What are the responsibilities and job description for the Public Health Nurse II position at City of Alexandria?
An Overview
Under the direction of the lead Nurse Practitioner the PHN II, located at the Teen Wellness Centers (TWC) at Alexandria City High School (ACHS), the PHN II will concentrate on the intersection of students’ physical and mental health, act as a liaison to Department of Community Health Services (DCHS) and Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) mental health practitioners to reach eligible youth from diverse backgrounds/cultures. The PHN II will follow up with students on recommendations made by TWC staff and by DCHS or ACPS mental health practitioners, assist in assessing youth for risk factors indicating they need further mental or physical health services, be able to form relationships with students and better connect them with TWC services. The PHN II will triage patients, obtain health histories, provide direct nursing care including the administration of immunizations and prescribed medications, provide health education, laboratory testing, case management, formulate care plans and utilize independent assessment skills and analysis of physical, psycho-social, environmental and economic data to identify the impact each has on the health and health behaviors of Alexandria’s teens and families. The PHN II will serve as vaccine coordinator, ensure ongoing quality assurance practices and work in compliance with clinical standards as it relates to the TWCs. The PHN II will serve as a member of the Alexandria Health Department’s public health emergency response team and communicable disease control program as needed. Additionally, will assist with data collection and report writing as it relates to the TWC clinical activities and statistics.
The Opportunity – Examples of Work
- Acts as a liaison to the Alexandria City community and its agencies as well as to ACPS staff;
- Conducts a comprehensive health history and clinical assessment of adolescents in a clinical setting identifying physical and psychosocial needs, communicates the assessment to the clinician and documents assessment in the medical record;
- Has the ability to triage the adolescent to the appropriate clinician, social worker, mental health professional or community agency;
- Provides patient education dependent upon the teen’s needs. Follows TWC clinician’s orders using appropriate nursing skills and documents in the clinical record in accordance with established TWC requirements;
- Maintains inventory and orders supplies. Maintains all clinical laboratory logs and runs controls per TWC policy. Reports out of range or non-working equipment to lead Nurse Practitioner;
- Maintains emergency cart, equipment and supplies and follows protocol documenting testing;
- Provides immunizations appropriate to the adolescent, maintains the immunization inventory and follows CDC guidelines for storage of vaccines. Maintains all vaccine and temperature logs daily and reports deviations to the AHD Immunization coordinator;
- Provides health education, consultation and teaching on an individual or group level;
- Assists the TWC Health Educator in outreach activities in the community to promote access to TWC services;
- Assists with clinical data collection, reviews and implements new policies and procedures,
- Monitors clinic flow and reports data/information to the lead Nurse Practitioner in written form;
- Participates on assigned AHD activities such as committees, communicable disease prevention and emergency planning;
- Prepares a variety of required/requested reports using Microsoft Excel, Word, Publisher and other web-based systems;
- Performs other related work as assigned/required.
About the Department
Alexandria Health Department (AHD) is one of 35 health districts in Virginia. As part of the Virginia Department of Health, AHD serves the residents, businesses, and visitors of Alexandria and works closely with the City of Alexandria and community partners to achieve its mission and vision. Alexandria, comprised of 15.75 square miles and a population of approximately 158,000, is the most densely populated city in Virginia and is rich in diversity and community engagement. AHD’s mission is “Protecting and Promoting Health and Well-Being in Our Communities” and our vision is “Healthy People, Healthier Communities.” We view “health” in the broadest sense and this drives our path towards continuous health improvement with a focus on equity of the social determinants of health. The Teen Wellness Centers (TWCs) are unique clinics located inside Alexandria City High School’s King St and Minnie Howard campuses in Alexandria, Virginia. The clinics are supported by the City of Alexandria and are for the youth of Alexandria between the ages of 12 and 19. The clinics are managed by AHD and the role public health plays in the clinic centers around empowering teens to lead healthful lives and to ensure that each and every Alexandrian teen succeeds physically, emotionally, socially and academically.
This position requires the successful completion of pre-employment background checks including but not limited to driving record check, employment verification, education verification, national sex offender search, fingerprint-based federal and local criminal history search, and DHHS Inspector General Exclusion Report search.
The City of Alexandria is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity in its workforce. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, military status, or disability.
Salary : $66,511 - $87,091