San Mateo County Health's Correctional Health Services is seeking qualified and experienced Correctional Health Nurses to perform varied professional nursing duties with primary emphasis on professional nursing care for inmates within a locked correctional facility; treat and educate patients about various medical conditions; record medical histories and symptoms; perform diagnostic tests and analyze results; operate medical machinery; administer treatment and medications to over 100 patients in an 8-hour shift; assist with patient follow-up and rehabilitation; and perform other duties as assigned and required. Correctional facilities include the Maguire and Maple Street Correctional Centers (Redwood City) and Youth Services Center (San Mateo).
Correctional Health Services is a rewarding place to work where the main goal is to keep our patients safe and healthy during their incarceration. Nursing staff work well with custody staff, where you can challenge yourself to develop skills in a place where autonomy is highly valued.
The current vacancies are for five benefitted regular full- time (1.0 FTE) Correctional Health Nurses at our Maguire and Maple Street Correctional Centers in Redwood City and at our Youth Services Center in San Mateo for a variety of shifts.
Under general direction, Correctional Health Nurses are fully competent to independently perform a full range of professional nursing duties and procedures requiring one to exercise a high degree clinical judgment. Incumbents also provide lead direction to other nursing and paraprofessional personnel.
Correctional Health Services provides integrated medical, dental, mental health, and chemical dependency treatment to the incarcerated adult population, as well as medical and dental care to the juvenile hall population of San Mateo County, as described below:
- Medical services include health screening, treatment, education, and 24-hour emergency response for adults.
- Clinic appointments are available by referral and upon request and include chronic care for hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and HIV, as well as obstetric, orthopedic, and urgent care.
- Dental services include treatment and medication for urgent dental conditions and extractions for adults and juveniles.
- Mental health services include crisis intervention, evaluation, treatment, psychiatric medication, behavior management, and continuing care referrals.
- Day treatment services are provided to mentally ill men and women in the Life Skills Program at the Maguire and Maple Street Correctional Centers.
- CHS also provides weekly group therapy; cognitive behavioral approach to addiction and recovery; and re-entry services for those transitioning back into the community.
The ideal candidates:
Will be well-rounded and will have knowledge of Correctional Health and Mental Health nursing; Emergency Room or ICU experience; or a strong Medical/Surgical and Telemetry foundation. OB/GYN, pediatric experience and psychiatric care experience are also ideal, but not required. Candidates must be able to administer medications to over 100 patients within an 8- hour shift, in a locked correctional facility and on weekends.
Examples Of Duties
Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Administer treatment and medications to over 100 patients within an 8-hour shift.
- Complete patient assessments and triage, as well as record patient histories, symptoms, and observations.
- Establish and implement nursing care plans for each patient through assessment, development, activation, and evaluation.
- Participate in patient case conferences and rounds.
- Organize, assign, and supervise duties and responsibilities of other staff members as a team leader.
- Orient and teach new staff members of the nursing team and students.
- Perform nursing care following prescribed rules, policies, protocol, and procedures.
- Identify problems, assist in data gathering, propose solutions and participate in evaluation of quality assurance issues.
- Work with patients and their families to provide in-hospital and after-hospital follow-up through teaching and referral.
- Work with patients and their families to provide in-custody and after custody follow-up through teaching and referral.
- Participate in educational programs to maintain level of expertise.
- Participate in non-clinical assignments, which may include maintaining records, preparing reports, and/or serving on special committees.
- Maintain records and prepare reports.
- Operate a variety of medical machinery and equipment.
- Maintain knowledge of outpatient resources.
- Develop discharge plans for patients.
- Perform related duties as assigned and as required by assigned work setting, as described below.
Duties for nurses in this series may also include the following:
- Perform professional nursing duties within a locked correctional facility.
- Check vital signs; give injections; perform catheterizations, IZ Registry, Point of Care Testing; and draw blood for medical purposes.
- Start, maintain, and discontinue intravenous lines.
- Monitor patient rehabilitation.
- Perform mental status exams and implement plan of care based on assessment findings.
- Monitor and document on patients in restraint and seclusion while maintaining patient safety.
- Determine medical or psychiatric emergency need and provide intervention.
- Recognize symptoms of major psychiatric diagnosis.
- Perform related duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Licensure/Certification:
Possession of a California license as a Registered Nurse or equivalent and a valid Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
Application/Examination
Open & Promotional. Anyone may apply. Current County of San Mateo and County of San Mateo Superior Court of California employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, Confidential and Management extra-help/limited term, and SEIU or AFSCME represented extra help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score on this examination.
TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE
Application Deadline: April 24, 2024, 11:59 PM
Application Screening: April 29, 2024
Combined Panel/Department Interviews: May 15th and/or 16th, 2024