Nurse Practitioner I-Ambulatory - San Joaquin County California

This examination is being given to fill one vacancy with San Joaquin Health Centers and to establish an eligible list to fill future vacancies. 

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of an application. A completed application must be postmarked or received online by the final filing deadline.

Offers of employment are contingent upon passing a background check and drug screen.

NOTE: All correspondences relating to this recruitment will be delivered via e-mail. The e-mail account used will be the one provided on your employment application during time of submittal. Please be sure to check your e-mail often for updates. If you do not have an e-mail account on file, Human Resources will send you correspondences via US Mail.

• Elicits, records, and/or reviews medical histories and performs acute primary care pre-employment, annual, periodic, and various other routine physical examinations on patients ranging from newborn through geriatric, utilizing the problem-oriented medical record or other appropriate systems; provides general and specific health and medical instruction to patients, clients and families.
• Coordinates individual and family health management, utilizing physician resources or- community agencies; provides guidance instruction, treatment and referral in such areas of family planning, sexually transmitted diseases (STD), Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), drug abuse, child care and hygiene; assists patients with selection, fitting and placing of appropriate contraceptive devices.
• Performs early diagnostic examinations including vision, hearing, pap smears, and other examinations; may order laboratory tests, x-rays, electrocardiograms and other diagnostic tests; may collect specimens for, perform, and interpret selected laboratory tests and take action on abnormals as necessary; provides immunization and gives injections.
• Identifies basic complex medical conditions; determines if patient’s medical, surgical, and psychiatric problems require immediate consultation with the physician; treats conditions and manages stable phases of chronic illnesses on consultation with or following specific protocols established by physicians, including dispensing and/or administering medication when indicated; alerts appropriate medical personnel and/or agencies of potential community health problems as encountered.
• Provides routine prenatal care and post-partum follow-up for mother and child; conducts newborn and well child examinations; provides comprehensive health screening assessments; provides treatment of pediatric illness.
• Observes and evaluates emotional condition of patient; counsels and supports patients in the area of psychosocial problems and inter-relationships; provides emergency treatment or referral for patients with severe emotional upsets.
• May work in hospital, outpatient, custodial, public health, satellite and mobile staff; may coordinate clinic activities; may orient and oversee nursing students, medical students and other providers.
• Provides for Quality Assurance through review and audit of clinic charts to assure adequate medical management and follow-up; provides consultation to other providers.
• Keeps records and completes forms and questionnaires as required.
• Attends meetings and workshops; serves on committees as assigned; provides consultation and assistance in areas of specialty to other areas of Health Care Services; participates in and may conduct in-service training.

Education: Completion of an approved Nurse Practitioner training program at an accredited college or university or certified program.

Licenses & Certificates: 1) Current registration as a nurse and certification as a Nurse Practitioner in the State of California; 2) Current possession of a furnishing license through the State of California, Board of Registered Nursing; or ability to obtain the State of California, Board of Registered Nursing furnishing license within one (1) year of employment.

Special Qualification: 1) In order to practice at San Joaquin General Hospital, must be credentialed and granted privileges through the San Joaquin General Hospital Committee on Interdisciplinary Practice (CIDP) within ninety (90) days of appointment and in accordance with medical staff bylaws and state regulations. New employees may be granted temporary privileges by the Medical Director or designee, pending Committee Interdisciplinary Practice approval; 2) Eligibles may be certified only to job vacancies in the area of specialization in which they possess specialized education and certification.

The general procedures, techniques and equipment used in family medicine, community health, mental health and professional nursing; medical terminology, various hospital and clinic routines, equipment and facilities; full range of medical conditions of applicable medical specialty including procedures utilized in prevention, diagnosis and treatment; maternal and child health practices; basic laboratory procedures; uses, effects, problems and treatment of abuse of medicines and narcotics; social, public health, mental health and other community treatment agencies; principles of human behavior including basic causes, symptoms and treatment of mental illness and instability; basic medical record keeping; diverse needs and problems of various cultural groups; principles and practices of communicable disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Elicit and record complete and accurate medical histories; perform physical examinations; identify medical conditions which require immediate consultation with the physician; follow protocols in treating acute and stable chronic diseases as established by physicians; communicate effectively; recognize the behavior and attitudes that influence individual and family health; observe and evaluate emotional conditions; interpret laboratory data; provide guidance and health instruction to patients; lead and train other staff; work with high risk clientele; learn to work independently in absence of on-site physician direction.

Mobility-Frequent standing for long periods; constant walking; occasional pushing/pulling; occasional bending/squatting; Lifting-Occasional lifting of 5lbs. Or less, restraining, lifting/turning people; Visual Requirements-Frequent color perception; occasional eye/hand coordination, peripheral vision and depth perception; frequent reading; Dexterity-Occasional holding and repetitive motion; frequent reaching, grasping and writing; Hearing/Talking-Constant hearing normal speech, talking in person, talking on the telephone; frequent hearing on the telephone and hearing faint sounds; Emotional/Psychological-Occasional emergency situations, exposure to hazardous materials, working weekends/nights; overtime; frequent exposure to trauma, grief an death; constant public contact, decision making, concentration; Environmental Conditions-Frequent exposure to noise; occasional exposure to hazardous materials.

