Public Health Nurse

POSITION :

Under general direction, promotes community health through detection, prevention, and control of disease; provides assessment, education, and counseling in the care and prevention of illness and injury and in wellness promotion;

performs related duties as required.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS : This class is characterized by the responsibility to work with individuals and / or families in an assigned geographic area within the County, categorical program, or clinic operated by the Health Care Services Department.

Duties involve the full scope of public health nursing activities. Clients often have limited knowledge of health principles, nutrition, disease process, appropriate care, or available resources.

Incumbents work in the community making home visits, performing field outreach, as well as conducting specialty clinics and health education activities.

This class is distinguished from the higher level of Public Health Nurse, Supervising, in that the latter is responsible for supervising the public health nursing services of an assigned program or clinic.

THE PROGRAMS :

Disease Control and Prevention (DCP) program works to prevent and control communicable disease outbreaks, promote health, and monitor the health status of our communities.

Preventing epidemics and controlling communicable disease is one of the core functions of public health. Disease Control staff respond to single cases, clusters and outbreaks of reportable communicable diseases in order to prevent spread within the community.

PHNs work with an interdisciplinary team to identify social determinants of health impacting health equity and strategize on ways to decrease barriers among vulnerable populations.

The DCP Program of the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department is comprised of the Tuberculosis, Communicable Disease, Sexually Transmitted Disease, HIV / AIDS, and Immunization Programs.

To learn more about this program, please visit their website :

Maternal Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH) program works to improve the health and well-being of women, infants, children and adolescents.

A Community Health Assessment is completed every five years to understand the health and well-being of the populations served and results are used to develop a local scope of work.

The MCAH program also houses home visiting services for this population. To learn more about this program, please visit their website :

California Children's Services (CCS) : CCS is a program that determines medical eligibility,?provides authorizations for medical care, case management, financial assistance, and medically necessary physical and occupational therapy services to children who meet the CCS eligibility criteria.

The program is managed by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and is administered by the local county health care departments.

To learn more about this program, please visit their website :

IDEAL CANDIDATE :

• Community or Public Health experience;
• Case Management experience;
• Knowledge of community resources;
• Strong planning & organizational skills;
• Bilingual (Spanish) preferred, but not required.

to find out why our nurses love their jobs

and how their work contributes to the success

of the Public Health Department. Examples of Duties

Educates and counsels clients and their families in health maintenance and promotion and disease prevention in order to enhance the individual's ability to recognize the need for and to seek treatment to meet health care and general social needs;

and demonstrates basic nursing techniques for the ill or injured in the field.

• Assesses the physical, psycho-social and health care status and needs of families and / or individual clients; interviews client and / or family, collecting a health history and data regarding current health status and life situations;
• observes client and client-family interaction in the home; develops plan of care; detects cases of physical and / or emotional illness;

and participates in epidemiological studies and communicable disease control by conducting community investigations.

Coordinates client care with other health professionals to improve client's health; refers clients and / or families to appropriate community or public agencies to obtain services or assistance to improve or maintain social functioning and health;

and refers clients to physicians when medical intervention is indicated.

• Manages a caseload of clients requiring prioritization of patient care; records patient data; completes state forms and nursing daily reports;
• develops care plans; documents client and family-based assessments, interventions; plans and evaluations; provides written referrals to other agencies;
• plans and organizes caseload to ensure that service is delivered according to program and professional guidelines; ensures caseload is covered during short periods of absence;

and acts as client advocate with health care providers.

• Coordinates and participates in public health clinics or outreach programs targeting specific populations or in response to epidemic outbreaks and disaster operations;
• interviews and counsels patients; conducts health screenings and assessments; directs the daily work activities of support staff and volunteers;

aware of and utilizes community resources and efforts that effect the population serviced; provides health education presentations to schools and other community groups.

• Coordinates health and related services in categorical programs; determines eligibility according to program guidelines;
• manages an assigned caseload, including needs assessment, care coordination, and service authorization; interprets and explains program guidelines to beneficiaries, service providers, and community agencies;

refers beneficiaries to other appropriate community services; and maintains case records according to program requirements.

Assists in program planning and policy development. Participates in quality assurance activities for services provided and monitors performance measures.

Identifies gaps in services and assists in developing local strategies for improving access. Collaborates with community groups to provide technical consultation, preventive health information.

Serves as a liaison to provider groups and managed care plans and educates the provider community about the population needs.

Provides outreach activities in a variety of settings such as health fairs and other outreach sites.

Employment Standards

Possession of a valid Registered Nurse license issued by the California State Board of Registered Nursing AND certification in Public Health Nursing.

Additional Qualifications :

• Independent travel is required. Possession of a valid California Class C Driver's License is required.
• Positions allocated to this class may require specialization in target populations, programs, and / or bilingual skills.
• Incumbents must be able to work in an environment which may include exposure to communicable diseases and a variety of field conditions.
• Selectees for employment must, as a condition of employment, sign a statement agreeing to comply with Section of the California Penal Code (relating to child abuse and elder / dependent adult abuse reporting) and Sections - (relating to domestic violence reporting).
• Knowledge of : the principles and practices of general clinical and public health nursing, including community nursing programs;
• case management and provisions for continuity in patient care; health promotion techniques; laws and regulations governing public health nursing;
• causes and means of transmission and methods of control for communicable diseases, including tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases;
• maternal and child health; child abuse and neglect detection practices; gerontology and the sociological aspects of aging;
• environmental, sociological and psychological problems encountered in disease processes; contemporary health management principles;
• current trends in public health nursing; work of other social and health agencies, as well as functions of other professions related to public health nursing;
• sociological and emotional problems involved in care of those with special needs and medical conditions; principles of mental health nursing;
• use and effects of medicines; principles of nutrition and personal hygiene practices; cultural differences affecting health care service delivery and public health;

effective counseling and coaching techniques; and principles of clinical health screening including charting histories and system reviews.

• Ability to : exercise independent judgment; plan, organize, and carry out public health nursing activities in a local area;
• apply public health nursing laws and regulations; work effectively with individuals and families to assist them in satisfactory solution of health problems;
• perform assessments of health status determining the need for and level of nursing and / or medical care; identify problems and develop a plan for follow-up;
• communicate effectively verbally and in writing; maintain accurate records and document actions taken; prepare clear and concise reports;
• work with groups; direct work of support staff; make home visits in assigned geographic areas; deal with clients of various socio-economic backgrounds and temperaments;
• provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services; demonstrate tact, diplomacy and compassion; respond appropriately in emergency high-risk and / or stressful situations;
• provide nursing assessment and care in a disaster; identify and report domestic violence and child abuse and neglect; refer clients to social service agencies and health care providers;
• act as patient advocate; collect and analyze data to draw logical conclusions and make appropriate recommendations; interview and counsel clients on health and related matters;

and maintain confidentiality of information.