Registered Nurse (RN) - Care Manager
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department
Tacoma, WA
Sign-On Bonus

Nurse Care Coordinator

Job Summary Looking for a place to apply your professional nursing skills by promoting public health through efforts to educate and support patients? Do you have enthusiasm for supporting patients who often have extremely difficult life circumstances and experience stigma, discrimination, and marginalization? If this sounds like you join our Treatment Services Program as a Registered Nurse - Nurse Care Coordinator in our Strengthening Families Division. This is a Full-time (1.0 FTE), Regular position. * First Review Date of 3/17/24* Some of what you'll do: * Schedule medical appointments and prepare cases for physician or ARNP each day: phlebotomy results, reason for appointment, any current contracts, recent UA results (last 3); for pregnant patients print pregnancy informed consent (if not already signed). * Monitor follow-ups and consults to ensure that patients have attended, and to determine rescheduling necessity or increased number of appointments needed. * Coordinate with phlebotomy nurse for scheduling lab work; follow-up to ensure lab work is completed within 14 business days of order. * For new patients, ensure that review of consent to treatment and explanation that the treatment goal is stabilization is conducted within 30 days of induction: report back to medical team about outcome and next steps. * Perform complex practical nursing assessments and health screening of patients using established, standardized protocols to collect patient vital signs. * Assist physician or ARNP with examinations as needed. * Provide instructions to patients regarding the course of treatment outlined by the physician or ARNP and/or to educate about services, health problems, etc. * Coordinate with front desk and assessment staff for medical induction appointments. * Enter courtesy dosing orders and diagnosis codes. * Run PMP reports for annual physicals, and as needed. * Track patients on benzodiazepine agreements to include medication registration and pill count. * Take turns being on-call after hours for hospitals to verify patient methadone doses. * Assist in training new medical staff to policy, procedure and protocol. * Dispense oral methadone in accordance with physician orders and DEA regulation. * Accurately read PPD test results. * Pre-pour doses for patients with 1x/month and 2x/month take-home status. * Accurate record keeping of methadone received from supplier and dispensed to patients to include logging in new methadone stock and properly numbering/stacking bottles in safe, running/printing end-of-day reports, putting them in correct order and signing them. * Maintain a clean and orderly examination room and dispensary. * Re-stock medical supplies as needed and notify RN Supervisor when medical supplies need to be re-ordered. * Attend mandatory staff meetings and complete required trainings. * Backup duties when RN Supervisor is unavailable - attend weekly Medical Staffing; e-mail medical induction synopses to clinic coordinator; submit SAMHSA requests; order medical supplies and methadone from supplier. * Provide emergency care for clients in medical distress until emergency medical responders arrive. * Additional duties as assigned, includes emergency planning and response. The work you do might require you to participate in the Title XIX Medicaid Claiming Program. Click here for a detailed Classification Specification. What you bring to the table * Knowledge of the fundamentals of providing patient centered care. * Ability to work daily with patients who often have extremely difficult life circumstances and experience stigma, discrimination, and marginalization. * Knowledge of professional nursing principles, practices, and techniques. * Knowledge of and ability to assess client's medical records. * Skill in communicating orally using tact and diplomacy to gain concurrence and cooperation. * Skill in analyzing, compiling, recording data, i.e., client records, pharmacy records, etc. * Ability to provide effective leadership through coaching, training, facilitation, and delegation. * Demonstrates strong communication and patient service skills, both in person, over the phone and via electronic methods. * Demonstrates dynamic critical thinking skills, clinical judgment abilities, visionary capabilities, creativity, tact, empathy, and flexibility. * Demonstrates clinical proficiency in managing complex situations; ability to perform triage functions, take substance use and medical histories. * Demonstrates professional and compassionate conduct, flexibility, reliability, and accountability. * Demonstrates leadership ability and has experience and willingness to lead change. Who should apply Graduation from an accredited school of nursing and three years of registered nursing experience. Desired * Bachelor's of Nursing from a program approved by the National League for Nursing. * Two years of recent clinical experience as an RN working in a clinic/outpatient setting. * Fluency in a second language. * Previous experience in a lead capacity. * Prior experience in a methadone clinic or mental health nursing setting. * Enthusiasm for supporting patients who often have extremely difficult life circumstances and experience stigma, discrimination, and marginalization. Required Certifications and Licensure * Possession of a valid Washington State Registered Nurse License. * Possession of a valid driver's license and an acceptable driver's abstract prior to employment. * BLS Certification in CPR. Working Conditions & Physical Requirements Work Setting: * Work is performed in a indoor clinical setting with periodic outdoor "curbside" dosing throughout the day. * Your office will be set up to provide personal safety, including social distancing, screening, sanitation, disinfection, and masks. Physical Demands: * Sitting/standing/walking; fine motor dexterity; ability to lift, push and pull up to 50 pounds. Tools and Equipment: * Ability to operate a computer with Windows 10 products (Word, Excel, Outlook) and electronic health records. * Duties require the use of standard office furniture and equipment (e.g., desk, filing cabinet, computer, printer, telephone, fax machine, copy machine, etc.) * Ability to use standard medical equipment (thermometer, scale, blood pressure cuff, breathalyzer, O2 sat monitor, stethoscope) to perform assessments. * Medication dispensing equipment (electronic pump/tubing, hand-pump, electronic sealer). Travel: * Some travel may be required, and is typically local or regional, to attend training. * Driving a vehicle requiring a license. When public health responds to an emergency you may be assigned duties that are outside your regular job description. This may involve responding at any time, including nights and weekends, with possible deployment to locations other than the department. Click Herefor more details on reasonable accommodations, safety, risk management and more.