Job Announcement

The Health Department of Fairfax County is a progressive public health leader providing services that promote population health, protect public health and the environment, and ensure residents' equitable access to health services and information.

The Division of Epidemiology and Population Health is seeking a Communicable Disease Public Health Nurse (PHN) III. This position will be a member of the Division's Acute Communicable and Emerging Diseases (ACED) team. This full-time nurse will serve as a subject matter expert, responsible for communicable disease investigations and control in the Fairfax Health District. Participates and/or manages communicable disease outbreaks on a 24/7 basis. Provides communicable disease control education, guidance and public health recommendations. Leads case and outbreak investigations, outreach, case finding, health promotion, prevention, education, and surveillance activities. Provides direct services to individuals and/or community groups in order to enhance service delivery and reduce the incidence of communicable diseases. Participates in multi-disciplinary work groups, such as hospital infection control, emergency preparedness and outbreak response. Conducts targeted outreach to reduce incidence of disease in high risk individuals and/or groups. This position will contribute immediately to the Health Department's COVID-19 response.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Considerable knowledge of public health nursing theories, principles, practices, methods, processes, and procedures required to provide quality patient care;
• Knowledge of human growth and development, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, preventive medicine, epidemiology, and nutrition;
• Knowledge of current practices; literature, and trends in public health nursing to include environmental, economic, psychological, social (e.g., family and group dynamics), cultural and linguistic issues or barriers impacting assessment, planning, delivery, and evaluation of nursing services to the community;
• Knowledge of documentation, nursing diagnosis, and quality assurance;
• Ability to perform technical and advanced nursing procedures (e.g., injections, venipuncture, blood pressure screening, STD check, tube feeding, nebulizations), and using medical equipment in delivering specialized services to the clients as appropriate within assigned area or specialty program;
• Knowledge of medical and legal policies, guidelines, principles, practices, and standards governing public health nursing as well as nursing specialization;
• Extensive knowledge of available community resources for referral and follow-up;
• Ability to manage human and/or facility emergencies and perform emergency treatments related to life-threatening conditions;
• Ability to interpret and apply the professional standards of nursing practice, County health department policies and procedures and applicable federal, state, and County laws and regulations;
• Ability to build, maintain, and promote effective partnerships (e.g., health care providers) that support planning, delivery, monitoring, and evaluation of health care services;
• Ability to relate well to clients from varied backgrounds and different situations;
• Ability to manage or diffuse situations involving clients or county staff that may appear difficult, hostile, or distressed;
• Ability to identify problems and make sound, well-informed, and objective decisions or
• judgments relating to client health care;
• Ability to assess the quality, appropriateness, implications, and impact of decisions or judgments made by others and identify courses of corrective action, where appropriate;
• Ability to provide health training to clients and families with complex, multiple health needs, using knowledge of adult learning concepts;
• Ability to use technology to retrieve and analyze data, and communicate or share public health information in the appropriate format with stakeholders, other relevant parties, and the community;
• Ability to implement public health nursing programs;
• Ability to identify and advocate the need for changes in the County's public health care delivery system;
• Ability to assign and supervise the work of professionals, paraprofessionals, volunteers, and/or students;
• Ability to develop, plan, and coordinate services with other disciplines and health care providers;
• Ability to develop budget for the specialty program (e.g., TB).

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Graduation from a college or university accredited by the National League for Nursing or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education with a bachelor's degree in Nursing;
• Plus three years of post-licensure experience as a nurse in an equivalent health care setting whose focus was primarily prevention services and community education, including two years in a public health/community health setting;
• Plus at least one year experience in a public health/community health specialty area or supervisory responsibilities.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:

• Driver's license (required)
• Registered Nurse License (VA) ( required )
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation - CPR (Required within 60 days)
• AED (Required within 60 days)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Knowledge of public health principles and practices of communicable disease epidemiology. Ability to work independently and communicate effectively using written, verbal and electronic methods. Must be results driven, detail-oriented and demonstrate effective and customer oriented communication skills.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background investigation, a Child Protective Services (CPS), a driving record check, and sanction screening to the satisfaction of the employer.

Note: This position is emergency/essential services personnel. Required to report for duty during inclement/ or other emergencies. As an essential member of an emergency response organization, during an emergency activation, employee may be required to work irregular hours, work at a location other than the official duty station, support the department on a 24/7 basis and perform duties other than those specified in the employee's official position description. Required to work nights, weekends and be available for emergency activations.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Employee is required to walk, stand, sit, bend, stoop, kneel, reach, climb stairs and carry equipment or young children up to 25 pounds in weight. Uses hands to grasp, handle or feel. Visual acuity is required to read data on a computer monitor. Ability to operate keyboard driven equipment. Ability to drive a vehicle. Position frequently communicates and must be able to exchange accurate information with others verbally and in writing. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.
SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or status as a veteran in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact 703-324-4900 for assistance. TTY 703-222-7314. EEO/AA/TTY.