Public Health Nurse

General Definition of Work

Essential Functions

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable an individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Performs outreach, case finding, and assessments with communities, systems, families and individuals, and provides nursing and community health interventions utilizing evidence-based best practices and standards.
• Improves population-level health through assessment and services with children, adults, families and communities.
• Plans, leads, coordinates, and provides community health programs, epidemiology/disease prevention and control services, immunization/vaccination programs, environmental health services, home-and-community-based and family health programs on a local, regional or State programmatic level; and as appropriate, delegates tasks to program support staff.
• Performs Division emergency response functions.
• Conducts or organizes training for Department staff, community organizations, program volunteers and the general public; oversees, mentors, and participates in orientation activities of newly hired Public Health nursing staff, contracted staff, students, interns and program volunteers.
• Compiles data and completes paperwork and reports.
• Contributes to the development of the Department budget.
• Performs other duties and activities as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications & Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Education and Experience
Bachelor's degree in nursing from an accredited college or university and one year of related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience in nursing-related field.
Special Requirements
Licensure as a Registered Nurse through the Minnesota Board of Nursing upon hire. Public Health Nurse certification through the Minnesota Board of Nursing upon hire. CPR/BLS certification upon hire. A valid driver’s license or evidence of equivalent mobility is also required upon hire.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Knowledge of, and adherence to, the Minnesota Nurse Practice Act; knowledge of nursing, Public Health, epidemiologic, and environmental theories, principles, practices and processes as these relate to communities, systems, individuals and families; knowledge of behavior as it relates to individuals, family dynamics and systems, physical and mental illness, culture, and aging in order to maintain optimal health; knowledge of socioeconomic factors and the multiple determinants of health which promote and maintain optimal health for individuals, families, communities, and systems; knowledge of local, State, and Federal laws, rules, regulations and policies pertaining to assigned area including knowledge of court procedures and practices; knowledge of data collection, management and analysis using accepted scientific methods; knowledge of disease processes, nursing interventions, including medications and treatments in a community setting; knowledge of methods to access ethical scientific evidence, strategies, and research best practices; knowledge of community agencies and resources; knowledge of budgeting principles sufficient to provide input into a Department budget and manage assigned budget responsibilities; skill in the use of standard office equipment, including computers and software programs; verbal and written communication skills sufficient to effectively present information and respond to questions from a wide variety of audiences; reading comprehension skills sufficient to read and understand medical, legal and technical documents; interpersonal skills sufficient to exchange and or convey information, receive work direction, and maintain effective working relationships; ability to perform data entry into various databases; ability to pay attention to detail and effectively organize time and anticipate, plan and successfully respond to changing circumstances; ability to perform all job duties in compliance with safety guidelines and with an ongoing awareness of safety practices; ability to communicate courteously and professionally while maintaining positive working relationships with others when carrying out all job functions.

Physical Requirements

This work requires the occasional exertion of up to 50 pounds of force; work regularly requires speaking or hearing and using hands to finger, handle or feel, frequently requires standing, sitting and repetitive motions and occasionally requires walking, climbing or balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling, reaching with hands and arms, pushing or pulling and lifting; work has standard vision requirements; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word and conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly or quickly; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, visual inspection involving small defects and/or small parts, using of measuring devices, assembly or fabrication of parts within arm’s length, operating machines, operating motor vehicles or equipment and observing general surroundings and activities; wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus and exposure to bloodborne pathogens and may be required to wear specialized personal protective equipment and occasionally requires exposure to fumes or airborne particles, exposure to toxic or caustic chemicals, exposure to outdoor weather conditions and exposure to the risk of electrical shock; work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic).

Wright County offers an exceptional benefit package including vacation, sick leave and holiday pay. Also included in this benefit package is health, preventative dental and life insurance; medical and dependent care reimbursement accounts (Section 125 Plan); deferred compensation plan and Public Employees Retirement (pension).