Nurse Home Visitor

Position Summary                                                                          

The Nurse Home Visitor (NHV) is pivotal in transforming the lives of vulnerable babies, mothers and families through the strategy of home visiting. Home Visiting’s goal is that all children are healthy, families thrive, communities prosper, and the cycle of poverty is broken; incorporating nurses into the home visiting network supports that goal. During the prenatal and post-partum period, the Nurse Home Visitor (NHV) will provide maternal and infant health teaching, guidance, support, and physical assessments during home visits, according to standards of nursing practice for identified families in the home visiting program. This position works to engage participants and provides services for up to two years after child’s birth. The position requires documentation and tracking of all families served, services provided and referrals. The NHV may also be responsible for the support of staff and other projects as identified. Candidate must be local to the Washington, DC metropolitan area (DC, MD, VA) or willing to relocate.

Reportability                                                                                                                                                            

This position will report directly to the Nurse Family Partnership Supervisor.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities     

• Provide home visits to first-time perinatal mothers and their families.


• Conduct on-going nurse home visits to Home Visiting participants with medical or psychosocial risk factors


• Assessment of physical and emotional status of mother and baby according to standards of nursing care


• Assessment of maternal/infant bond and assisting mother with breastfeeding and newborn care


• Provide maternal and infant health education to family


• Provide referrals to health care and social service providers


• Complete all necessary paperwork and documentation in electronic records systems.


• Work collaboratively with health care providers from all sites, including accepting referrals from Midwifery and/or Pediatrics to visit a high-risk participant of Mary’s Center and support engagement in home visiting services.


• Serve as liaison to the community to ensure access to quality care through outreach, advocacy, and education.


• Ensure HIPAA compliance in all verbal and written communication and documentation.


• Carries a minimum caseload of 25 participants.

Values and Beliefs

• Self-reflection- Successful NHVs actively work to understand and address their person reactions to participants, welcome feedback non-defensively, and make good use of the reflective supervision provided.


• Teaching- Fundamentally enjoy teaching or contributing to the betterment of another person’s wellbeing.


• Optimism and Hopefulness- NHVs who believe people can change and improve their lives. This is referred to as a “growth mindset” about people vs. a “fixed mindset” about people. NHVs with a growth mindset believe that people can learn, change, grow and improve.


• Relationship- NHVs who feel passionately about building and maintaining relationships with a diverse range of clients over a period of time.


• Contribution to Public Health- NHVs who describe their commitment to serving the greater good of their communities and appreciate the public health implications of this work.

Qualifications

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities –

• BSN preferred, current RN license to practice in the District of Columbia (in good standing) and CPR required.


• Experience in maternal/child health, labor and delivery, post-partum care, public health, home visiting or mental/behavioral nursing preferred.


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Basic computer skills.


• Valid driver’s license and insured automobile required.

Language Requirement – Ability to communicate effectively in English is required.  Additional language proficiency or fluency in Spanish preferred.  

Physical Demands – Regularly required to sit; frequently required to reach with hands and arms, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, talk or hear; must be able to lift objects up to twenty-five (25) pounds.

Work Environment – Mostly in a typical office and/or home setting with quiet to moderate noise level.  May be exposed to extreme cold, heat, and humidity due to outside weather conditions. May be exposed to potentially hazardous blood-borne/respiratory pathogens and bodily fluids which require the practice of Universal Precaution procedures. 

The Benefits:   

• Health Insurance: medical, dental & vision – plus retirement options through 403(b) contribution and investment opportunities


• 25 days of paid leave annually (in addition to paid holidays), plus 5 educational days


• Tuition reimbursement of $2000/year towards education assistance and professional development 


• Transportation subsidy via metro & bus


• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)