Would you like to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable babies, mothers, and families?
If yes, we would like to meet you!
Thurston County Public Health and Social Services (PHSS) is recruiting for a Community Health Nurse II position for our Community Wellness Division to serve families through the Nurse Family Partnership program. Our Nurse Family Partnership program serves Thurston, Mason, and Lewis counties. This position serves families in Lewis County. Spanish-speaking applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.
Public Health and Social Services (PHSS) is Thurston County’s local health jurisdiction and human services department and is responsible for protecting the health and promoting the well-being of all people who live, work, and play in Thurston County. We value diversity and strive to foster a sense of belonging, honoring the unique experiences, cultures, skills, backgrounds, identities, and perspectives of our employees and community. As an agency actively working to address health equity, we aspire for everyone to have the opportunity to attain their highest level of health, regardless of their individual circumstances.
As a Community Health Nurse II, you work as part of the Nurse Family Partnership program delivering services to families within Lewis County. Our Community Health Nurse II positions work in the Maternal Child Health Division of Thurston County Public Health and Social Services and are part of our fantastic Nurse Family Partnership team that delivers services to the families in our communities.
Carrying a caseload of 25 active clients, you are responsible for independently conducting frequent home visits to build strong partnerships with families in accordance with program goals, objectives, and visit guidelines of the Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) model. You will collaborate and work as part of a team to promote the health of families and develop and maintain community relationships to support client referrals. Our goal is that all children are healthy, families thrive, communities prosper, and the cycle of poverty is broken.
For more information about the Nurse Family Partnership Program, click HERE.
Some of the essential job functions include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Assess physical, emotional, social, and environmental needs of women and their families as they relate to the NFP domains.
- Formulate nursing diagnosis based on nursing assessment and client goals.
- Assist women and their families in establishing goals and outcomes.
- Provide education, support, and referral resources to assist women and their families in attaining their targeted goals.
- Consult and collaborate with other professionals involved in providing services to women and families.
- Plan home visits and evaluate client progress toward stated goals and NFP outcomes.
- Actively engage in professional development to meet all NFP Nurse Home Visitor competency requirements.
- Meet with NFP Nurse Supervisor weekly for clinical supervision, utilizing reflective practice in supervisory sessions.
- Schedule joint home visits with NFP Nurse Supervisor every four months.
- Attend and participate in bi-weekly case conferences and bi-weekly team meetings.
- Provide information to support staff for timely and accurate data input.
- Participate in review and analysis of reports for achievements, areas for Improvement and quality improvement efforts.
- Document appropriately and maintain confidentiality.
- Perform other work as required or assigned including but not limited to a 24/7 response during public health emergency situations and disease outbreak investigations.
What we offer our employees:
- Work-Life Balance: We are committed to ensuring that our staff experience the reward of public service, while also sustaining a routine that suits each individual’s lifestyle.
- Plan for Your Future: As a member of our team, you enjoy great employee benefits, including a retirement plan, pre-tax savings accounts, as well as comprehensive health care and dental/vision care for you and your family. Please visit our Thurston County Employee Benefit Planswebsite for more information.
- Paid Leave: Full-time regular employees earn a minimum of 12 paid vacation days per year in addition to 11 paid holidays and 2 floating holidays.
- Robust Training Program: Employees are encouraged to attend County-paid training to help them further their career, learn new skill sets, and stay on top of emerging trends in our industry. We also encourage staff to participate in professional organizations and attend conferences.
- Flexible Work Schedules: Some employees may take advantage of alternative or compressed schedules and/or remote working.
Why you’ll love it here:
Thurston County is located between Seattle and Portland in Western Washington’s South Puget Sound Region. Perched between the mountains and the ocean, the area boasts the perfect blend of year-round outdoor activities including boating, hiking, skiing, and more. The region is also home to the state capital city of Olympia, known for its many restaurants, microbreweries, coffee shops, farmers markets, kids’ activities, history, and art events. Discover more about life in Thurston County at Experienceolympia.com.
QUALIFICATIONS
- BSN program within six (6) months of hire may be considered.
- Two (2) years of experience as a community health nurse or relevant experience in a hospital, medical clinic, public health, or related service. Any equivalent combination of experience and education that provides the applicant with the desired knowledge, skills, and ability required to perform the work will be considered.
- Currently licensed as a Washington State Registered Nurse.
- Depending on work assignment, a valid Washington State Driver’s License or an appropriate accommodation, may be required.
DESIRED SKILLS
The ideal candidate has the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
Create an environment where employees and partners can safely express needs or concerns and where employees can make and correct mistakes.
Effectively interact with sensitivity while working with persons from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, educational, racial, ethnic, and professional backgrounds, and persons of all ages, gender identities, sexual orientations, and lifestyles.
Thrive in a fast-paced, robust organization maintaining a positive work environment.
Respect and Organizational Culture:
- Create an environment where employees and partners can safely express needs or concerns and where employees can make and correct mistakes
- Effectively interact with sensitivity while working with persons from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, educational, racial, ethnic, and professional backgrounds, and persons of all ages, gender identities, sexual orientations, and lifestyles
- Thrive in a fast-paced, robust organization maintaining a positive work environment
Communication:
- Serve the public in a timely, complete, accurate, and professional manner while ensuring that written and verbal communication is clearly understood by others
- Maintain cultural competency to support diverse perspectives in developing, implementing, and evaluating policies, programs, and services that affect the health of the community
- Strong oral communication for networking and interpersonal relationships
- Excellent written communication including the ability to craft correspondence, reports, and articles or web postings with minimal grammatical and syntax errors
Goal Setting and Accomplishment:
- Use strategic thinking and planning for goal setting and evaluation
- Effectively plan, organize, and manage competing priorities and challenges under pressure
- Create a sense of mission by articulating and modeling confidentiality, professional values, and ethics with honesty and integrity
- Operate with a high degree of flexibility, initiative, attention to detail, and commitment
- Delegate and use persuasion and negotiating skills for shared responsibility and acceptance of change
Questions about this recruitment?
Contact the hiring team at:
PHSS_Hiring@co.thurston.wa.us or (360) 867-2569
This position is:
- Represented by a union
- Eligible for overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
- Eligible for benefits
- Contingent on the ability to pass a criminal background check
- Grant funded
Items required for consideration:
- Resume
- Letter of interest
- Pass a criminal background check
- Possess a current Washington State Driver License or have an appropriate accommodation
- Applicant Disclosure Form (Pursuant to RCW Section 43.43.830) (Supplemental Questions 1-6)
- Proof of licenses/certifications
PLEASE NOTE: The candidate selected for this position is required to show proof of the following immunizations by their agreed upon start date:
- Measles/mumps/rubella (MMR)
- Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap/TD)
- Baseline tuberculosis screening (required of all new employees who are healthcare personnel, work in healthcare areas or who have contact with patients/clients as part of their normal duties; must be completed no earlier than three months prior to starting work)
Information in this announcement is subject to change without notice at any time during the length of the job advertisement.
Thurston County is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Thurston County is committed to provide equal opportunity to all persons seeking or having access to its employment, services and activities, which is free from restriction based on race, sex, marital status, color, creed or religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, including gender expression or identity, pregnancy, status as an honorably discharged veteran or military status, genetic information, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, unless based upon bona fide occupational qualifications. Applicants with disabilities who need accommodation with the application or selection process should contact Thurston County’s Human Resources, at (360) 786-5498. Those who are deaf, deaf-blind, hard of hearing or speech impaired may use the statewide relay system to reach Thurston County offices and departments to conduct their business telephonically. Relay users can simply dial 7-1-1 (or 1-800-833-6388) to connect with Washington Relay.
