What are the responsibilities and job description for the Public Health Nurse II - Communicable Disease Coordinator position at Chatham, County of (NC)?
Are you passionate about public health and disease prevention? Do you have excellent communication and organization skills? Are you hard working and enthusiastic? Join our dedicated team of healthcare professionals as a Public Health Nurse – Communicable Disease Coordinator and play a critical role in safeguarding the health of our community. If you are looking to make a tangible difference in public health, we encourage you to apply!
The primary purpose of this position is to oversee the Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s) and Tuberculosis (TB) Control programs for the Chatham County Public Health Department. This position works in collaboration with other Communicable Disease staff for reporting, investigating and follow-up of all other reportable diseases as defined by the North Carolina Communicable Disease Branch.
All public health nurses are required to respond to major communicable disease events such as pandemics and in the event of a human-caused or natural disaster. This includes staffing emergency shelters.
Physical Requirements
This work requires the occasional exertion of up to 10 pounds of force; work regularly requires sitting, speaking, hearing and repetitive motions, frequently requires touching or feeling and occasionally requires standing, walking, climbing, balancing, reaching, pushing, pulling and lifting; work has standard vision requirements; work requires vocal communication to express or exchange ideas orally; work requires hearing to perceive information at normal spoken levels; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data; work has no exposure to environmental conditions; work is generally performed in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic).
Employee may be assigned to outside immunization clinics and make frequent home and outside office visits in the community. This position is a Category 1 under OSHA guidelines for exposure, meaning tasks may involve exposure to blood, body fluids, or tissue. Exposure to airborne communicable diseases is a potential hazard. Work conditions may be mildly disagreeable if working in poor home environments or with difficult clients. Employee may be exposed to bad weather conditions, hazardous driving conditions, night travel, and hazardous social environments.
Special Requirements
Must possess a North Carolina Registered Nursing License required by NC General Statute 90-158 and the Nursing Practice Act.
Must possess a valid North Carolina driver's license and valid CPR certification.
Individuals employed in a local Health Department without a B.S. Degree which includes a Public Health Nursing rotation or a Master’s in Public Health, will be required to complete the “North Carolina Credentialed Public Health Nurse (NCCPHN) course” within one year of employment as a condition of continued employment in accordance with the Health Services Commission Rule.
Health Nurse (NCCPHN) course” within one year of employment as a condition of continued employment in accordance with Health Services Commission Rule. Bloodborne pathogens training will be provided at the time of initial assignment. Employee is required to complete the following trainings within the first year of hire: Incident Command, Customer Service, Respiratory Protection, HIPAA, Policies and Procedures, Chatham County Public Health Department Orientation, Chatham County Orientation, and CPR. Required annual trainings include Cultural/Equity/Diversity, Blood borne Pathogens, Respiratory Protection, Chatham County Public Health Department HIPAA, Public Health Laws, Policies and Procedures, Mandatory Reporting Laws, and Customer Service Training. Employee participates in required programmatic trainings as assigned by Supervisor and an appropriate and approved continuing education and competency to maintain nursing license and CPR certification.
The primary purpose of this position is to oversee the Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s) and Tuberculosis (TB) Control programs for the Chatham County Public Health Department. This position works in collaboration with other Communicable Disease staff for reporting, investigating and follow-up of all other reportable diseases as defined by the North Carolina Communicable Disease Branch.
All public health nurses are required to respond to major communicable disease events such as pandemics and in the event of a human-caused or natural disaster. This includes staffing emergency shelters.
