Public Health Nurse

PLEASE NOTE - This position may require temporarily relocation to other TONHC Facilities: Sells Hospital, Santa Rosa Health Center, San Simon Health Center, and San Xavier Health Center.

Position Summary:

The Public Health Nurse (PHN) serves as a community health advisor and provides comprehensive nursing services to schools, individuals, and families on the Tohono O'odham Nation.

Scope of Work: This position is located within the Tohono O'odham Nation Health Care Sells Hospital, San Xavier Health Center, Santa Rosa Health Center, and San Simon Health Center. The incumbent works under the supervision of the Director of Public Health Nursing, who defines and establishes overall program objectives and operations according to Standards of Care for Public Health Nursing (PHN) Programs. According to the PHN priority policies for home visits, each PHN independently plans and schedules comprehensive nursing services for their geographic areas and determines the nature of assessment, counseling, teaching, and treatment to be provided.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:(Depending on the area of assignment, an incumbent may not be required to perform some of the duties listed below):

• Evaluate, promote, and maintain the health of at-risk individuals, families, and the community through teaching disease prevention activities, counseling, advocacy, referral, coordination of care, and appropriate health assessments and interventions.
• Assists with the coordination of the immunization program to include the tracking and follow-up.
• Manages and participates in public health screening clinics, including interviewing and counseling clients, performing clinical tasks, administering prescribed treatment, documentation of care, and making the necessary referral.
• Participate in emergency/bioterrorism preparedness and planning activities and respond and assist during emergencies, such as flooding, fires, microbursts, etc.
• Utilizes the public health nursing process of assessment, diagnosis, planning, intervention, and evaluation when: assessing the patient's condition and needs: setting outcomes; implementing appropriate nursing actions to meet the patient/family physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and safety needs; and evaluating the patient's progress. Refer the patient to the appropriate resources; organizes patient caseload in the assigned geographic area.
• Application of care treatment and intervention according to principles of population based health care and standing public health orders.
• Identifies and reports child abuse or dependent adult abuse and incidents of domestic violence.
• Provides maternal and child health services; makes home visits as necessary.
• Monitor prenatal patients and provide prenatal education, and participates in sonogram clinics. Plans and exchanges information with other health care entities for effective patient care; cooperates with other agencies in planning for patient care.
• Utilizes the RPMS systems as appropriate for position requirements and enters information into RPMS patient care packages as necessary.
• Coordinates response to outbreaks of reportable/infectious disease on the Tohono O'odham Nation. Work closely with state and tribal health departments in testing and contact investigation. Respond to communities for direct care and education. Utilize MEDSIS for investigation and surveillance of communicable diseases.
• Assists the physician in control and treatment and consults with various agencies (i.e. health department) on communicable disease issues.
• Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) general: Coordinates care provision, case and contact investigation efforts, organize education efforts, and acts as liaison with State and Federal entities dealing with STD issues.
• Tuberculosis (TB) General: coordinates and implements the treatment plan for active cases and preventative therapy on TB infected individuals and; Conducts TB testing and surveillance; Plans and coordinates community investigations.
• Responds to public health emergencies as required.
• Promote, teach and demonstrate nursing care to patients, families, and community groups. Provide instruction and information regarding specific diseases or health conditions and health maintenance.
• Provide public health consultation services, including health education, to tribal programs, Head Start, schools, other settings in the community and TONHC employees, and outside agencies. Participate with local community groups in the development and planning of health services.
• Serve on various community task forces relating to the position.
• Participates in orientating new employees and mentoring nurses to public health nursing.
• Assists in planning and conducting continuing education. Maintain compliance with all mandatory training requirements.
• Lead and guides non-professional staff, i.e. Health Technician/Disease Investigator.
• Participates in performance improvement teams and other committees as assigned. Continually monitors the work processes for quality and quantity and makes recommendations for necessary corrective action.
• Maintains professional knowledge and proficiency in nursing and public health nursing through continuing education, staff meetings, workshops, and serving on nursing committees.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of the Tohono O'odham traditions, language, history, geography, and culture.
• Knowledge of applicable federal, state, tribal laws, regulations, and requirements.
• Knowledge of health-related issues, medical terminology, and health and child care education.
• Knowledge of comprehensive health programs and the full range of professional public health nursing principles, practices, and procedures to formulate plans and provide services in clinics, homes, schools, and community environments.
• Knowledge of current research methods including statistical compilation and interpretation to participate in epidemiological surveys, field investigations and research studies related to planning, assessing and evaluating the community health programs.
• Knowledge and ability to apply methods and techniques of adult education to stimulate behavioral changes related to good health practices.
• Awareness of the customs of the Native American tribes within the area and the ability to appreciate cultural differences and their effect on health care delivery.
• Possesses knowledge and ability to make physical and psychological assessments of individuals, families, and communities and recognize the range of patient conditions from normal to abnormal abnormalities.
• Knowledge of the biological aspects of the disease process and illness to recognize complications and therapeutic interventions required.
• Knowledge of pharmaceuticals to recognize desired effects, side effects, and complications of their use.
• Knowledge and ability to advise and counsel healthy individuals in preventative care and to provide guidance in nutrition, common illnesses, child growth and development patterns, .