Class Specification: CLINIC NURSE I

ITEM NUMBER: 5327

APPROVAL DATE: 10/28/1988

DEFINITION:
Performs professional nursing duties generally including nursing guidance of other nursing personnel in providing nursing services for patients in receiving-emergency areas or ambulatory care facilities.

CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS:
Positions allocable to this class are characterized chiefly by their responsibility for providing nursing services to emergency or ambulatory care patients. Some positions in this class are responsible for receiving unscreened, walk-in, injured or emergency or sick call patients, making accurate nursing evaluations of patients' physical or mental condition, treating or referring them, and arranging for and following up to ensure that proper care is administered. Positions which perform the above duties in clinics or dispensaries may also function as team leader, guiding a small group of nursing personnel in setting up, scheduling and clinical processing of patients, assisting physicians and administering ordered medications, treatments and instructions to patients. Other assignments in this class involve a substantial element of counseling to interpret physicians' orders in terms understandable to patients of varied educational and cultural backgrounds. Assignments of this kind require skill in identifying, understanding and dealing with a spectrum of cultural, social and emotional factors which might affect a patient's acceptance of a plan of treatment and his willingness to follow a prescribed regimen. Such counseling assignments may be a routine element of the team leader positions referred to earlier or may constitute a major characteristic of positions working in specialty or multiple clinics where assignments include performing clinic nursing duties such as assisting physicians with examinations and procedures and administering treatments and medication. Positions in this class require a professional knowledge of nursing practice and of standard resources and referral processes. They make professional nursing judgments in following the orders of physicians and supervisory nursing staff while working within the guidelines of established, nursing policies and procedures of their assigned unit.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES:
Receives unscreened, emergency, sick call and walk-in or phone-in patients and evaluates symptoms described by patients or a member of the patient's family.

Asks questions or examines patients as necessary to assess the full extent of patients' symptoms, the nature and duration of the illness or injury and the urgency for treatment.

Determines what type of treatment is needed, refers to physician, administers medication or treatment in accordance with standing orders or refers patients to appropriate agency.

Manages the movement of patients through the clinic or dispensary to achieve an even flow and maximize the use of doctor's time.

Makes assignments to subordinate staff, reviews their work, makes suggestions, demonstrates proper methods and records incidents and indications of employee performance.

Meets with nursing supervisor and with physicians to review and plan work.

Counsels with patients and their families regarding medical and related problems by explaining patterns of illness, type of medication ordered, when and how to use it and side effects or reactions.

Counsels and advises on diet, skills of daily living and care of such equipment as wheelchairs, urinal bags, tubes and syringes.

Explains surgery procedures and obtains consent forms.

Makes referrals of patients to other health care facilities and coordinates patient care with them.

Reviews patients' charts to determine the purpose of patients' visits and sets up for physicians by arranging charts, supplies, equipment and instruments.

Interviews patients to obtain medical history data and observes patients' condition.

Prepares patients for examination or treatment by checking temperature, pulse, blood pressure and respiration, and positioning and draping patients.

Assists physicians by passing instruments during procedures.

Administers ordered medications, treatments and immunizations and removes and applies bandages and removes sutures.

Collects and labels specimens of blood, urine, feces and sputum and makes smears for cultures.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

LICENSE:
A license to practice as a Registered Nurse issued by the California Board of Registered Nursing. A California Class C Driver License may be required.

PHYSICAL CLASS:
3 - Moderate.