San Joaquin County complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and, upon request, will consider reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

San Joaquin County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer and is committed to providing equal employment to all without regard to age, ancestry, color, creed, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation or belief, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.  For more information go to Equal Employment Opportunity Division (sjgov.org).

Accommodations for those covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):

San Joaquin County complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and, upon request, will consider reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

Health Insurance: San Joaquin County provides full-time employees and part-time employees eligible for benefits with a choice of three health plans:  a Kaiser Plan, a Select Plan, and a Premier Plan. Employees pay a portion of the cost of the premiums. Dependent coverage is available for all plans.

Dental Insurance:  The County provides employees with a choice of two dental plans:  Delta Dental and United Health Care-Select Managed Care Direct Compensation Plan.  There is no cost for employee only coverage in either plan; dependent coverage is available at the employee’s expense.

Vision Insurance:  The County provides vision coverage through Vision Service Plan (VSP).  There is no cost for employee only coverage; dependent coverage is available at the employee’s expense.

For more detailed information on the County’s benefits program, visit our website at www.sjgov.org under Human Resources/Benefits.

Life Insurance: The County provides eligible employees with life insurance coverage as follows:

1 but less than 3 years of continuous service:                   $1,000
3 but less than 5 years of continuous service:                   $3,000
5 but less than 10 years of continuous service:                 $5,000
10 years of continuous service or more:                           $10,000

Employees may purchase additional term life insurance up to a maximum of $200,000 at the group rate.

125 Flexible Benefits Plan:  This is a voluntary program that allows employees to use pre-tax dollars to pay for health-related expenses that are not paid by a medical, dental or vision plan (Health Flexible Spending Account $2550 annual limit with a $500 carry over); and dependent care costs (Dependent Care Assistance Plan $5000 annual limit). 

Retirement Plan: Employees of the County are covered by the County Retirement Act of 1937.  Please visit the San Joaquin County Employees’ Retirement Association (SJCERA) at www.sjcera.org for more information.  NOTE:  If you are receiving a retirement allowance from another California county covered by the County Employees’ Retirement Act of 1937 or from any governmental agency covered by the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS), you are advised to contact the Retirement Officer of the Retirement Plan from which you retired to determine what effect employment in San Joaquin County would have on your retirement allowance.

Deferred Compensation:  The County maintains a deferred compensation plan under Section 457 of the IRS code. You may annually contribute $22,500 or 100% of your includible compensation, whichever is less.  Individuals age 50 or older may contribute to their plan, up to $30,000. The Roth IRA (after tax) is also now available.

Vacation:  Maximum earned vacation is 15 days each year up to 10 years; 20 days after 10 years; and 23 days after 20 years.  Accrual rate is prorated for part-time employees eligible for benefits.

Holiday: 14 paid holidays per year.

Educational Leave: Each fiscal year, department heads grant 40 hours to full-time employees or 24 hours to part-time employees eligible for benefits of educational leave that are not carried beyond the end of the fiscal year.

Sick Leave: 12 working days of sick leave annually with unlimited accumulation.  Sick leave incentive: An employee is eligible to receive eight hours administrative leave if the leave balance equals at least one-half of the cumulative amount that the employee is eligible to accrue.  The employee must also be on payroll during the entire calendar year.

Bereavement Leave: 3 days of paid leave for the death of an immediate family member, 2 additional days of accrued leave for death of employee’s spouse, domestic partner, parent or child.

Merit Salary Increase: New employees will receive the starting salary, which is the first step of the salary range.  After employees serve 52 weeks (2080 hours) on each step of the range (1840 hours for part-time employees), they are eligible for a merit increase to the next step. 

Standby Pay: Employees designated by appointing authority to be in standby status is compensated at 33.33% of their regular hourly rate.

Educational Supplement: Any bargaining unit nurse who meets at least one of the following criteria will receive an Educational Supplement equal to 5% of their base salary:

• For those classifications that require an Associate's Degree of Nursing, the nurse has a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing. (Nurses who work in Mental Health may substitute a Bachelor's Degree in Pyschology or Social Worker for a degree in Nursing.)
• For those classifications that require a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing, the nurse has a Master's of Science in Nursing.
• Possess National or approved International certification in the specialty area in which the nurse currently is assigned.
• Possess CCRN Certification and active ACLS Certificate.
• Provide proof of completion of a critical care class and active ACLS Certificate.

License/Certificate Fees: The County provides reimbursement for specific classifications under the CNA MOU for fees required to renew State required license/certification.  Fees associated with initial license/certification will not be covered.

