Public Health Surveillance Nurse (HPC/RN 4)

Qualifications and Experience:

• Certificate/Diploma/B.Sc. in General Nursing and Certificate in Midwifery from accredited schools of Nursing and Midwifery. 
• BSc. in Public Health Nursing 
• Minimum seven (7) years of clinical practice to proficiency level as Registered Nurse and Registered Midwife incorporating acting responsibility. 
• Three (3) years’ experience as a Public Health Nurse 

Plus 

• Registration with the Nursing Council of Jamaica in General Nursing and Midwifery

Required Knowledge, Skills and Competencies:

• Excellent Knowledge of Current trends in Public Health Nursing 
• Sound knowledge of the Primary Health Care Reform 
• Sound Knowledge of the Nursing, health and related legislation 
• Excellent knowledge of Research Methodology, Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Reproductive Health 
• Working knowledge of the Staff Orders and the Human Resource Policies and Procedures
• Excellent leadership skills 
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills 
• Good time management skills 
• Excellent investigative methods and analytical skills. 
• Good problem solving and decision making skills. 
• Excellent planning and organizing skills. 
• Good team building skills 

Key Responsibilities will include:

SURVEILLANCE ACTIVITIES 

• Conducts review of Health Records for patients with infectious diseases and initiate public health actions. 
• Conducts hospital active surveillance procedures inclusive of laboratory surveillance.
• Initiates investigations for critical notifiable conditions and events within the prescribed time.
• Sensitizes staff regarding appropriate sampling. 
• Coordinates timely transportation of samples to the appropriate laboratory.
• Collects, analyses and disseminates data to enhance timely investigation of Class 1 Diseases.
• Oversees/supervises the management/ control of Diarrheal disease programmes in Accident and Emergency/Casualty Departments and isolation/ infectious units. 
• Coordinates the timely collection of samples for routine surveillance and during outbreaks.
• Analyzes data to assess trends in surveyed health conditions to facilitate early detection of outbreaks and identify affected geographical locations. 
• Maintenance of Tuberculosis and other registers when applicable. Collect TB discharge notifications. 
• Tracking of samples as per public health policy 
• Timely dissemination of relevant information to public health practitioners to enhance timely investigations 
• Conducts monthly visits to hotels with 100 and more rooms to assess the practice standards of hotel nurses in keeping with the Public Health Act. 
• Audits relevant registers at the Nurse’s Station in hotels to identify trends of health conditions among staff and guest. 
• Validates disease outbreaks in hotels and inform appropriate public health personnel for appropriate and timely investigation of outbreaks. 
• Collaborates with secondary care, Head of Departments for the immunization of staff, adults and children. 
• Collaborates with the relevant health care personnel for home interventions for special/ high risk cases such as Lead Poisoning, childhood malnutrition, prematurity, parasuicide, accidental poisoning and rheumatic fever. 
• Home assessment for cases for Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms such as MRSA and referral of those cases. 

Clinical 

• Provides infection prevention/control advice, support and information to all healthcare personnel, patients and visitors to minimize the spread of infection. 
• Administers BCG and other vaccinations to babies, children, adults and staff as required.
• Serves as liaison for the coordination of post-natal and domiciliary services.
• Participates in the investigation of outbreaks of diseases in keeping with public health procedures. 
• Investigates complaints and adverse incidents which have implications for cross infection and institutes the necessary changes for service improvement. 

Education 

• Facilitates and strengthens Health Promotion/education activities within institutions for staff and patients. 
• Demonstrates correct sampling technique to detect diseases of public health significance
• Conducts workshops, seminars, lectures that explicate the impact of communicable/infectious diseases on the health of the nation. 
• Liaises with Infection Control team members and develops research topics.
• Implements research programmes, analyze and present findings. 

SPECIAL CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE JOB:

• Required to work beyond normal working hours. 
• Required to meet critical deadlines. 
• Exposure to confidential and sensitive information 

NB. ONLY SHORTLISTED APPLICANTS WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGED.