POSITION:  Public Health Nurse

DEPARTMENT:  St. Joseph County Department of Health

WORK SCHEDULE: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. M-F

JOB CATEGORY:  PAT (Professional, Administrative, Technological)

SALARY:  Up to $66,657

STATUS:  Full-Time

FLSA STATUS:  Exempt

DATES: November 14, 2025 until filled

To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function. The requirements listed in this document are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or abilities required. St. Joseph County provides reasonable accommodations to qualified employees and applicants with known disabilities who require accommodation to complete the application process or perform essential functions of the job unless those accommodations would present an undue hardship.

Incumbent serves as Public Health Nurse (PHN) for the St. Joseph County Department of Health, responsible for providing health, education, and nursing care to County residents, reporting communicable diseases to the Indiana Department of Health, and ensuring compliance with established policies, practices, regulations, and professional and public health standards.

Benefits

Affordable Medical, Dental, and Vision Plans

Paid Time Off (PTO) with generous accruals

Employer Paid Life Insurance coverage

Short-Term and Long-Term Disability (STD/LTD)

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for healthcare and dependent care

Gym Membership Discounts to encourage wellness

Employer-Funded PERF (Public Employees' Retirement Fund)

Access to additional voluntary benefits and resources

Responsibilities

Incumbent ensures proper implementation of public health programs, including examining, educating, testing, and treating individuals. Goals and objectives of incumbent’s work are known and work is reviewed primarily for compliance with Department policy and legal requirements. Decisions are restricted by only the broadest policy and/or guidance from supervisor, and unusual circumstances are discussed with supervisor at incumbent’s discretion.

Manages the care of clients using established protocols, ensuring compliance with all applicable Department policies and procedures, Indiana Department of Health standards, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations, and all other federal and state laws relating to privacy, confidentiality, and service delivery.

Provides health care and education to County residents, including administering immunizations to infants, children and adults, lead testing, and tuberculosis testing as necessary. Provides education to prevent injury or transmission of reportable illness.

Investigates reportable communicable diseases, providing education to infected clients and their close contacts, submitting appropriate specimens to lab, completing and filing epidemiological reports, and submitting to Indiana Department of Health. Provides case follow-up as needed.

Notifies clients with possible food borne illness, providing education, completing food history, and works with the Food Services Division on possible food borne illness cases.

Investigates, documents, and provides follow-up for complaints from the Indiana Department of Health, local health care delivery agencies, private individuals, patients, or family members regarding health care delivery within St. Joseph County.

Ability to occasionally work extended, evening, and/or weekend hours, travel out of town for meetings and workshops, sometimes overnight, and respond to public health emergencies on a 24-hour basis.

Qualifications

Associate’s degree in nursing required.

Possession of required certifications and training, including valid Indiana license as Registered Nurse, and certifications in CPR, lead, Vaccines A-Z or equivalent, TB skin test administration, QuantiFERON blood draw, HIPAA, and other areas as required for public health programs and operations.

Education/Experience

Bachelor’s degree with previous experience in public health nursing preferred. 

Physical Requirements

Thorough knowledge of public health laws and accepted principles and practices of public health nursing, with ability to effectively examine and screen individuals, assess needs, research professional medical resources, and provide information, treatments, assistance, and referrals as appropriate.

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

Practical knowledge of health and social services available to St. Joseph County residents, with ability to implement public health programs and facilitate referrals as appropriate.

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

Ability to provide public access to or maintain confidentiality of Department information and records according to state requirements and HIPAA.