Ambulatory Care RN Infectious Disease

Job Description

Job DescriptionTitle: Ambulatory Care Nurse RN (Infectious Disease)FLSA Category: Exempt

Reports To: Ambulatory Care Nurse Manager

Greater Baden Medical Services (GBMS) is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) dedicated to providing high-quality healthcare across Southern Maryland. With 9 clinical sites across Prince George's, Charles, and St. Mary's counties, we serve over 18,000 patients each year. We provide fully integrated care that includes primary care, pediatrics, women's health, Title X family planning, dental care, behavioral health, WIC, pharmacy services, and the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program. Our patient population is primarily made up of Medicaid and uninsured individuals. We are deeply proud to deliver these vital services to everyone in our community, regardless of their ability to pay, making Greater Baden an incredibly rewarding place to grow your career while making a tangible, life-changing impact every day.

Job Summary:

The Ambulatory Care Infectious Disease Registered Nurse (RN) functions as a clinical resource to ensure that medical services are delivered in a safe, efficient, and patient-centered manner, addressing patient needs as expeditiously as possible. The RN utilizes the nursing process to assess, plan, implement, coordinate, and evaluate care for patients across the lifespan. This role provides specialized clinical support and care management services for patients receiving treatment and preventive care related to HIV/AIDS, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Hepatitis C (HCV), Tuberculosis (TB), and other infectious diseases.

Essential Functions:

1. Serves as a clinical team leader and resource and provides input regarding day-to-day clinical activities while working closely with providers and the Center Manager.

2. Coordinates and manages care for patients with HIV, PrEP, HCV, TB, and other infectious diseases, including monitoring treatment plans, laboratory results, medication adherence, and follow-up care.

3. Develops, implements, and evaluates individualized care management plans for high-risk, medically complex, and vulnerable patient populations.

4. Provides recommendations to the Center Manager regarding administrative, operational, and corrective actions related to Clinical Medical Assistants.

5. Provides clinical training to Medical Assistants and other clinical staff and supervises competency evaluations.

6. Provides direct nursing care to patients, including assessments, nursing procedures, immunizations, injections, specimen collection, medication administration, and assistance with provider procedures.

7. Provides in-person and telephone triage for patients seeking medical advice, assesses acuity, and determines appropriate interventions and follow-up.

8. Provides health teaching and counseling to patients and families regarding HIV prevention and treatment, PrEP, HCV treatment, TB management, medication adherence, disease prevention, immunizations, chronic disease management, lifestyle modifications, and self-care practices.

9. Assesses patient requests for same-day services and collaborates with providers and the Center Manager to ensure patient needs are addressed appropriately and timely.

10. Coordinates referrals, consultations, and follow-up care with internal and external providers and specialists, ensuring continuity of care and closure of referral loops.

11. Assists patients with navigating healthcare services, insurance requirements, medication assistance programs, transportation resources, and community support services.

12. Identifies barriers to care and treatment adherence and implements interventions to improve retention in care, clinical outcomes, and patient engagement.

13. Expedites patient flow through the implementation of standing orders and policies for medication refills, referrals, laboratory testing, preventive screenings, and immunizations. Ensures Clinical Medical Assistants are familiar with protocols and follow them appropriately.

14. Participates in the immunization process, including inventory management, record keeping, vaccine storage and handling, administration oversight, and staff education. Maintains knowledge of the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program and assists with compliance requirements.

15. Oversees laboratory services, including quality control review, inventory management, record keeping, specimen collection processes, and in-house testing. Educates staff regarding proper procedures and current recommendations.

16. Participates in maintaining medication and medical supply inventories, including monitoring stock levels, storage requirements, and monthly expiration date reviews.

17. Monitors and tracks infectious disease quality measures, preventive care metrics, and population health outcomes to support organizational goals and regulatory requirements.

18. Assists with outreach and care coordination activities for patients requiring preventive services, chronic disease management, infectious disease treatment, and specialty care follow-up.

19. Assists with providing ongoing clinical education, competency testing, and staff training consistent with organizational needs, goals, and objectives.

20. Demonstrates proficiency in the electronic medical record (EMR) and serves as a clinical resource regarding documentation, care coordination, reporting, and clinical workflows.

21. Participates in quality improvement, infection prevention, risk management, and population health initiatives designed to improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency

Nonessential Functions:

1. Participates in team/staff meetings; attends in service meetings and applicable workshops.
2. Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

1. Current Registered Nursing License in the State of Maryland or compact state required.
2. Associate Degree in Nursing or Bachelor’s degree in nursing or an equivalent field of study preferred.
3. Current Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Certificate (CPR) required.
4. Two (2) or more years of experience in ambulatory care, infectious disease, public health, case management, or population health preferred.
5. Experience caring for patients with HIV/AIDS, PrEP, Hepatitis C, Tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases preferred.
6. Bilingual is a plus!

Substitutions -None

Core Competencies Needed

Problem Solving – Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; gathers and analyzes information skillfully, develops alternative solutions; works well in group problem solving situations; uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.

Communication Skills - Listen and verbally in order to solve problems and provide information and direction, ensuring the experience is a positive one. Record issues and resolutions to maintain accurate records and data for further analysis by management.

Analytical Skills - The ability to tackle a problem by using a logical, systematic, sequential approach. Possess creative thinking, learning, systems thinking and problem solving. Must be effective at defining and solving problems in order to ensure that the real, underlying challenge is understood and that solutions actually address it.

Healthcare Systems - Knowledge of healthcare and medical terminology.

Risk Management/Compliance - Confidentiality principles and laws, maintain compliance with government contractual mandates.

Work Environment

This job operates in an outpatient office environment.

Physical and Mental Demands

1. Ability to cope with stress.
2. The person in this position needs to occasionally move about inside the center
3. Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine and computer printer.
4. The person in this position frequently communicates with patients and/or employees. Must be able to summarize and exchange accurate information.
5. Must be able to lift or catch patient weighing more than 50 pounds in the event of emergency.
6. Performs with frequent interruption or distractions.
7. Adjust priorities quickly as circumstances dictate.
8. Ability to judge distances and spatial relationships to perceive objects where and as they actually are.
9. Cognitive ability to analyze, count, summarize and synthesize information from multiple sources.

Language Skills

Ability to read and interpret written or verbal documents and instructions. Ability to speak effectively to patients, employees and/or stakeholders of the organization.

Travel

Must be able to drive between Greater Baden Medical Services, Inc. locations