Pre-Employment Physical Exam: If required, will be conducted at San Joaquin County General Hospital at no cost to the employee.

Job Sharing: Any regular, permanent full-time employee may agree to job-share a position, subject to approval by a Department Head and the Director of Human Resources.

Educational Reimbursement Program: The County offers an Educational Reimbursement Program.  Eligible employees (civil service and part-time eligible for benefits) may be reimbursed for career-related course work taken on the employee’s own time up to $850 per fiscal year; an employee enrolled in an approved degree program may be reimbursed up to $800 per semester for a maximum of $1600 per fiscal year per fiscal year.

Parking Supplemental Downtown Stockton: The County contributes up to $17 per pay period for employees who pay for parking and are assigned to work in the Downtown Core Area.

School Activities:  Employees may take up to 40 hours per year, but not more than eight (8) hours per month, to participate in their children’s school activities.

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will go through the following examination process:

• Written Exam: The civil service written exam is a multiple choice format.  If the written exam is administered alone, it will be 100% of the overall score.  Candidates must achieve a minimum rating of 70% in order to be placed on the eligible list.
  
• Oral Exam:   The oral exam is a structured interview process that will assess the candidate’s education, training, and experience and may include a practical exercise.   The oral exam selection process is not a hiring interview.   A panel of up to four people will determine the candidate’s score and rank for placement on the eligible list.  Top candidates from the eligible list are referred for hiring interviews.  If the oral exam is administered alone, it will be 100% of the overall score.  Candidates must achieve a minimum rating of 70% in order to be placed on the eligible list. 
  
• Written & Oral Exam:  If both a written exam and an oral exam is administered, the written exam is weighted at 60% and the oral exam is weighted at 40% unless otherwise indicated on the announcement.  Candidates must achieve a minimum rating of 70% on each examination in order to be placed on the eligible list.
  
• Rate-out:  A rate-out is an examination that involves a paper rating of the candidate’s application using the following criteria: education, training, and experience. Candidates will not be scheduled for the rate-out process. 

 Note:  The rating of 70 referred to may be the same or other than an arithmetic 70% of the total possible points.

Testing Accommodation:  Candidates who require testing accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) must call Human Resources Division at (209) 468-3370 prior to the examination date.   

Veteran’s Points:  Eligible veterans, unmarried widows and widowers of veterans of the United States Armed Forces who have been honorably discharged and who have served during wartime shall be given veteran’s points in initial appointment to County service.  Eligible veterans receive 5 points and eligible disabled veterans receive 10 points. Disabled veterans must submit a recent award letter stating a 10% service connected disability issued by the United States Veterans Administration.  Note:  A copy of your DD214 showing the discharge type must be received in the Human Resources by the date of the examination.

Acceptable wartime service dates:

• September 16, 1940 to December 31, 1946

• June 27, 1950 to January 31, 1955

• August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975

• Persian Gulf War, August 2, 1990, through a date to be set by law or Presidential Proclamation.

Eligible Lists:  Candidates who pass the examination will be placed on an eligible list for that classification.  Eligible lists are effective for nine months, but may be extended by the Human Resources Director for a period which shall not exceed a total of three years from the date established.

Certification/Referral:Names from the eligible list will be referred to the hiring department by the following methods.

• Rule of the Rank:The top rank or ranks of eligibles will be referred for hiring interviews.  The minimum number of names to be referred will be equal to the number of positions plus nine, or 10% of the eligible list, whichever is higher.  When filling nine or more positions in a department at the same time, the top rank or ranks will be referred and the minimum number of names shall be two times the number of positions to be filled or 10% of the eligible list, whichever is higher. This applies only to open competitive recruitments.
• Rule of Five:  The top five names will be referred for hiring interviews.  This applies only to department or countywide promotional examination.
• Rule of the List: For classifications designated by the Director of Human Resources, the entire eligible list will be referred to the department.

Physical Exam: Some classifications require physical examinations. Final appointment cannot be made until the eligible has passed the physical examination. The County pays for physical examinations administered in its medical facilities.

Pre-Employment Drug Screening Exam:  Some classifications require a new employee successfully pass a pre-employment drug screen as a condition of employment.  Final appointment cannot be made until the eligible has passed the drug screen.  The County pays for the initial drug screen.

Employment of Relatives:Applicants who are relatives of employees in a department within the 3rd degree of relationship, (parent, child, grand parent, grand child or sibling) either by blood or marriage, may not be appointed, promoted, transferred into or within the department when;

• They are related to the Appointing Authority or

• The employment would result in one of them supervising the work of the other.

Department Head may establish additional limitations on the hiring of relatives by departmental rule.

Proof of Eligibility: If you are offered a job you will be required to provide proof of U.S. citizenship or other documents that establish your eligibility to be employed in the U.S.