Immunization and Occupational Health Nurse

Job Description:

This is a full-time position

Summary:  The Immunization/Occupational Health Nurse seeks to protect the community and staff from vaccine preventable disease by providing education and immunizations to the community and staff at Petaluma Health Center.  The Immunization/Occupational Health Nurse works closely with the Human Resources Department with responsibilities in the areas of pre-employment and annual health screening of volunteers and employees, education, health promotion programs and assisting in meeting all state and federal regulations. This role has a matrix reporting relationship to the Director of Quality for the Immunization Nurse role and the Director of Risk and Compliance for the Occupational Health Nurse role.

  Immunization Nurse Responsibilities

• Oversee the Vaccine Program at all sites to ensure that the appropriate vaccines are safely administered to patients according to state, federal and international guidelines. Assists staff in interpreting International Vaccine Records, as needed.
• Oversee the Vaccines for Children (VFC) and Vaccines for Adults (VFA) programs to ensure program requirements and protocols are followed. Supervise VFC Coordinators in fulfilling the duties of the program. Serve as the VFC Provider of Record Designee, as needed.
• Oversee ordering by VFC Coordinators and ensure adequate supply of vaccines
• Oversee internal audits of the VFC Program requirements
• Minimize vaccine losses due to storage and handling incidents and expired vaccines
• Attend meetings at Sonoma County Department of Public Health and educational programs from the Vaccines for Children Program and share information with health center staff.
• Maintain relationships with other VFC program providers (clinics and schools)

• Track orders, usage, expirations, and reporting for all State supplied vaccines in collaboration with the Vaccine Coordinators.
• Supervise the MA Vaccine Educator to update educational materials and information, plan education, training, and updates for clinical staff related to immunizations, and ensure immunization manuals for each team are updated annually and as needed.
• Communicate with the CMO, Operations Team and Purchasing about new vaccines or changes to the vaccine schedule affecting vaccine supply or ordering.
• In collaboration with the Quality Improvement Team, monitor data related to vaccines and immunization rates. Participate in quality improvement activities to improve immunization rates and other aspects of the Vaccine Program.
• Maintain accurate vaccine information within the Electronic Health Record, including Lot Manager, Vaccine Orders, and vaccines within Order Sets and Templates. Communicate with the Informatics Team about any vaccine changes to ensure accurate ordering and billing for vaccines in the Electronic Health Record.
• Manage special vaccine clinics such as the annual flu clinics or other vaccine clinics as arise in response to public health mandates, in collaboration with the Operations Team and Purchasing.
• Monitor CAIR (California Immunization Registry) and electronic record interface for updates and training
• Maintain patient records created outside the electronic system for patients receiving immunizations but no primary care services.

Occupational Health Responsibilities:

•  Evaluate and treat all employee injuries and illnesses in an efficient and professional manner within the scope of practice and consistent with clinical nursing guidelines; Guide and direct all referrals to outside healthcare providers and services
• Report all injuries and outcomes to Human Resources and Director of Compliance for tracking and trending.
• Contribute in the design of controls for injury prevention and health surveillance related to actual and potential hazards in the work environment.
• Review occupational health records and immunizations for prospective employees, volunteers, students and interns in collaboration with Human Resources to ensure that all staff, students, and volunteers entering the Center are compliant with CDC guidelines for immunity.
•  Provide immunizations, tuberculosis testing, and FIT mask testing as needed for new staff based on the department and role of the health care worker or support staff.
• Review and maintain occupational health records for all staff, students, externs, and volunteers. 
• Update immunizations and initiate mandated vaccines as per state/federal guidelines to

employees on an annual and as needed basis

• Communicate with staff and ensure that annual tuberculosis screening is completed for all staff with exposure risk by CDC classification.
• Provide monthly reports on the status of staff immunizations, tuberculosis testing, FIT mask testing, and seasonal flu vaccines during the flu season.
• Organize and execute the campaign for staff flu vaccination during the flu season.  Monitor for staff compliance with health center policy regarding flu vaccines.
• Organize and lead employee health campaigns in the health center in collaboration with Human Resources and the Wellness and Nutrition programs.

Experience and Skills:

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. 

Education/Experience:

• Minimum of 2 years of experience working with Department of Health or as a vaccine nurse in a clinic.

Desired Skills:

• Demonstrated clinical skills
• Ability to work with minimal supervision

Licenses and Certifications: 

• Candidate must be able to successfully meet PHC’s credentialing and privileging requirements
• Current CA RN or LVN license

Language Skills:  Bilingual in English and Spanish, both written and verbal preferred.

Mathematical Skills:  Ability to add, subtract, multiply, divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals.

Reasoning Ability:  Ability to recognize problems, collect data and establish facts.

Computer Skills:  Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel and Outlook), electronic medical records and use of a web browser. 

Physical Demands:  The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Movement within health center complex environment repeatedly throughout the day
• Ability to write by hand, use phone, use computer keyboard and mouse extensively to perform general office functions
• Manual wrist and finger dexterity and wrist-finger speed sufficient to perform repetitive actions for extended periods of time
• Ability to effectively communicate by hearing continuously and speech in a manner which can be understood by a diverse population
• Ability to give and follow verbal and written instructions with attention to detail and accuracy
• Must have visual acuity near and far (20 inches to 20 feet), depth perception, field of vision, ability to focus on an object, ability to identify and distinguish colors
• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods of time (minimum periods of one (1) hour at a time)
• Ability to frequently walk, bend, squat, stoop, kneel, twist, crouch, and climb with the use of a step stool
• Ability to grasp, hold and pick up and reach with hands and arms
• Ability to frequently lift and or move up to fifteen (15) pounds
• Ability to occasionally lift and carry up to twenty-five (25) pounds (periodic lifting of supplies or equipment
• Ability to coordinate multiple tasks simultaneously
• Ability to travel to and from other health center sites and community locations

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to Health Center areas and general office environment.  The work environment is a clean, well-lit, well-ventilated, and temperature-controlled environment.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.  The hours of duty are lengthy and irregular.

Acknowledgment:  This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee incumbent in this position.  The Employee may be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested.  This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an "at-will" relationship.