Public Health Nurse (Infectious Diseases)

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Region of Waterloo

Waterloo

CAD 60,000 - 80,000

Be among the first applicants.

7 days ago

Job description

Public Health Nurse (Infectious Diseases)

Job Number: 1937
Job Type: Temporary Part-Time
Temp Contract Length: Up to 20 months
Location: 99 Regina Street, Waterloo, ON
Number of Positions: 1
Department: Infectious Diseases (Sexual Health)
Division: Public Health and Paramedic Services
Hours of Work: 21 hours per week - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 8:30am to 4:30pm with occasional evenings as required
Union: ONA 15 PH
Grade: ONA 15 Public Health - Public Health Nurse BScN
Salary Range: $40.74 - $55.50 per hour

Posting Date: November 14, 2024 at 12:00am

Closing Date: November 20, 2024 at 11:59pm

CURRENT ASSIGNMENT - Sexual Health program including Clinical Services, Case and Contact Management and Health Promotion.

The Role

Provides public health nursing services with a focus on health promotion, health protection, and disease and injury prevention specific to assigned program area, per Ontario Public Health Standards and the College of Nurses of Ontario standards and practices as defined by the Regulated Health Professions Act, the Nursing Act, and other professional nursing organizations, and consistent with the mission, vision, values, and strategic direction of the Department, including nursing competencies.

Program areas: Case and Contact Management teams (Infectious Diseases and Tuberculosis and Sexual Health), Clinical Services teams (Routine Fixed Clinics and Outreach Clinics)

Duties/Responsibilities

Applies nursing science and the nursing care process to client groups. Provides case management, health counselling, consultation, clinical services, education, and resources to targeted individuals, groups, and stakeholders. Completes screening and intake assessments.
Maintains client and committee records (electronic and manual). Completes documentation, reports, and statistics.
Develops and implements communication strategies to educate and encourage behaviour change at the individual, community, and policy levels as it relates to improving the health status of assigned priority and universal populations.
Implements community engagement strategies to build the capacity of community groups and networks; provides support, guidance, and knowledge to help groups identify and influence determinants of health.
Coordinates consultation and planning teams within the Department and in the community, involving various agencies and staff.
Advocates for policy changes related to improved access and health status specific to assigned priority and universal populations.
Engages in collaborative, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral approaches to address health risks of priority and universal populations. Collaborates and develops effective relationships with colleagues and other community professionals and stakeholders in developing and delivering health promotion and protection activities for assigned priority and universal populations, facilitate continuity of care and to deliver comprehensive client care with optimal outcomes.
Uses harm reduction principles grounded in the concepts of health equity and social justice to identify and reduce or remove risk factors/barriers in a variety of environments and settings (e.g., homes, neighbourhoods, community sites, workplaces, schools).
Participates in surveillance activities and analysis, and uses data to identify and address health issues within a population or community. Monitors, analyzes, and interprets information (e.g., health status data, community needs assessment, current research data, and patterns/trends in epidemiological data and service delivery) as it relates to strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs and services for priority and universal populations.
Engages in research and monitors health-related publications, trends, and frameworks to guide program development, inform practice, and improve the health of priority and universal populations. Evaluates and modifies health promotion programs as needed.
Develops and actively participates in an individual continuous professional development plan to support ongoing quality improvement and maintain professional nursing and public health standards. Furthers professional competence by participating in programs, seminars, and workshops.
Provides nursing expertise in departmental initiatives such as mass immunization campaigns and emergency response.
Acts as a preceptor to nursing students and volunteers.
Represents the Department, Division, and/or program on community initiatives, committees, and coalitions.
Keeps manager informed of pertinent day-to-day issues related to work assignments.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Must possess a current Certificate of Competence as a Registered Nurse with the College of Nurses of Ontario and a Baccalaureate degree that includes preparation in Public Health.
Maintains professional competence as a Registered Nurse by the College of Nurses of Ontario as defined by the Regulated Health Professions Act.
Current CPR certification, immunization status, and proof of immunity for Hepatitis B are required.
Knowledge of and ability to comply with policies, procedures, Ministry of Health and Long Term Care Standards, Ontario Public Health Standards, Health Protection and Promotion Act, Health Care Consent Act, Personal Health Information Protection of Privacy Act, Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Nursing Act, Child and Family Services Act, and other related legislation and professional guidelines and standards.
Knowledge, skill, and judgment in the application of nursing science and nursing process; assessment and history taking; child, adolescent, and adult learning principles; life cycle/maturational stress factors; and the etiology of health factors specific to priority and universal populations.
Skill in project management, strategy development, and report writing. Critical thinking and innovative problem-solving skills.
Knowledge and application of health surveillance data as it applies to assigned areas of work.
Understanding of and ability to apply health promotion and communication strategies in collaboration with others to raise awareness of health issues and place social justice and health equity on the public agenda.
Knowledge of how social, economic, and environmental factors affect health, health promotion strategies, and current community health developments; use of social justice concepts to improve the health and wellbeing of the public; and capacity building, advocacy, and policy development for priority and universal populations.
Leadership, facilitation and team-building skills. Ability to model, support, and serve as a preceptor for professional and skills development.
Skill in priority setting, organization, and self-directed learning, with minimal supervision.
Skill in community organization and conducting informal and formal assessments of health needs for priority and universal populations. Creative ability and experience in providing innovative health promotion activities; engaging others and motivating productive participation of community groups, schools, individuals, and staff to meet program objectives; and building effective partnerships with community members.
Ability to communicate complex technical information verbally and in writing, and to educate and express ideas clearly and concisely to clients of all ages, staff, multicultural groups, and other groups to further program objectives. Ability to alter language to suit priority and universal groups and clients’ comprehension levels.
Public speaking ability tailored to lay and professional audiences.
Ability to write clearly using appropriate format and language for reports, memos, business letters, pamphlets, meeting minutes, and other documents. Ability to synthesize data and literature from multiple sources to complete reports, documentation, and proposals.

