Position: Director of Nursing

St. Joseph County Department of Health – Nursing Unit

Opening Date: November 15, 2024

Closing Date: Until Filled

Salary: Up to $91,111/year

Location: 227 W. Jefferson Blvd., South Bend, IN 46601 – 9th Floor

Status: Full Time

Job Category: PAT (Professional, Administrative, Technological)

FLSA Status: Exempt

Incumbent serves as Director of Nursing for the St. Joseph County Health Department, responsible for planning, organizing, overseeing, and monitoring programs, services, and policies of the Nursing Unit, providing medical services, and supervising assigned personnel.

DUTIES:

Provides oversight and leadership to the Nursing Unit, medical records, and HIPAA privacy, monitoring changes in laws, legal requirements, and services in other departments/agencies affecting Nursing Unit operations. Works with Health Officer to effectively assess operations and develop, revise, and implement internal controls, policies, and procedures.

Prepares and manages annual budget for Nursing Unit, formulating recommendations, developing methods to increase efficiency and revenue, allocating resources, and prioritizing services. Documents transactions and verifies financial records as required.

Prepares a variety of regular reports as required by Indiana Department of Health (IDOH), County Health Board, and other government and regulating agencies.

Works with the Health Officer and management teams in formulating Department’s strategic plan, including identifying system needs, capital requirements and new technology for all supervised areas, developing action plans/follow-up, and ensuring understanding and implementation of plan by Unit personnel.

Effectively supervises and directs assigned personnel, including reviewing position documentation, interviewing candidates and making hiring decisions, planning and delegating work assignments, determining significant changes in responsibilities, evaluating performance results, maintaining discipline and recommending corrective actions, communicating and administering personnel programs and procedures, and keeping supervisor and assigned staff informed of organization developments.

Serves as a Department representative to the public, including responding to complaints and inquiries, attending meetings and conferences with IDOH and other government, County agencies, coordinating and/or resolving problems with services, responding to assistance needs, and providing information upon request.

Prepares and manages Unit budget, formulating recommendations, developing methods to increase efficiency and revenue, allocating resources, and prioritizing services. Maintains transaction documents and verifies financial records as required.

Administers grant and program funds, ensuring compliance with guidelines and requirements of grants and funding agencies, compiling and filing required reports and re-applications, and maintaining communication with funding agencies as needed.

Ensures Nursing Unit representation on community public health projects, committees, and taskforces and develops strategies for integrating the Nursing Unit with health care providers within the community.

Ensures proper maintenance and filing of Unit records, including reviewing investigation files, developing resource files, and supervising medical records files. Maintains and updates Unit personnel files as needed.

Ensures studies and surveys are conducted to determine effectiveness of supervised programs and develops new programs to meet identified community needs.

Conducts regular meetings with Unit staff to review operations and share professional information as appropriate.

Maintains current knowledge of and skills in public health nursing, immunizations, tuberculosis treatment and control, and medical records issues and HIPAA regulations by participating in continuing education and in-service programs, attending workshops, and reading professional articles and journals.

Serves on a 24-hour call for emergencies.

Performs related duties as assigned.

I. JOB REQUIREMENTS:

Bachelor’s degree in nursing and at least three (3) years of health care management/supervisory experience required. Master’s degree in nursing preferred.

Possession of required certifications, training, and licensing, including current licensing as Registered Nurse in the State of Indiana and CPR and TB certifications. Upload copies of licenses with resume. 

Must be at least 21 years of age.

Ability to meet all hiring and retention requirements, including passage of drug test.

Thorough knowledge of public health nursing and medical investigation best practices and procedures and federal, state, and local regulations and guidelines governing public health nursing operations, with ability to effectively provide medical services, research related resources, perform medical investigations, monitor operations, maintain medical records and

files, create policies and procedures, and ensure compliance with all legal requirements.

Practical knowledge of standard policies and practices of St Joseph County Department of Health, with ability to apply appropriate procedures accordingly.

Working knowledge of County and department budget processes and ability to properly prepare and administer Unit budget, including ability to effectively obtain and retain special program funding, write grants, compile required reports, and ensure compliance with grant and funding requirements.

