Durham Connects Job Description: Home Visiting Nurse
Job Summary:
A Durham Connects home visiting nurse provides universal home visiting to families with newborns in Durham County. The goal is to support and assess family needs in 12 domains of physical and psychosocial well being and facilitate referrals and connections to community agencies to support families in these areas. The nurse will work in a team environment of clinical and non-clinical staff in order to engage, visit, and support families in the community using the evidence-based Durham Connects home visiting protocol. Ability to communicate effectively with others is essential. Experience in maternal/child health, home visiting, lactation education, and fluency in Spanish desired.
Essential Job Functions:
1. Follow the Durham Connects home-visiting protocol. Keep records of client observations and activities as required. Document information for family assessments and program evaluation. Record information in real time via in home use of computerized record system.
2. Follow the Durham Connects recruitment protocol. Visit both Durham hospitals on a rotating basis to schedule home visits for new mothers.
3. Provide a health and physical assessment of mother and baby in the home to determine well-being.
4. Assess risk factors for child maltreatment, including depression, substance abuse, and domestic violence. Exercise clinical skills in appraising situations and making decisions.
5. Establish a trusting relationship with families during in-home visits and engage the family to establish a family support plan with goals, objectives, and activities that address family strengths and needs.
6. Work with team to ensure appropriate referrals and connections to community resources as needed. Work in a team to assist parents in making and attending appointments for doctors, social service agencies, etc. Act as a liaison between families & other community agencies, serving as family advocate as required.
7. Apply working knowledge of parent-child interaction, child-maternal health, child development, and child abuse/neglect to help families improve parenting skills, increase parenting supports, reduce stress, and address needs of parents; assist in creating a health plan for entire family.
8. Maintain eight open visit slots and conduct and document at least six home visits per week. Respond to client needs through flexible scheduling of home visits, including occasional home visits during evening or weekend hours.
9. Apply effective time-management skills, organization, and multitasking skills. Documentation is expected to be done and letters sent out within 48 working hours of the visit.
10. Work cooperatively as an active member of the Durham Connects team by attending weekly team meetings, clinical supervision, staff meetings, and other meetings as required. Support and encourage development of other staff and of the Durham Connects Program.
Minimum Requirements:
1. B.S. degree in nursing with NC RN license, or B.A. degree in another field with NC RN license, or A.S. degree in nursing with NC RN, and at least one year of relevant nursing experience.
2. Must have and maintain current or compact licensure in the state of North Carolina.
3. Must maintain current CPR certification.
4. Must have a valid North Carolina driver’s license and an automobile for use in making home visits.
5. Ability to work in a team with clinical and non-clinical staff.
6. Ability to work with culturally diverse populations.
7. Ability to move or lift at least fifty pounds.
8. Ability to work with nurse supervisor to implement a practice improvement and clinical development plans.
9. Ability to work on weekends, as required
10. Computer proficient and comfortable using laptops as part of in-home assessment and intervention.
11. Preferred skills include (a) Spanish language proficiency, (b) clinical experience related to domestic violence, substance abuse and/or depression, (c) one or more years experience in child/maternal health, public health, home visiting, or other related field, and (d) Certified Lactation Educator or Consultant.
Salary Range:
45,000 - $55,000
Contact:
Paula Wright, BSN, RN, IBCLC
Director of Clinical Services
Durham Connects
Center for Child and Family Health
1121 W. Chapel Hill Street, Ste 100
Durham, NC 27701
919-385-0706
