Registered Nurse, Mother/Baby Home Visits

Overview

JOB SUMMARY:  

Provides home visiting to all families with newborns in the Wake Forest Baptist Health catchment rural area. The goal is to support and assess family needs in 12 domains of physical and psychosocial wellbeing and facilitate referrals and connections to community agencies to support families in these areas. Works in a team environment of clinical and non-clinical staff in order to schedule, visit, and support families in the rural community. Ability to communicate effectively with others is essential. Experience in maternal/child health, home visiting, lactation education, and fluency in Spanish desired.

POSITION HIGHLIGHTS:

• Shift Schedule:  Full time, Days M-F
• Department:  Birth Center 
• Location: Winston Salem, NC

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: 

Bachelor’s degree in Nursing required and a master’s degree preferred. Three years of applicable clinical experience in maternal/child health required. Clinical experience related to domestic violence, substance abuse and/or depression preferred. Spanish language proficiency preferred. Continuing education of 15 hours or more annually.

LICENSURE, CERTIFICATION, and/or REGISTRATION: 

Current Registered Nurse (RN) licensure in good standing in the State of North Carolina. Certified Lactation Educator or Consultant. Valid driver’s license and automobile for use in making home visits. Current BLS certification.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Provide 10-12 main functions of job

1. Maintains compliance with hospital, regulatory, and Joint Commission guidelines and adherence to standards related to education to enhance safe, quality patient care. 
2. Actively engages in continuous quality improvement initiatives. 
3. Demonstrates organizational commitment, ethical and professional behavior by serving as a role model for hospital values to staff, physicians and patients. 
4. Maintains appropriate confidentiality of privileged information. 
5. Participates in activities to promote professional growth and development. 
6. Maintains records of client observations and activities as required. 
7. Documents information for family assessments and program evaluation. 
8. Records information in real time via in home use of computerized record system. 
9. Visits target area hospitals as needed to schedule home visits for new mothers. 
10. Provides a health and physical assessment of mother and baby in the home to determine wellbeing.
11. Assesses family needs in 12 domains of physical and psychosocial wellbeing, including depression, substance abuse, and domestic violence. 
12. Exercises clinical skills in appraising situations and making decisions. 
13. Establishes a trusting relationship with families during in-home visits and engages the family to establish a family support plan with goals, objectives, and activities that address family strengths and needs. 
14. Collaborates with team to ensure appropriate referrals and connections to community resources as needed. Works with team to assist parents in making and attending appointments for doctors, and social service agencies. 
15. Functions as a liaison between families and other community agencies, serving as family advocate as required. 
16. Applies working knowledge of parent-child interaction, child-maternal health, child development, and child abuse/neglect to help families improve parenting skills, increase parenting supports, reduce stress, and address needs of parents; assist in creating a health plan for entire family. 
17.  Maintains eight open visit slots and conducts and documents at least six home visits per week. 
18. Responds to client needs through flexible scheduling of home visits, including occasional home visits during evening or weekend hours. 
19. Demonstrates effective time-management skills, organization, and multitasking skills. Documentation is expected to be done and letters sent out within 48 working hours of the visit.
20. Functions cooperatively as an active member of the team by attending weekly team meetings, clinical supervision, staff meetings, and other meetings as required. Supports and encourages development of other staff and of the OB Home Visit Nurse Program. 

SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Excellent oral and written communication skills 
• Ability to work effectively with teams of clinical and non-clinical staff 
• Ability to establish and maintain strong staff and physician relationships Ability to work with culturally diverse populations 
• Ability to work with nurse supervisor to implement a practice improvement and clinical development plans 
• Proficient and comfortable using laptops as part of in-home assessment and intervention 
• Expertise in evidence based clinical practice guidelines and standards related to Women’s Health, Labor and Delivery, Postpartum, and Newborn care 
• Expertise in customer service and patient perception of care 
• Proficient and comfortable using laptops as part of in-home assessment and intervention 
• Flexibility and ability to respond quickly in a changing environment 
• Ability to function effectively under stressful conditions and difficult situations 
• Knowledge of law, regulation, and ethics related to Labor and Delivery (Child Abuse, DHHS, CMS, Women’s Rights, Parental laws)

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Subject to highly stressful situations 
• Moderate noise environment 
• Possible exposure to infectious and contagious diseases 
• Possible exposure to radiation hazards 
• Exposure to housekeeping/cleaning agents/chemicals 
• Contact with patients/families under wide variety of circumstances 
• Subject to many interruptions 
• Subject to irregular hours
  
  
   

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: