Public Health Nurse Senior

Title: Public Health Nurse Senior

State Role Title: RN II/Nurse Prct I/Phy Asst

Hiring Range: $75,262.00-$83,959.00

Pay Band: 5

Agency: Virginia Department of Health

Location: PORTSMOUTH -TW

Agency Website: 

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

The Portsmouth Health Department (PHD) seeks an experienced Registered Nurse to join our team as the Immunization Action Plan Coordinator (IAP). This role directs and coordinates all immunization activities at PHD and serves as the subject-matter expert on vaccines for children and adults. Key responsibilities include administering vaccinations in the clinic to clients across the lifespan, particularly infants and children; coordinating special immunization events; developing strategies to improve immunization rates across all age groups; and conducting assessments and quality assurance reviews to ensure compliance with Code of Virginia requirements. The coordinator will also provide immunization education in partnership with public health agencies, volunteer organizations, coalitions, and professional groups. Additional duties include maintaining vaccine inventory and ensuring proper storage and handling, overseeing vaccine administration for both public and private funding sources, staying current on new vaccines and immunization trends, training nursing staff, promoting the Immunization Program to community organizations, and managing the immunization program for health care personnel. This position also provides direct patient care, including assessments, education, exams, immunizations, and treatments, for other public health clinic-mandated programs, including the sexually transmitted infections clinic. The position also cross-covers and assists leadership and nurses with patient follow-up duties and participates in clinic outreach activities and community-based clinical programs.

If the Governor declares an emergency, public health nurses must assume additional duties for the district's emergency preparedness and response (EP&R) activities, including but not limited to points-of-dispensing (POD) mass vaccination events and shelter coverage. During declared emergencies, you may need to adjust your work hours, location, and job duties and participate in training to meet public health business needs. Additional potential work-schedule variations include participation in community outreach events and other EP&R assignments, such as communicable disease and epidemiological investigation events and locality emergency shelter duties. Actions performed at this level require licensure as a Registered Nurse by State code (422).

VDH requires all Health-Care Personnel (HCP) to provide documentation of immunization or evidence of immunity to the following: hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella; a one-time dose of tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine regardless of the interval since the last dose of tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccine was administered (Td or Tdap boosters shall be received every 10 years); and the current year's seasonal influenza vaccination.

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

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

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.

VDH accepts only on-line applications. Faxed, mailed, or e-mailed applications will not

be considered. Applications are accepted until 11:59 p.m. on the job closing date.

Resume may be submitted in lieu of fully completed application. Please be sure all

pertinent work experience is included on your resume.

It is the policy of the Commonwealth and VDH that all aspects of human resource

management be conducted without regard to race (or traits historically associated with

race including hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks,

and twists); sex; color; national origin; religion; sexual orientation; gender identity or

expression; age; veteran status; political affiliation; disability; genetic information; and

pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. As a V3 (Virginia Values Veterans)

organization, VDH honors the Commonwealth’s veteran’s hiring preference. VDH

employees have a shared Code of Ethics, which can be found in the bottom banner of

our website: www.vdh.virginia.gov.

State agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities

where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the

application process should follow the instructions in the job opportunity announcement.

For any part of the remaining hiring process, applicants should contact the hiring

agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be

made on a case-by-case basis.

Contact Information

Name: Tanya Weaver

Phone: 757-393-8585

Email: Tanya.Weaver@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.