Staff Nurse IV - Inpatient - San Joaquin County California

San Joaquin County, CA

About the Job

Introduction

TYPICAL DUTIES

Initiates the nursing process and performs advanced level clinical patient care, including complex and difficult therapeutic measures prescribed by medical authority within the limits of the Nurse Practice Act and department policy; participates in preparation and implementation of written nursing care plans for individual patients.
Evaluates the total nursing needs of the patient including physical, psychological, spiritual, cultural and socio-economic; participates in planning, coordinating and administering total patient care; evaluates symptoms, reactions, and progress; participates in preparation and implementation of written nursing care plans for individual patients.
May function as a first-level supervisor in an outpatient clinic or program over para-professional or clerical staff; may select, assign, train, direct, evaluate and discipline staff as appropriate; may participate in the development of unit policies and procedures; may assist with development and maintenance of the department budget; may provide crisis intervention, may consult with therapeutic multi-disciplinary team in reviewing patient progress and success of treatment plans.
May facilitate insurance billing and other reimbursement-related procedures by processing appropriate paperwork and making necessary internal and external contacts.
Works with patients and families through teaching, counseling, and other methodology in order to help them understand, cope with, and accept illness, treatment, and therapy; assists in self care strategies.
Serves as a preceptor for new employees by orienting, teaching, participating in the evaluation process, and by serving as a role model and resource person.
Maintains record of patient's health care treatment and/or hospital stay; prepares reports and standard forms.
May function as a charge nurse in an inpatient unit; may assume full responsibility for the supervision of a shift in the absence of a Staff Nurse V or Nursing Department Manager; supervises and assists nursing personnel in the performance of patient care.
Maintains and updates knowledge base and nursing skills by reading literature, attending workshops, lectures, conferences, and classes as may be required by the Administration of the Department of Health Care Services.
Participates in the identification of staff development needs for members of the Nursing staff.
Participates on committees as assigned; may represent the Department of Health Care Services to outside agencies.
Prepares and presents, within established guidelines, clinical projects as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE

Theory, techniques, and practices of nursing; new developments in patient care, particularly in area of specialization; skills specific to clinical scope of practice; the nursing process; nursing staffing patterns; principles and practices of employee supervision; health care safety principles and practices.

ABILITY

Supervise and assist members of the health care team; maintain a high standard of care; deal with patients empathetically and respectfully while performing treatments prescribed; instruct patients in self care and preventative health strategies; follow oral and written instructions of technical and professional nature in accurately; establish and maintain effective working relationships with others; establish and maintain effective customer service; maintain accurate records and prepare routine reports; develop and implement individualized care plans for patients; coordinate the several types of services which may be necessary for appropriate care; assist other staff in understanding current psycho-physiological aspects of illness; set priorities; work accurately under pressure; interpret policies and procedures; teach clinical skills; develop basic teaching plans; participate effectively in performance improvement processes; provide and promote a positive learning environment.

PHYSICAL/MENTAL REQUIREMENTS

Mobility-Constant walking; frequent operation of a keyboard; standing for long periods of time, pushing/pulling, bending and squatting; occasional sitting for long periods of time, running, climbing stairs and climbing; Frequency of Lifting-Frequent restraining lifting/turning of heavy objects or people; Visual Requirements-Constant need for overall vision, color and depth perception, hand/eye coordination, and field of vision/peripheral vision; frequent reading and close up work; Dexterity-Frequent holding, reaching, grasping, repetitive motion and writing; Hearing/Talking-Constant hearing of normal speech; frequent hearing and talking on telephone or radio; occasional hearing of faint sounds and talking over public address; Emotional/Psychological Factors-Constant concentration and public contact; occasional exposure to hazardous materials, frequent exposure emergency situations, including trauma, grief and death, decision making, working weekends and nights; occasional work at heights, working alone and overtime; Environmental Conditions-Frequent exposure to assaultive behavior by clients; occasional exposure to noise, cold/heat, and hazardous materials, dirt, dust, smoke, fumes and poor ventilation. 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.

Equal Opportunity Employer

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.

BENEFITS

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.

Selection Procedures

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.

Online Written Exams: Written exams may be administered online. Candidates will be notified of the examination date and will be responsible to complete the written exam within a given period of time (typically within five calendar days). Candidates are required to read the Online Exam Guide for Test Takers prior to taking an online written exam.

The link to the guide is here: Online Exam Guide For Test Takers

PLEASE NOTE:

Online exams must be completed in one sitting and can only be taken once

Candidates will have access to an online exam within the allotted time only

A steady internet connection is highly recommended

The allotted time will still continue if a candidate closes the window or gets disconnected

Once the allotted time expires, access to the exam will be unavailable

Microsoft is no longer supporting Internet Explorer. Therefore, it is recommended that candidates do not use Internet Explorer to complete online written exams.

Candidates that do not have access to a computer can contact the Human Resources office at (209)468-3370 for information on accommodations.

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.

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.

Source : San Joaquin County California