Community Health Registered Nurse - Limited Term

Full Job Description

Portland Fire & Rescue is hiring a Registered Nurse for the Community Health Assess & Treat Program!

Job Appointment: Full time, limited term. Persons appointed to limited term positions will be designated as a regular appointment in a limited term appointment which shall not exceed two (2) years except for the extension of grants or funding from outside sources. Regular status employees are subject to layoff and recall rights as outlined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Work Schedule: Employees in this position will work (4) 10-hour day shifts. Potential future program growth may include alternate shifts. During training, your shift may change depending on the availability of the trainers. This position is classified as an essential employee and is therefore required to report to duty during weather emergencies and holidays.

Work Location: 12350 SE Powell Blvd, Portland, OR 97236.

Benefits: Please check our benefit tab for an overview of benefit for this position.

Union Representation: Portland Fire Fighters Association, Local 43 IAFF. To view this labor agreement, please click here.

Language Pay Premium Eligible: This position is or may be eligible for Language Pay Differential for qualifying employees.

Application Material: Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Portland’s online portal. You will need to respond to the supplemental questions and attach a resume and a valid Oregon RN license.

About the CHAT Program:

The Community Health Assess & Treat (CHAT) program is situated in the City of Portland’s first responder system and its employees are members of Portland Fire & Rescue.

The CHAT program provides first response to low-acuity 911 medical calls in lieu of advanced life support apparatus within the City of Portland.

The mission of CHAT is to assess and treat patients in community, provide care coordination to vulnerable and socially isolated populations, and follow up within 24 hours of the 911 call.

Program Values:

• Equity & Social Justice: Strive to uplift the dignity and worth of all Portlanders, particularly those who have been historically marginalized and criminalized, by ensuring timely and professional person-centered first response.
• Collaboration: Ensure the best possible outcomes for our patients by working collaboratively with community partners, health systems, and traditional first responders.
• Empathy & Compassion: Operate from a framework of trauma-informed care with the recognition that adverse life experiences, including negative interactions with health systems, create barriers for clients to connect with the care and supportive services they need to thrive in the community.
• Resource Efficiency & Prioritization: Respond to the complex care needs of individuals experiencing low-acuity medical events and/or unmet basic needs to enable fire resources to attend to life saving calls for service.

The CHAT program’s mission is to:

• Reduce the number of individuals transported to the emergency department for low-acuity medical related issues that are more effectively address in a pre-hospital care setting.
• Reduce unnecessary emergency department admissions.
• Improve access to care and resources within the community.

Position Summary:

The Community Health Nurse reports to the Community Health Nurse Manager (CHNM).

Under general direction, the Community Health Registered Nurse (RN) is part of a multidisciplinary team supporting advanced healthcare delivery modalities in the pre-hospital care setting for PF&R.

The RN is responsible for triaging calls from CHAT teams, supporting overdose teams in the pre-hospital environment, overseeing complex case management for clients, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, and supporting staff training and continuous quality improvement projects.

As a Community Health Nurse, you will:

• Perform ongoing patient assessments on-scene to monitor changes in patient condition and accommodate patient needs including changes in breathing, mentation and circulation.
• Triage calls from CHAT team members regarding clinical and case management needs.
• Respond and coordinate care, by request, to support Overdose Response Teams with clients enrolled in the Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) program. Administer physician-prescribed medication when outside the scope or protocols of the CHAT teams.
• Dress or redress wounds and assess the healing progress, as requested by the patient’s physician or CHAT team’s referral.
• Interpret lab values and direct care as appropriate.
• Accurately document patient encounters and outcomes in the appropriate medical record and care plan.
• Communicate effectively and with empathy and compassion to interview patients, their family members, bystanders, other service agency members, and facility staff.
• Provide professional assessment, consultation, and coordination of services.
• Participate in program meetings and relevant local and regional trainings.
• Utilize the 911 dispatch radio and CAD system.
• Coordinate patient education and conduct patient care conferences when appropriate; counsel the patient and family according to medical and nursing best practices.
• Collaborate with PF&R stations and multidisciplinary care team members on care coordination. Prepare clinical and progress notes for each patient encounter and summaries of care conferences with patients and/or families.
• Follow Multnomah County Medical Director’s protocol guidelines and notify physician of patient needs and changes in condition.
• Refer patient(s) to appropriate multidisciplinary services (social work, mental health care, and addiction treatment services) as appropriate. Advise staff or patients on follow-up services as needed.
• Monitor high utilizers of emergency medical services and collaborate in the development of sustainable programs to reduce unnecessary 911 calls.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.
• Physical demands:
  1. Working in pairs, may move equipment or other people weighing up to 200lbs.
  2. Bend, stoop, kneel, squat, and stand on uneven surfaces for extended periods.
  3. Work outside year-round in all weather conditions.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

The ideal candidate for this position must be deeply committed to providing compassionate and effective medical care for vulnerable individuals with low-acuity medical needs.

