Title: Public Health Nurse Sr.
State Role Title: Public Health Nurses Senior
Hiring Range: $77,548.00 - $84,885.00
Pay Band: 5
Agency: Virginia Department of Health
Location: RAPPAHANNOCK-SPOTSYLVANIA
Agency Website: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/rappahannock/
Recruitment Type: General Public - G
Job Duties
Provides non-supervisory leadership and serves as a nursing program expert in one or more nursing services/programs district wide. Develops program goals, objectives, policies and procedures, reports program performance to funding sources and agency staff, serves as primary contact for staff and external inquirers about the program/service, monitors service delivery for compliance to applicable policies and procedures, and promotes the program to increase utilization and public awareness. Performs nursing assessments, may perform lab tests, take measurements, develop and implement care plans, including the administration of medication and case management. May supervise support staff. Actions require licensure as a RN by state code.
Core Responsibilities
A. Performance Management (for employees who supervise others)
• Serves in a managerial/supervisory capacity and conducts performance management activities for staff
• Establishes and reviews work assignments and priorities, and resolves related issues, in conjunction with program management and Human Resource staff
• Ensures relevant training and workplace safety for staff and conducts appropriate performance monitoring and appraisals
B. Program Leadership
• Provides leadership by supporting the State and District visions, missions and goals; complies with organizational procedures and policies
• Develops policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts
• Develops quality improvement indicators and core measures as part of the process to enhance public health programs and services
• Supports research across disciplines related to public health priorities and population‐level interventions
• Applies the requirements of patient confidentiality, human subject protection and research ethics into data collection and processing
• Identifies opportunities to use public health informatics skills to improve public health programs and business operations
• Demonstrate ethical standards of practice in all aspects of public health and public health nursing as the basis of all interactions with individuals, communities, and organizations
• Recommends a course of action in response to identified ethical issues
• Supports the development of interprofessional teams and workgroups
• Uses a comprehensive set of relevant variables within and across systems to measure health and public health conditions
• Uses policy analysis methods to align with public health nursing practice and public health issues
• As required monitors VEDSS, ESSENCE and other epidemiology technology to identify trends/outbreaks and participates in vaccine preventable illness response and may collect specimens and/or administer vaccinations to children and adults
• As required in support of an emergency, serves as a key member of the emergency epi response team and assists the local emergency planner in responding to outbreaks and other “all hazards” incidents
• May be responsible for communicable disease investigations and assisting with outbreaks in schools, the community, nursing facilities and other congregate care settings (including but not limited to prisons and homeless shelters)
• May serve as the subject matter nursing expert for communicable disease issues in the district
• Coordinates and delivers population health initiatives addressing community-identified needs through outreach, education, and clinical service delivery.
• Plans, implements, and evaluates mobile health clinics in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to reduce access barriers for underserved populations.
• Leads the Food is Medicine program, integrating nutrition and chronic disease prevention strategies with clinical care and community resources.
• Serves as coordinator for the Low-Income Safety Seat Distribution and Education program (LISSDEP), ensuring compliance with VDH guidelines and promoting child passenger safety education.
• Assists with activities and reporting for the maternal child health grant (Title V grant), supporting program development, client education, and data collection.
C. Community Liaison
• Promotes public health awareness, health risk reduction and preventative health in the community through community screenings, mass clinics, community programs, and community events
• Informs, educates and empowers the community regarding health issues
• Maintains knowledge of current community resources and provides inter and intra agency collaboration to meet needs
• Serves as community liaison by meeting with community groups, employers, committees and task forces to promote public health awareness, risk reduction and resource development
• Identifies/participates in community activities that enhance public knowledge of services
• Assists with the community health assessment and improvement planning processes through partnerships with community services, and providing information regarding the locality; assess the quality of various data collection methods used to conduct a comprehensive community/population assessment
• Assist with obtaining and maintaining health-related data about social and cultural environments, needs and interests
• Uses data related to the determinants of health and community resources to plan for, analyze, and evaluate community‐oriented and population‐level programs
• Apply methods and practices to access public health information for individuals, families, and groups
• Uses networks among community organizations and systems conducive to improving the health within programs, communities and populations
• Supports the delivery of community health services to community groups and partners
• Identify evidence of the effectiveness of community engagement strategies on individuals, families, and groups
D. Direct Patient Care
• Provides direct patient care services and case management in clinics, homes and the community
• Independently performs nursing assessments and administers patient care services in clinics, school and community settings
• Uses existing concepts, models, theories, policy and evidence to plan, conduct and evaluate population-level interventions to address specific public health issues
• Uses planning models, epidemiology and other analytical methods in the development, implementation, and evaluation of population-level interventions
• Uses epidemiological data, concepts and other evidence to analyze the determinants of health when developing and tailoring population‐ level health services
• Plans for health services delivery that integrates cultural perceptions of health and disease and addresses the needs of culturally diverse populations
• Uses public health and nursing science in practice at community and populations level
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is dedicated to protecting and promoting the health of Virginians. The VDH is made up of a statewide Central Office in Richmond and 33 local health districts.
The Virginia Department of Health offers 12 paid holidays, medical, dental, vision and life insurance, retirement plans (including 401a Cash Match and 457 Deferred Compensation Plan) as well as sick, family/personal, and annual leave.
Minimum Qualifications
• Must be certified in Basic Life Support (BLS)/CPR, able to be fit tested and perform fit testing for other staff in accordance with OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134) [Ref.2] regulations
• Experience functioning in a leadership role; experience and ability to function independently in the home/clinic/community/school settings and prioritize workload
• Exercises sound nursing judgment; effective verbal, written, interpersonal/physical assessment skills
• Experience and ability to enter, review, analyze data and statistics and produce reports and/or recommendations from such information; ability to work in a fast paced, data driven environment
• Experience and knowledge of nursing process, health maintenance, disease processes, physical and behavioral sciences, case management process and basic principles of epidemiology
• Work effectively as a member of the multidisciplinary health care team
• Knowledge and experience in use of computers and computer applications; including Internet, Microsoft Office, and Google Mail applications
• Experience and ability to work with diverse cultural backgrounds
• May travel and some weekend and/or evening hours may be required
• Excellent communication, data interpretation and computer skills
• Must be able to demonstrate decision making skills, teaching, interviewing, counseling skills and the ability to analyze problems/situations and problem solve
• This position requires licensure as an RN in Virginia.
Additional Considerations
• Public health experience
• If working with the EPI response team, Certified in Infection Control (CIC) preferred and experience in hospital or long-term care facility infection control
• Experience with writing grants (Federal or local)
Special Instructions
You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.
Contact Information
Name: Michelle McKinney
Phone: 540-322-5878
Email: Michelle.McKinney@vdh.virginia.gov
In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.
Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.