- Manages STI and TB programs per state guidelines and current Agreement Addendums;
- Conducts contact investigations, administers directly observed therapy, follows up on test results, makes referrals, and provides case management;
- Serves as subject matter expert for STI, HIV and TB;
- Monitors, completes, and submits communicable disease reports through the North Carolina Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NCEDSS);
- Provides backup for fellow Communicable Disease Nurse, which includes follow-up on human exposure to rabies, all other reportable diseases such food borne illnesses and Hepatitis B and C;
- Maintains a working knowledge of the clinical guidelines and requirements for Communicable Diseases, Tuberculosis, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Immunization Programs;
- Provides direct client care according to these guidelines in the clinical, community, or home settings;
- Clinical responsibilities in providing direct client care are outlined in each program and may include, but are not limited to: Taking client histories, performing nursing skills, i.e. taking vital signs, height, weight, BP, etc., assessments, counseling and education, administering and dispensing prescribed medications and preventive immunizations, assists other nursing personnel, mid-level providers and physician in developing plans of care;
- Performs venipuncture and collects specimens for lab processing, performs and interprets basic laboratory tests, appropriately trains in the lab and maintains lab proficiencies;
- Responsible for annual review and updates of policies, procedures and standing orders pertaining to Communicable Disease, STI’s, and Tuberculosis programs;
- Identifies training needs and assists with ongoing training for staff in communicable disease management;
- Shares new or updated Communicable Disease information with staff and community providers;
- Assists with the coordination of appropriate activities and information required for management of communicable diseases that endanger the health of the community in consultation with the Epidemiology Team, Health Director, Division Director, and PHN II Supervisor(s);Develops and maintains viable working relationships with other local health providers, agencies, institutions, and DHHS consultants who provide communicable disease services;
- Participates in continuing education and program required trainings and conferences;
- Attends staff meetings and in-services within the local health department;
- Shares 24/7 on call rotation with other communicable disease staff;
- Performs other duties as assigned.
- Knowledge and skill in the application of nursing theory, practice principles, and techniques employed in the field of public health nursing.
- Ability to communicate effectively with clients, families, staff, and other providers.
- Ability to exercise good judgment in stressful situations.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with county employees & officials, community agencies, and the general public.
Physical Requirements
This work requires the occasional exertion of up to 10 pounds of force; work regularly requires sitting, speaking, hearing and repetitive motions, frequently requires touching or feeling and occasionally requires standing, walking, climbing, balancing, reaching, pushing, pulling and lifting; work has standard vision requirements; work requires vocal communication to express or exchange ideas orally; work requires hearing to perceive information at normal spoken levels; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data; work has no exposure to environmental conditions; work is generally performed in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic).
Employee may be assigned to outside immunization clinics and make frequent home and outside office visits in the community. This position is a Category 1 under OSHA guidelines for exposure, meaning tasks may involve exposure to blood, body fluids, or tissue. Exposure to airborne communicable diseases is a potential hazard. Work conditions may be mildly disagreeable if working in poor home environments or with difficult clients. Employee may be exposed to bad weather conditions, hazardous driving conditions, night travel, and hazardous social environments.
Special Requirements
Must possess a North Carolina Registered Nursing License required by NC General Statute 90-158 and the Nursing Practice Act.
Must possess a valid North Carolina driver's license and valid CPR certification.
Individuals employed in a local Health Department without a B.S. Degree which includes a Public Health Nursing rotation or a Master’s in Public Health, will be required to complete the “North Carolina Credentialed Public Health Nurse (NCCPHN) course” within one year of employment as a condition of continued employment in accordance with the Health Services Commission Rule.
Health Nurse (NCCPHN) course” within one year of employment as a condition of continued employment in accordance with Health Services Commission Rule. Bloodborne pathogens training will be provided at the time of initial assignment. Employee is required to complete the following trainings within the first year of hire: Incident Command, Customer Service, Respiratory Protection, HIPAA, Policies and Procedures, Chatham County Public Health Department Orientation, Chatham County Orientation, and CPR. Required annual trainings include Cultural/Equity/Diversity, Blood borne Pathogens, Respiratory Protection, Chatham County Public Health Department HIPAA, Public Health Laws, Policies and Procedures, Mandatory Reporting Laws, and Customer Service Training. Employee participates in required programmatic trainings as assigned by Supervisor and an appropriate and approved continuing education and competency to maintain nursing license and CPR certification.
Salary : $63,283 - $80,684