This position works within the existing emergency response system and provides upstream health care interventions to prevent repeated usage of the emergency response system.

Candidates must have a commitment to working collectively to address community needs. A successful candidate will be able to meet or exceed established key performance indicator goals.

Candidates for this position must have no criminal conviction that would prevent certification from the Oregon State Board of Nursing.

Questions?

Requirements

The following minimum qualifications are required for this position:

Required Licenses, at the time of hire:

• State of Oregon Registered Nurse (RN) licensure
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification
• Pediatric Cardiac Life Support (PALS) certification, or equivalent
• Valid state driver’s license and acceptable driving record.

Applicant Must Also Possess:

• Ability to pass a comprehensive background investigation.

Preferred Qualifications: although not required, you may have one or more of the following:

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), or equivalent

Two (2) years of experience in Emergency, ICU, or similar department and two (2) years of experience working in the prehospital setting with EMT Basics/Paramedics for a total of four (4) years of experience.

OR five (5) years of experience as an RN in a hospital or health system, emergency department, urgent care, critical care, critical care transport, substance use disorder treatment facilities, and case management.

• Experience in Community Health, Substance Use Treatment, Urgent Care, and Wound Care.
• Bilingual fluency. Click here for a list of qualifying languages.
• Ability to meet the physical demands of the job.

Qualifications

• Resume
  • Note: Do not include your age, date of birth, or the dates you attended or graduated from school. Only provide this information if it is specifically requested to meet job requirements or to follow federal, state, or local laws or rules.
• Answer to the Supplemental Questions (click on the Questions tab to preview the questions)

Veteran documents to request for Veteran Preference (ex, DD214-Member 4, VA Benefit Letter, etc.) Effective January 1, 2026, the State of Oregon law ORS 408.225 - 408.238 is amended to expand eligibility for Veterans’ Preference to current and former Oregon National Guard service members.

If applicants are existing state or former Oregon National Guard servicemembers, they are encouraged to attach appropriate documentation to their future recruitment applications.

Update: As of March 3, 2025, if you have already submitted veteran documents and qualified for preference, you do not need to resubmit them for future recruitments.

To update or remove veteran preference for this recruitment or from your profile, contact the recruiter listed in the job announcement.

Application Tips:

• Your responses to the supplemental questions should include details describing your education, training and/or experience, and where obtained, which clearly reflects your qualifications for each of the numbered items in the "To Qualify" section of this announcement.
• Your resume should support the details described in your responses to the supplemental questions.

How We Determine Pay: The City of Portland is covered by the Oregon Equal Pay Act.

Your salary is determined based on the experience listed in your resume that is directly related and equivalent to the position for which you are applying.

It is strongly encouraged to include any transferable experience (paid or unpaid regardless of how recent) to ensure your offer is reflective of all your relevant experience.

• Do not attach materials not requested.
• All completed applications for this position must be submitted no later than on the closing date and time of this recruitment.
• All applications must be submitted via the City's online application process. E-mailed and/or faxed applications will not be accepted.
• You can use AI tools to assist with your job application, but please make sure to personalize your responses to supplemental questions. Avoid copying and pasting; instead, use AI to generate ideas and then tailor them to reflect your own experiences and skills.

• An evaluation of each applicant's training and paid and unpaid experience, as demonstrated in their resume and supplemental questions, weighted 100%.
• Your resume and responses to the supplemental questions will be the basis for our evaluation of your qualifications for this position. Incomplete or inappropriate information may result in disqualification.
• You have 14 days from the notice of the minimum qualification evaluation results to let us know if you like to review and discuss your evaluation result. Please read the City of Portland Administrative Rule 3.01 for complete information.
• Additional evaluation may be required prior to establishment of the eligible list and/or final selection.

• Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on the equally ranked eligible list.

• Hiring bureau will review and select candidates to interview.

• A start date will be determined after all conditions of employment have been met.

Additional Information

Click here for additional information regarding the following:

• Veteran Preference
• ADA, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodations
• Work Status
• Equal Employment Opportunity