatening conditions;
Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with others, including those from varied backgrounds and different situations, in individual and team-based settings;
Ability to handle contentious interactions, especially with those who may appear difficult, hostile, or distressed;
Ability to identify problems and make sound, well-informed, and objective decisions or judgments relating to client health care;
Ability to assess the quality, appropriateness, implications, and impact of decisions or judgments made by others and identify courses of corrective action, where appropriate;
Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with individual or small and large group interactions;
Ability to provide health training to clients and families with complex, multiple health needs, using knowledge of adult learning concepts;
Ability to accurately maintain client medical records and information (e.g., filing, retrieval, recording, and archiving) and to protect the privacy of clients served;
Ability to use technology to document, file, retrieve, make adjustments to medical records or information, and communicate or share public health information in the appropriate format;
Ability to assign paraprofessionals, volunteers and students according to ability level and set work priorities according to clinic and/or caseload demands. 

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduation from a college or university accredited by the National League for Nursing or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education with a bachelor's degree in nursing; plus, one-year post-licensure nursing experience.

UNDERFILL REQUIREMENTS: 
This position may be underfilled as a Public Health Nurse I (Grade S23, $62,932.27- $104,886.91.) The Minimum Qualifications for the Public Health Nurse I are: graduation from a program accredited by the National League for Nursing or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education with a Bachelor's Degree in nursing as determined by the Virginia State Board of Nursing; Possession of current license or a multistate licensure privilege to practice as a Registered Nurse in the Commonwealth of Virginia – a contingency employment offer may be extended for candidates eligible to take the Registered Nurse examination.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:

• Possession of current license or a multistate licensure privilege to practice as a Registered Nurse in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• Valid motor vehicle driver's license.
• AED - Required within 60 days; and
• CPR -Required within 60 days.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience providing health services to school aged children in ethnically diverse populations.
• Experience conducting epidemiological investigations of communicable disease cases and outbreaks.
• Must have a high level of integrity and discretion in handling confidential information and professionalism in dealing with students, parents and colleagues.
• Demonstrates excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal abilities to communicate effectively and clearly with a diverse population.
• Ability to establish and maintain collaborative connections with internal and external partners.
• Work independently and on interdisciplinary teams.
• Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office Suite and other software applications.
• At least one year of direct supervisory experience of paraprofessional staff or has demonstrated work experience monitoring and directing the work of others.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check, a sanction screening, a check of the Child Protective Services Registry, and a driving record check to the satisfaction of the employer. Tuberculosis test required.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Employee is required to walk, stand, sit, bend, kneel, reach, climb stairs and carry equipment or young children up to 25 pounds in weight. Uses hands to grasp, handle or feel. Visual acuity is required to read data on a computer monitor. Ability to operate keyboard driven equipment. Ability to drive a vehicle. Position frequently communicates and must be able to exchange accurate information with others verbally and in writing. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview; may include a practical exercise.

Note:  This job announcement is listed with a closing date of June 7, 2024, and interested applicants are advised to submit their applications as soon as possible. Interviews will be conducted on a regular basis throughout the recruitment with candidates whose qualifications best fit our needs. If your application is received later in the recruitment process, it may not be reviewed or considered. The application process may close prior to the currently advertised closing date when the position has been filled.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 38.7% of residents speak a language other than English at home (Spani­­sh, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and others) and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to this opportunity.
 
Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.  
 
Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact 703-324-4900 for assistance. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov EEO/AA/TTY.