Clinic Nurse (RN or LPN) FT

Seward Community Health Center is seeking a FT/year-round Clinic Nurse (RN or LPN) at our small community health center located in beautiful Seward, Alaska. 

The salary range for this position starts at $30-$50/hour depending on licensure and experience. This position also offers a $5K bonus (see HR for details.)

Seward, Alaska is a majestic, quaint town located 120 miles south of Anchorage and is surrounded by beautiful snow-capped mountains in the center of Kenai Fjords National Park. Seward offers year-round opportunities for outdoor activities including skiing, kayaking, fishing, hiking, biking, boating, wildlife viewing, and so much more. Seward Community Health Center (SCHC), a federally qualified health center, is the leading provider of healthcare services in the Eastern Kenai Peninsula. We welcome anyone in need of quality, affordable healthcare by providing integrated, patient-centered primary care for the entire family. SCHC staff are passionate and dedicated to help increase access to services for our community members. 

Enjoy a positive, supportive, fun, and rewarding work culture! 

• Competitive Salary: $30-50/hour
• No on-call hours required!
• Schedule - Tuesday - Saturday (5 8-hour shifts)
• Learn more about life in Seward, Alaska at www.sewardhealthcenter.org/careers 

Job Purpose

Under the direction of the Nurse Manager, Clinic Nurses provide support to clinical staff and providers by assisting with call-backs, prescription refills, referrals, patient education, prior authorizations, prioritize need for appointment based on patient signs/symptoms and ensure appropriate appointment scheduling. Works closely with the provider teams as a key member in managing care coordination, case management, & UDS measure monitoring. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Triage patient phone calls, requests and messages using the designated communication systems.  Prioritize for specific action needed for provider intervention or contact, medication refills, provide for available appointment slots, etc. 
• Handle and refer emergencies appropriately, including crisis intervention and triage.
• Facilitate provider efficiency and quality of care.
• Serve as first point of contact for questions from front desk personnel.
• Process medication refill requests.
• Assist with medication and immunization administration in clinic.
• Oversee patient flow, monitor waiting room, exam room availability, provider schedule and information and patient flow between the front office staff and clinical support staff.  Ensure smooth flow of patient visits with minimum waiting time and high levels of patient satisfaction. Review provider schedules for appropriate scheduling times.
• Complete nurse visits. Assist in direct nursing care and education of patients as needed. Assist with procedures and medical assessment of patients as appropriate in conjunction with providers.  Assist in escorting patients back to exam rooms if there is a backlog of patients waiting.
• In absence of adequate staff, assistance with Medical Assistant (MA) duties may be required. Maintain positive working relationship with all staff in all departments.
• Support collaborative relationships with patients, providers, care coordination staff, administrative staff, and front desk staff.
• Provide patient follow-up as indicated by providers. 
• Coordinate available resources for all patients and assure that a system of appropriate patient referrals and timely follow up is maintained. Ensure needed labs and paperwork have been received before scheduled appointment.
• Obtains prior authorizations for services, such as lab, medication, radiology, and specialty service referrals.
• Coordinate and oversee special patient appointments such as consultations, diagnostic testing and referrals, laboratory & other miscellaneous testing in conjunction with the MAs. Maintain communication with providers regarding matters of patient care.
• Provides staff support as directed by the Clinic Manager to the Quality Assurance (QA) and risk management program.
• Coordinates with providers and nursing team for Chronic Care Case Management patients.
• Help patients learn about their health and provide resources to manage their conditions. Help patients gain access to medical, social, and educational services. 
• Participates in staff and community education opportunities. 
• Provide patients with credible, easy-to-understand health information. 
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Alaska RN or LPN license required or ability to obtain licensure at hire. 
• At least two years of primary care/FQHC work experience preferred. 
• Skills & Performance Goals/Expectations:
  • Excellent Communicator and Team Player: Ability to interact positively (both verbally and in writing) and personably with patients, family members and SCHC staff members.
  • Customer Service & Patient Outcome-focused & Professional: Must have excellent customer service, interpersonal and organizational skills and possess a positive attitude and demeanor both in person and over the phone with all patients, staff, and visitors. Must be able to remain calm, confident, compassionate, non-judgmental and problem-solve effectively when dealing with difficult interactions. Willingness to work with a wide range of patients of varied socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds as well as alternative lifestyles. Ability to skillfully lead, empower, and build on patients’ strengths to navigate patient self-management and healthy behavior changes. Focused on always staying professional and dedicated to providing excellent care while adhering to strict confidentiality standards in accordance with HIPAA laws and agency policy. 
  • Computer and Tech Savvy: Possesses computer skills with accuracy and proficiency in data entry, Microsoft Suite, EHR systems, and keyboarding skills. Ability to troubleshoot and work independently with a computer, especially SCHC’s EHR Epic. 
  • Flexible, Cooperative and Motivated: Confidently able to handle multiple tasks while remaining flexible enough to switch directions as needed and ensuring completion with minimal supervision. Must demonstrate strong time management skills and be able to consistently follow oral and written instructions. Complete difficult/complex tasks. 
  • Attention-to-Detail: Must have exceptional attention to detail and a strong sense of prioritization. Willingness to follow direction and accept feedback in learning/improving on required nursing skills such as conducting nurse visits, assisting with procedures, collaborating with providers in medically assessing patients, patient education, coordinating labs, medication and immunization administration, processing medication refills, handling emergencies/crisis situations and triage, and patient follow-ups. 

SCHC is an equal opportunity employer.