Physician Extender II - Family Nurse Practitioner

Physician Extender II – Family Nurse Practitioner

The Job

Carteret County Government is seeking a Physician Extender II – Family Nurse Practitioner to join the Health Department’s team. Do you have a Family Nurse Practitioner certificate and licensed to practice in North Carolina? If you enjoy serving your community, the Physician Extender II – Family Nurse Practitioner role may be your next career move!

The Location

Office location is Morehead City, NC.

The Details

Hiring range $108,512.30 - $119,363.53

Posting expires 3/13/2025

Full-time with benefits including paid medical, dental, vision and life insurance; retirement and 401(k) plans; and, paid sick, vacation and holiday leave.

Apply online at https://carteretcountync.gov & click on the Employment link.

The Job Description

General Statement of Duties

Delivers direct clinical services in the public health department for individuals needing evaluation of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD), in delivery of Family Planning services, Maternal Health services, Adult Health services and for chronic disease care in adults as well as acute illnesses in an outpatient setting. Provides clinical oversight and consultation to Public Health Nurses and other staff as well as promotes community health education and works with outside community health partners.

Distinguishing Features of the Class

An employee in this class makes diagnoses and prescribes treatment in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Medical Board of North Carolina and the NC Nursing Board. The Physician Extender provides education, physical exams, counseling, screening, treatments, referrals and follow-up to Women’s Health clinics, STD clinics, BCCCP clinic, and Adult Health clinics. Duties include, but are not limited to, prescribing medications and birth control methods, performing treatments, interpreting and/or ordering diagnostic tests for these patients.

Work is performed under the direct supervision of the Medical Consultant and the Nursing Director. The employee will be under the administrative supervision of the Nursing Director. When performing nurse practitioner duties, the backup physician will monitor the performance of medical acts in accordance with the rules and regulations developed by a joint subcommittee of the Board of Medical Examiners and the Board of Nursing.

Duties and Responsibilities

Essential Duties and Tasks

Women’s Health - Family Planning

• Performs physical examinations, including breast and pelvic exams, performing PAPs, and age dependent screenings.
• Prescribes and provides necessary contraception.
• Orders necessary referrals and/or follow-up to be performed by nursing staff.
• Provides back-up/consultation for PHN.
• Diagnoses and treats minor illnesses.
• Initiates appropriate patient education and intra-agency referrals.
• Reviews abnormal laboratory data and implements appropriate intervention.
• Serves as a preceptor for nurses completing training for advanced practice.
• Dispenses birth control per the BOP.
• Performs insertions of Long-Term Reversible Contraception devices, once proper training and sign-off has been completed by the Medical Director. This includes both intrauterine devices and hormonal implantation devices.

Maternal Health

• Performs complete initial physical exams and interval assessments per protocol or as indicated.
• Orders appropriate laboratory tests/procedures, interprets data, prescribes treatments/medications and monitors patients and treatment plans throughout gestation.
• Assesses, triages and treats minor illnesses according to protocol, including prescribing of approved medications and dispensing as indicated.
• Consults with and/or refers to physician regarding complicated illnesses or high-risk prenatal conditions.

• Provides appropriate patient education, much of which may be relayed through an interpreter with whom employee works closely. Counsels patients in the clinic setting or by phone.
• Works closely with PHNs providing Maternal Health services.
• Initiates intra-agency and extra-agency referrals.

Communicable Disease Clinical Duties/STD/TB

• Performs appropriate physical exams, orders lab tests and assesses abnormal data. Treats according to state guidelines.
• Provides Hepatitis C treatment and consultations.
• Consults with supervising physician when necessary.
• Dispenses medications when appropriate, according to CDC and state guidelines.

Adult Health

• Performs physical exams, diagnoses, examines and treats chronic and acute illnesses, utilizing exams, vital signs, laboratory work, X-rays, EKGs and referrals.
• Performs well person exams and screenings per adult age group.
• Prescribes medications and requests patients to return for follow up appointments.
• Recommends treatment per protocol.
• Consults with supervising physician and refers when appropriate.

Other Clinical Services

• Serves as resource person to clinical staff and nurses.
• Serves as resource person to nursing for follow-up of abnormal nursing assessments.
• Any other duty as necessary, including assisting with any public health emergency including but not limited to natural disasters, man-made disasters, influenza pandemics (e.g. H1N1) or other outbreaks of communicable diseases, disaster surveillance and response, to ensure the efficiency of the Health Department. Employee will be called to serve during shelter operations at the direction of the Nursing Director.

Recruitment and Selection Guidelines

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Thorough knowledge of:
  • Techniques of interviewing, medical and relevant history taking, principles and practices of general medicine and disease states as it relates to the area of work.

  • Health appraisal tools, laboratory tests and findings, materials, and therapeutic procedures as they relate to the area of work.
• Ability to plan a regime of care based on assessment and findings, thorough knowledge of available resources and appropriate referral methods.
• Ability to perform clinical functions.
• Ability to supervise and coordinate other nursing and medical staff.
• Ability to evaluate the quality of services delivered.
• Ability to institute methods of improving or maintaining established standards of nursing and medical care
• Ability to arrange referrals as indicated.
• Ability to:

Physical Requirements

• This work requires the regular exertion of up to 10 pounds of force, frequent exertion of up to 25 pounds of force and occasional exertion of up to 50 pounds of force.
• Work regularly requires sitting and using hands to finger, handle or feel, frequently requires walking, speaking or hearing, reaching with hands and arms and repetitive motions and occasionally requires standing, climbing or balancing and stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling.
• Work requires close vision, distance vision, depth perception, color perception, and peripheral vision.
• Vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word and conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly or quickly.
• Hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound.
• Work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, operating machines and observing general surroundings and activities.
• Work requires occasional exposure to blood borne pathogens and may require specialized personal protective equipment to be worn and exposure to outdoor weather conditions.
• Work is generally in a moderately noisy location

Desirable Experience

Master’s Degree in a nursing specialty with a Family Nurse Practitioner certificate. Must have a current license as a Nurse Practitioner; successful completion of a formal program for education and preparation of Nurse Practitioners; and, moderate experience; or equivalent education and experience.

Special Requirements

Licensure per state requirements: a nurse license with a Nurse Practitioner licensure issued based on education and experience by the N.C. Subcommittee of the Board of Nursing and the NC Medical Board.

Obtain CPR certification upon hire.

NOTE - Effective 2001, all Nurse Practitioners must have passed national certification by either ANCC or AANP.

Carteret County 2024

Pay Grade: 81

FLSA: Non-Exempt