Working knowledge of health and social services available to County residents, and ability to implement public health programs, coordinate services, and facilitate referrals as appropriate.

Working knowledge of standard English grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and ability to prepare documents, correspondence, and detailed written reports as required.

Working knowledge of standard office policies and procedures with computer skills, including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, email, internet, and Department-specific software systems, and ability to apply such knowledge to a variety of interrelated processes, tasks, and operations.

Working knowledge of filing systems with ability to create and maintain accurate and complete Department files.

Ability to effectively supervise and direct assigned personnel, including reviewing position documentation, interviewing candidates, and making hiring decisions, planning and delegating work assignments, determining significant changes in responsibilities, evaluating performance results, maintaining discipline and recommending corrective actions, communicating and administering personnel programs and procedures, and keeping supervisor and assigned staff informed of organization developments.

Ability to properly operate standard office equipment, including computer, calculator, telephone, cell phone, copier, scanner, and fax machine, and to drive a vehicle.

Ability to effectively listen, comprehend, and communicate orally and in writing with co-workers, other County and City departments, state departments and agencies, social service agencies, community organizations, media, health care providers, schools, and the public, including being sensitive to professional ethics, gender, cultural diversities, and disabilities.

Ability to competently serve the public with diplomacy and respect, including occasional encounters with irate or difficult persons.

Ability to work alone with minimum supervision with others in a team environment.

Ability to plan, coordinate, and organize work assignments, work rapidly for long periods, and work on several tasks at a time, occasionally under time pressure or amidst distractions.

Ability to apply knowledge of people and locations, and to compare or observe similarities and differences between data, people, or things.

Ability to plan and coordinate activities, utilize good judgment in extreme and uncommon situations, and maintain constructive relationships.

Ability to identify steps necessary to reach objectives, define practical courses of action, and put into effect changes in policies and procedures.

Ability to count and perform arithmetic operations.

Ability to compile and classify, and analyze data, and make data-driven decisions.

Ability to understand, memorize, retain, and carry out written or oral instructions and present findings in oral or written form.

Ability to provide public access to or maintain confidentiality of Department information and records according to state requirements and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Ability to plan and deliver public speaking engagements.

Shall comply with all employer and Department policies and work rules, including, but not limited to, attendance, safety, drug-free workplace, and personal conduct.

Ability to occasionally work extended, evening, and weekend hours and respond to public health emergencies on a 24-hour basis or from off-duty status.

Possession of a valid driver’s license and demonstrated safe driving record.

II. DIFFICULTY OF WORK:

Incumbent operates within general guidelines, where desired results of work product are specified. Incumbent applies agency policies and standards to a wide array of situations which have a major impact on departmental operations and functions. Unusual problems or situations may be discussed with supervisor, and work is periodically assessed for soundness of judgment and conformity with overall departmental standards.

III. RESPONSIBILITY:

Incumbent’s duties directly contribute to departmental effectiveness by recommending departmental policies, programs, and standards. Incumbent operates within general objectives and interpretations of objectives are discussed with supervisor. Work product is reviewed upon completion for attainment of departmental objectives and standards.

IV. PERSONAL WORK RELATIONSHIPS:

Incumbent maintains frequent communication with co-workers, other County and City departments, state departments and agencies, social service agencies, community organizations, media, health care providers, schools, and the public for purposes of exchanging information,

rendering service, negotiating, and instructing.

Incumbent reports directly to Health Officer.

V. PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Incumbent performs duties primarily in standard office and medical clinic environments, involving sitting/walking at will, sitting/standing/walking for long periods, lifting/carrying objects weighing less than 25 pounds, bending, reaching, crouching/kneeling, handling/ grasping/fingering objects, keyboarding, close/far vision, color/depth perception, hearing sounds/communication, speaking clearly, and driving. Incumbent is exposed to normal health hazards associated with public health nursing, including occasional encounters with irate or difficult persons, for which universal health precautions must be followed to ensure safety of self and others.

Incumbent is required to occasionally work extended, evening, and weekend hours and respond to public health emergencies on a 24-hour basis or from off-duty status.