What are the responsibilities and job description for the Community Health Nurse position at Butler County?
Position Summary: Under the supervision of the Administrator, the Community Health Nurse performs general nursing duties relating to public health in Butler County. The employee in this position performs physical assessments, administers screening procedures, makes referrals to physicians and screens individuals for proper health care placement. The Community Health Nurse administers immunizations and prescriptions as ordered by physicians. Work is performed with professional independence and in accordance with established department policies, protocols and procedures.
Examples of Work (Essential Functions):
- Administers immunizations, prescriptions, testing and screening, as ordered by physicians;
- Assists with multiphasic programs including vision and hearing screenings;
- Performs physical assessments, administers screening procedures, makes referrals to physicians and screens individuals for proper health care placement;
- Counsels patients and families in meeting nursing and related health needs;
- Provides family planning services and physical assessments;
- Provides vision and hearing screenings for schools;
- Demonstrates and implements nursing procedures in clinic;
- Evaluates patient’s nursing needs and initiates nursing/treatment plans;
- Gives instruction concerning nursing care;
- Maintains clinic records and provides follow-up;
- Makes home visits and performs skilled nursing procedures when necessary;
- Participates in service programs, supervises and teaches other personnel or nursing students;
- Performs physical examinations on patients;
- Performs screening tests for TB, anemia, urinalysis and blood pressure;
- Provides guidance incommunicable disease areas; Investigates communicable disease outbreaks, reports with the state, confers and coordinates with director for public communication;
- Provides nursing supervision and care for grant programs;
- Takes health histories and performs physical assessments for children on Medicaid and Head Start and other individuals;
- Investigates animal bites, potential for rabies; reports with the state, confers and coordinators with the director for public communication;
- Investigates food borne illnesses, reports with the state, confers and coordinates with other agencies, provides the director with public communication;
- Performs other duties as deemed necessary or as required.
Examples of Work (Marginal Functions):
None.
Certificate, License: Valid driver's license. Registered Professional Nurse License, Kansas. CPR Certified. First Aid Trained.
Required Education and/or Experience: Four years related experience, High School Diploma or G.E.D.; or a Bachelor’s degree from a college or university; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Employee is expected to have acquired the necessary information and skills to perform the job reasonably well after six months in the position. Nursing experience.
Preferred Education and/or Experience: Five years related experience, High School Diploma or G.E.D.; or a Bachelor’s degree from a college or university and one year of experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Public health nurse experience.
Abilities, Knowledge, Skills:
- Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations;
- Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public;
- Ability to express or exchange ideas by means of communication; conveying and receiving detailed or important instructions and information to and from other workers and the general public;
- Ability to give injections, take blood pressure, and perform various blood and urine tests;
- Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form;
- Ability to make fine discriminations in sound;
- Ability to operate a hemoglobin analyzer, stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, audiometer and other related medical equipment as required by the job;
- Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations;
- Ability to reliably and predictably carry out duties;
- Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists;
- Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference;
- Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals;
- Knowledge of public health related issues;
- Skill in interpersonal, oral and written communication;
Problem Solving: Extensive problem solving is a factor in this position. Problems include referring patients to proper agencies or resources and treating patients with multiple health problems.
Decision Making: Extensive decision making is a factor in this position. Decisions include determining when to refer patients to a physician or ancillary services. Many decisions are made independently.
Accountability: Employee is not responsible for budgetary control of the department and does not participated in the annual budget process.
Supervision: Supervision is provided and job related decisions may be reviewed by the Administrator. Employee may have supervisory responsibility over subordinate personnel. Is responsible for the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of a department or function. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include supervising direct reports through coaching, interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.
Personal Relationships: Frequent contact with other county departments and health care agencies and continual contact with the general public.
Working Conditions: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this position.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this position, the employee is exposed less than one third of the time to conditions such outside weather conditions, blood borne pathogens, bodily fluids, infection disease, sick and ill patients who may be very upset. The noise level in the work environment is usually loud.
Physical Requirements: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, grasp, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Lifting, moving, pushing or pulling up to 10 pounds does not generally occur. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, distance vision and ability to adjust focus.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all essential functions, marginal functions, responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified in this position.
