Family Connect in Home Community RN

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Position Description:

Home Visiting Nurse Background: The Family Connects model was developed within the context of the Durham Family Initiative, funded by the Duke Endowment in 2002, with the primary goal of reducing community rates of child maltreatment (K. Dodge, Principle Investigator). The program centers on a theory-driven and evidence-based assessment of child and family strengths and needs, provided in an informal and family-friendly manner. As a community-based program, Family Connects supports new parents in caring for their newborn(s), offers physical assessments of the mother and the baby, addresses questions about caring for the newborn(s), identifies parents’ needs, and helps to identify community services or resources that can meet those needs. In addition, through this connection to resources, Family Connects helps to identify gaps in critical community-wide resources with the goal of working toward increasing needed services locally.

Position Summary: A Family Connects Home Visiting Nurse provides home visiting to all families with newborns in [target area]. The goal is to support and assess family needs in 12 domains of physical and psychosocial well being and facilitate referrals and connections to community agencies to support families in these areas. The Home Visiting Nurse will work in a team environment of clinical and non-clinical staff in order to schedule, visit, and support families in the community using the evidence-based Family Connects home visiting protocol. Ability to communicate effectively with others is essential. Experience in maternal/child health, home visiting, lactation education, and fluency in Spanish desired.

Essential Job Functions:

1. Follow the Family Connects home-visiting protocol. Keep records of client observations and activities as required. Document information for family assessments and program evaluation. Record information in real time via in home use of computerized record system.

2. Follow the Family Connects scheduling protocol. Visit target area hospitals as needed to schedule home visits for new mothers.

3. Provide a health and physical assessment of mother and baby in the home to determine well-being.

4. Assess family needs in 12 domains of physical and psychosocial well being, including depression, substance abuse, and domestic violence. Exercise clinical skills in appraising situations and making decisions.

5. Establish a trusting relationship with families during in-home visits and engage the family to establish a family support plan with goals, objectives, and activities that address family strengths and needs.

6. Work with team to ensure appropriate referrals and connections to community resources as needed. Work in a team to assist parents in making and attending appointments for doctors, social service agencies, etc. Act as a liaison between families and other community agencies, serving as family advocate as required.

7. Apply 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.

8. Maintain eight open visit slots and conduct and document at least six home visits per week. Respond to client needs through flexible scheduling of home visits, including occasional home visits during evening or weekend hours.

9. Apply 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.

10. Work cooperatively as an active member of the Family Connects team by attending weekly team meetings, clinical supervision, staff meetings, and other meetings as required. Support and encourage development of other staff and of the Family Connects Program.

Minimum Requirements:

1. B.S. degree in nursing with current RN license, or B.A. degree in another field with current RN license, or A.S. degree in nursing with state-level RN, and at least one year of relevant nursing experience.

2. Must have and maintain current or compact licensure in the state of Louisiana.

3. Must maintain current CPR certification.

4. Must have a valid driver’s license and an automobile for use in making home visits.

5. Ability to work in a team with clinical and non-clinical staff.

6. Ability to work with culturally diverse populations.

7. Ability to move or lift at least fifty pounds.

8. Ability to work with nurse supervisor to implement a practice improvement and clinical development plans.

9. Ability to work on weekends, as required

10. Proficient and comfortable using laptops as part of in-home assessment and intervention.

11. Preferred skills i