Additional Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of public health issues and strategies related to the reduction in the incidence of infectious disease, outbreak control, infection control, and immunization, including indications and contraindications to vaccination and management of adverse vaccine reactions, such as anaphylaxis and harm reduction strategies.
Must be able to perform case and contact management of sporadic infectious diseases and outbreaks. Must be able to perform clinical services, including immunization, TB skin testing, STI counselling, testing, treatment and collection of samples for infectious diseases. Also provides counselling regarding pregnancy and birth control and assists with access to birth control products.
For nurses working in infectious disease case and contact management assignment (within R01169): Must be able to participate in a regular on-call rotation for designated hours on weekends and holidays per assignment as per collective agreement.
Computer and technology skills with the ability to use software to create documents, conduct internet-based searches, and networking. Ability to use and maintain electronic documentation programs.
Ability to participate as an effective team member within an interdisciplinary health setting with community members of various backgrounds and cultures.
May work altered hours, including occasional evening and weekend hours.
Ability to travel within and occasionally outside Waterloo Region.
Ability to support and demonstrate the Region’s values.

The Region of Waterloo is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment and selection process. The Region of Waterloo invites applications from all qualified individuals. We are strongly committed to employment equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace and encourage applications from Black, racialized/visible minorities, Indigenous/Aboriginal people, women, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQIA+ persons.

The Region of Waterloo is committed to providing accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require an accommodation, please notify us and we will work with you to meet your needs. Alternate formats of this document are available upon request. Please contact the Service First Contact Centre at phone number (519) 575-4400, TTY number (519-575-4608) to request an alternate format.

Please note: candidates will be provided an update on their application Please check your spam or junk folder occasionally as some candidates have noticed our emails in those folders (Gmail and Hotmail in particular).