Disease Control Nurse Jobs

1. Investigates, evaluates, and assesses occurrences of communicable diseases. Verifies the occurrence and develops an action plan in compliance with local, state, and federal directives.

2. Provides comprehensive nursing services including assessment, teaching, counseling, and prevention services to individuals, families, and groups. Maintains client and program activity records and prepares required reports.

3. Serves as a consultant to assist staff in resolving problems and suggesting alternative treatment approaches. Regularly meets with staff to discuss communicable disease control issues and disseminate information.

4. Investigates and evaluates communicable disease occurrences and implements a course of action to individuals and the public health. Actively participates in pandemic response. Actions include assessment, investigation, prevention, surveillance, education, counseling, consulting, enforcement, re-assessment, and implementation of an action plan. Implements prevention control measures to protect the public health. Develops, implements and maintains Health Department employee health requirements.

5. Monitors and provides case management services to clients with tuberculosis infection in both the private and public health systems. Designs unique plans for clients with complex circumstances such as multi-drug resistant strains of tuberculosis, language barriers, housing issues, cultural beliefs, employment, and economic concerns that uniquely addresses all aspects of the client’s care.

6. Arranges medical appointments, supervises treatment regimens, and monitors ongoing medical testing. Ensures compliance to treatment by personally observing the client taking their medication.

7. Supervises and manages Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI) Clinic. Monitors and provides case management services. Arranges medical appointments, supervises treatment regimens, and monitors ongoing medical testing.

8. Conducts field and office investigations to locate infected individuals including phone calls, letter writing, and office visits and creates appropriate record of investigation.

9. Triages calls or visits from health care providers and community residents, usually regarding a communicable disease or unusual event. Assesses and evaluates information from telephone callers and responds following established protocols. Conducts interviews in the office which include assessment for disease, exposure risks, current health status, education, and an appropriate follow up plan.

10. Works with diverse cultures including non-English speaking clients to overcome barriers to obtaining health care.

11. Represents the agency on community boards and task forces concerned with communicable disease control, providing information about services and participating in the assessment of community needs to establish or revise public health programs, policies, and procedures.

12. Researches, develops, and presents mandatory internal training programs required by OSHA and continuing education unit classes (CEU) to meet professional licensing requirements. Examples of topics are blood borne pathogens, HIV testing and counseling techniques, tuberculosis, West Nile Virus, and other communicable diseases and bioterrorism occurrences. Provides training to nurses as part of their continuing education units (CEU) to meet professional licensing requirements. Collaborates on development of projects with outside agencies.

13. Develops researches, organizes, and implements protocols for communicable diseases. Evaluates procedural changes and assists in the formulation of policies and procedures for manual materials such as tuberculosis protocols for care and resources and communicable disease protocols for all reportable conditions.14. Serves as liaison to other parts of the Health Department and outside agencies to provide information regarding communicable diseases and collaborates on mutual client and public health issues. Mediates concerns and or disputes as necessary.

15. Provides after hours availability (on call) to ensure seamless access to public health services and immediate response which includes assessment of an event and development and implementation of an action plan.

16. Serves as a bioterrorism resource internally to other departments and externally to other agencies and the community at large. Develops screening tools, investigates unusual occurrences, and implements interventions and responses.

17. Keeps nursing home facility administrators aware of current infection control laws and standards of practice that would affect residents and responds to calls from nursing home personnel regarding infection control practices.

18. Ensures that client records are kept secure and confidential and maintained consistent with Health Department policies and procedures and HIPAA standards. Educates clients and families on their rights as related to privacy of medical information.

19. Prepares reports, analyzes data, develops educational materials, and provides quality assurance for community partners and the Health Department.

20. Mediates issues and concerns of clients and coordinates activities with other participants in programs.

• Performs other duties as required
• During a public health emergency, the employee may be required to perform duties similar to but not limited to those in his/her job description.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing or Associate degree with attainment of a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing within 30 months

Experience: Two years of nursing experience, preferably in communicable disease control program.

Other Requirements: Possession of a current license to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of Michigan.

(The qualifications listed above are intended to represent the minimum skills and experience levels associated with performing the duties and responsibilities contained in this job description. The qualifications should not be viewed as expressing absolute employment or promotional standards, but as general guidelines that should be considered along with other job-related selection or promotional criteria.)

• Ability to travel throughout the county.
• Ability to climb stairs to access clients and conduct field investigations.
• Ability to carry audio/visual aids needed to make presentations.
• Ability to access office files.

• Works in office and clinic conditions
• Travels to other locations in the area to conduct investigations and attend meetings.