Child Care Nurse Consultant RN

Mid-Iowa Community Action, Inc.            Job Description

TITLE:  Child Care Nurse Consultant (CCNC) – RN

(May be assigned local crisis manager tasks)      

Reports to:  Maternal Child Adolescent Health Coordinator

Job Summary

Contribute to the mission and vision of MICA by creating a positive, respectful, and safe environment when working with children, families and agency and community partners.  Must be able to present MICA in a positive manner and maintain positive interaction with families and staff.  Work and promote a team environment.

This position works with the Healthy Child Care Iowa program and is responsible for providing on-site consultation, training, and technical assistance to early childhood care and education providers to enhance the quality of out of home child care.  Work with existing care organizations, and extensively through Child Care Resource and Referral to provide educational opportunities to increase caretaker’s knowledge of best health and safety practices.  This position may perform regular duties at alternative worksites with approval of the Program Director.   When necessary the person in this position may occasionally be called upon to provide services to families in MCAH/WIC clinics.  Must know HIPAA regulations and follow all HIPAA procedures.  Provide services to providers in their homes when necessary.    

Essential Job Functions

Build and maintain positive relationships with children, families, program staff, and agency and community partners as needed to provide excellent services. General philosophical agreement with the agency mission, commit to the concept of diversity and inherent worth of every individual. Supervisor will provide guidance about specific tasks required of this position for completion on daily, monthly or quarterly cycles.

Provide services as a Child Care Nurse Consultant in assigned counties.

• Complete in-service requirements for child care providers
• Coordinate activities with other Public Health and HCCI professionals
• Network with schools, all child care programs, public health agencies, and other human service agencies who are responsible for health and safety issues
• Investigate health needs within the service area
• Inform staff of new information concerning health and safety issues
• Active in safety inspections for providers and schools
• Available by phone and email for questions from child care providers and parents
• Provide outreach to ECE providers throughout the service area
• Assess the health and safety needs of ECE programs
• Integrate health and safety into ECE programs
• Follow CCNC Role Guidance for onsite visits, consultation and technical assistance on best practice quality health and safety standards
• Assist and coordinate care planning for children with special health care needs to help ensure access to early care

Documentation and Reporting

• Monitor and document progress in health and safety initiatives in service area
• Maintain records and complete reporting for all work assignments
• Complete year end reports
• Complete all reports necessary for CCR&R regulations, and as required by funders
• Update contract with local ECI funding organizations and MOU with local CCR&R on a yearly basis
• Create and maintain accurate documentation and follow-up of all referrals made
• Complete follow up, data entry and paperwork needed to provide complete care coordination services to families accessing medical and dental care

Develops skills and knowledge related to the position

• Responsible for learning and understanding agency policies, regulations and guidelines as they apply to the performance of the job
• Assume responsibility for maintaining Public Health knowledge, skills, and professional development
• Knowledge of child care practices, rules and regulations
• Continue professional growth through seminars, in-service trainings and a variety of training mediums
• Attend state-sponsored and other meetings as required

• Able to acquire knowledge of specialized procedures and subject matter encountered in specific assignments

• Must obtain and maintain First Aid and CPR certifications
• Must obtain and maintain Mandatory Child Abuse Reporter Training

Local Crisis Manager duties, if assigned

The person in this position is designated as the Local Crisis Manager per MICA’s Emergency Procedures. Responsible for the following:

• Have knowledge of the location of building utilities shutoffs.
• Coordinate and document required tornado and fire drills.
• Post emergency evacuation plans, location of the storm shelter areas
  • Document that staff are aware of these postings.
• Train all staff in emergency drills, understanding and use of emergency equipment, and procedures per the MICA Emergency Procedures booklet.
• For drills, make sure that all employees and site visitors evacuate the building, go to the designated outside meeting area and confirm that everyone is accounted for.
  • In emergency situations, do roll call to ascertain whereabouts of all employees and site visitors.
• In facilities that include E/HS Classrooms, coordinate drills with the designated E/HS staff person.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Able to read, write and speak the English language
• Knowledge of the dynamics and issues associated with poverty
• Able to represent and advocate for the persons served by MICA
• Must be able to maintain strict confidentiality
• Knowledge of theory, techniques, and practices of professional and public health nursing
• Knowledge of treatments and medical procedures
• Knowledge of counseling and teaching techniques
• Knowledge of HIPAA regulations and practices
• Knowledge of Medicaid rules
• High level of initiative, effort and commitment
• Strong attention to detail
• Strong commitment to achieve results
• Strong communication skills, including listening skills
• Strong ability to think and reason independently, and to make critical judgments within agency and program guidelines
• Utilize problem solving skills in all situations, identifying a range of reasonable options and alternatives
• Know how to use data to inform decisions to create best practice
• Able to make independent decisions
• Intermediate computer skills and effective use and able to learn a variety of computing software, electronic devices, databases

Working Conditions (Essential physical, mental and emotional demands)

The demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• This is fulltime non-exempt position typically a 40-hour week Monday through Friday with occasional weekends and evenings. Must be able to work assigned schedule. No holidays or overnights.  Overtime is rare and must be approved in advance
• This position requires mental and emotional work. Strong ability to think and reason independently, maintain objectivity and to exercise sound judgment
• Must be able to identify and visually monitor participants in their daily environments in order to assess development and assure safety
• The physical environment requires the employee to work indoors, in an office space that may or may not be shared. Must be able to function well in a variety of physical environments as this position must provide staff training and assistance at a variety of community offices/locations and family homes
• Must have and maintain reliable transportation, a valid driver’s license and proof of automobile insurance
  • May occasionally need to provide services to participants in their own homes
  • Required to use personal vehicle for home visits, provider visits or to attend or facilitate meetings
• Must be able to move about indoors and outdoors in order to evaluate safety of child care environments and equipment
• The person in this position must be able to crawl, bend, stoop and reach and have good general mobility in order to perform job duties
• The person in this position frequently communicates with community members, participants and colleagues, both one-on-one and in larger groups, regarding agency programs. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations
• The person in this position frequently moves boxes of educational materials, computers and other clinic equipment weighing up to 40 pounds
• Frequent operation of a computer or other electronic mobile device for purposes of documentation and communication

Education and Experience

Required

• Completion of RN program from accredited school
• Possession of a valid Iowa License as a Registered Nurse
• 2 years of experience as an RN in community health, public health, pediatric practice or other pediatric health setting

Candidates offered the position must meet the following criteria:

• Successful completion of all background checks at hire and thereafter according to agency and program standards
• Staff who work in centers that serve infants will be required to have a Tdap immunization per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations
• Provide the agency with a TB assessment at time of hire and every year thereafter
• It will be a priority for staff persons working as Child Care Nurse Consultants to complete Iowa Training Project for Child Care Nurse Consultants (ITPCCNC) upon hire

Other Duties
Please note, this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.  Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Additional information

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER