Advanced Practice Nurse Specialist - Jail Health Services, Career Service

Full Job Description

Jail Health Services (JHS), a division within Public Health - Seattle & King County (PHSKC), is seeking an exceptional Clinical Educator/Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Nurse to join our team! This position will partner with a team of nursing leaders to manage an Infection Prevention and Clinical Education Program. The nurse in this role with partner to address detection, prevention and control of infections among clients and personnel. This will evaluate the infection prevention measures impacting client care delivery and outcomes to decrease the possibility of healthcare-associated infections; presents infection data and makes recommendations for actions; monitors employee compliance in use of barriers and infection prevention measures. They will also create and presents educational offerings for the staff and serve as the subject matter expert in these areas for all staff working within two King County correctional facilities. If this position speaks to you, apply today. Jail Health Services has a strong reputation for deploying principles and methods to continuously improve toward the vision of "Opening doors to healthier, happier lives." We are interested in individuals who are representative of the diverse population we serve and are dedicated to serving patients with quality and compassion. We value and recognize innovation and teamwork. Our teams practice collaboratively to foster inclusion, equity and social justice, and respect for people and staff.

Commitment To Equity and Social Justice:
Named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures.

The county government has a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all – in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from all communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts.

We recognize that structural racism consists of principles and practices that cause and justify an inequitable distribution of rights, opportunities, and experiences across racial groups. Since declaring Racism is a Public Health Crisis in June 2020, King County and Public Health committed to being intentionally anti-racist and accountable to Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities.

To learn more, please visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equity-social-justice.aspx

Requirements

• Firm commitment to and knowledge of racial equity and social justice principles and practices.
• Understanding of the inequities due to place, race, policy and systems.
• Demonstrated ability working as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Experience in quality improvement processes.
• Experience and proficiency using Epic electronic health record.
• Experience collaborating across public health disciplines, and programs.
• Demonstrated competency in various computer software programs and other technological tools such as Microsoft suite - Outlook, Word, Excel, Microsoft 365, and Teams.
• Experience in training, evaluation, and support of staff and colleagues.
• Experience providing nursing practice support.
• Knowledge of health promotion and disease prevention principles, awareness of social determinants of health.
• Plans, develops, implements, directs, and evaluates infection prevention and control (IPC) activities within JHS.
• Assures that staff are educated and updated regarding all IPC and Clinical protocols required for JHS.
• Arranges special teaching sessions for staff and for specific group of clients pertaining to correctional health and IPC.
• Maintains compliance with regulatory and accreditation requirements.
• Evaluates and consults with members of the health care team regarding the client plan of care where contact, enteric, droplet, or airborne precautions are integral to that care plan.
• Assesses clients for risk of transmission or exposure to infections and implements appropriate safety precautions and follow up procedures.
• Utilizes and integrates all available pertinent data in developing IPC that meets the needs of all customers.
• Interprets data to determine when clients are at acute risk for infection and takes appropriate measures including notifying Nursing Services Manager, JHS Medical Director and/or Department Director.
• Uses Quality Improvement processes to improve client safety.
• Conducts clinical audits to assure a high standard of care is in place regarding infection control and prevention.
• Collaborates with the Employee Health, and the Communicable Disease and Epidemiology section on communicable disease outbreaks or contact investigations.
• Make educational presentations to workforce members and community partners regarding infection prevention issues and clinical topics.
• Observe and inspect the workplace to detect potential hazards.
• Educate workforce members on occupational safety procedures.
• Coordinate with management to implement safety programs for workforce members.
• Ensure compliance of all workplace guidelines in executing infection prevention duties.
• Works in collaboration with site management on a variety of clinical issues and develops protocols and guidelines.
• Maintains and updates the Standard related to JHS Infection Prevention and Control, Medication Administration Training, Nurse-Initiated Protocols and partners with others on the Orientation for Health Staff Standard.
• Collaborates with the Employee Health Nurse Manager and the Communicable Disease and Epidemiology section on communicable disease outbreaks or contact investigations.
• Coordinate with management to implement health safety programs for workforce members.
• Deliver efficient educational services and resources to meet patient care needs.
• Facilitate timely clinical problem-solving and communication of clinical issues at all levels.
• Serve as an educational resource for patient care.
• Develop and implement educational programs and training for nurses.
• Create and update educational materials and resources to ensure that nurses are utilizing the most current and evidence-based practices.
• Conduct assessments and evaluations to identify learning needs and areas for improvement.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Requirements:

• Washington State license as a Registered Nurse (in good standing) and a master's degree in nursing science or a graduate level nursing degree of MSN, DNP or PhD from an accredited school of nursing.
• Washington State Registered Nurse License in good standing.
• CIC Certification or able to obtain within 4 months of employment
• Washington State Drivers' License in good standing.
• Current BLS-CPR for Healthcare Providers.
• Successful completion of background check and pre-employment physical.

Desired:

• Nursing Professional Development Certification (NPD)

Work Schedule: This is a fully benefited, Career Service, 1.0 FTE position.

The individual selected for this position will work 40 hours per week and will maintain a variable shift depending on the training needs.

This position is overtime eligible and will work outside of the typical schedule to meet operational needs.

This position supports staff who work 24/7 and the individual selected for this position will be required to adjust working hours at times in order to carry out training/infection prevention and control (IPC) responsibilities and admin responsibilities; variable hours include weekends.

May work outside of the typical schedule to meet operational needs.

Work Location: This position will work between King County Correctional Facility and Maleng Regional Justice Center. Employees must reside in Washington state and live within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite.

Who May Apply: This position is open to all minimally qualified nurses.

Union Affiliation: Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA).

Contact: Amy M. Curtis, BSN, RN, Nurse Recruitment Manager at amy.curtis@kingcounty.gov with any questions.