Registered Practical Nurse

Company: Aboriginal Health Centre

INTRODUCTION:

As part of the Primary Care Team, the Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) is an integral member of DAHC’s interdisciplinary care team, providing wholistic, culturally safe, trauma-informed, and patient-centred care to Indigenous individuals and families in Hamilton and surrounding area. The RPN role combines primary care nursing, chronic disease management (CDM) and care coordination. Working as part of an interdisciplinary team, the RPN supports patients across the lifespan through assessment, triage, preventative care, chronic disease follow-up, diabetes education, outreach services, and referrals.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES: 

• Provide nursing assessments, triage, health screening, care planning, and follow-up care
• Respond to patient calls, same-day appointment requests, EMR messages, and provider-directed patient care tasks
• Complete blood work, monitor results, and communicate findings to patients
• Administer immunizations, injections, preventative care interventions, wound care, women’s health services, and nursing treatments
• Provide nursing care under approved medical directives and/or primary care provider orders
• Support the delivery of CDM and preventative care for patients living with conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, COPD, and other chronic health conditions, in collaboration with the Registered Nurse (RN)
• Develop, implement, monitor, and evaluate individualized care plans in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team
• Provide patient education related to diabetes, chronic disease prevention, healthy living, wellness, sexual and reproductive health, and preventative care
• Identify patients who are overdue for diabetes monitoring, blood pressure follow-up, preventative screening, or other chronic disease care and work with the PCP and team to close those gaps
• Facilitate referrals, care coordination, case management, and continuity-of-care planning
• Support patients experiencing barriers to care, including unhoused individuals, transportation challenges, chronic disease complexity, mental health and addictions concerns, and limited access to primary care
• Participate in team huddles, case conferences, clinical meetings, program planning, and quality improvement activities
• Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential documentation within the EMR
• Support clinic operations, infection prevention and control, and safe clinical practices
• Build collaborative relationships with Indigenous organizations, community partners, health system partners, and the patient’s circle of care
• Provide all care from a culturally safe, patient-centred, and trauma-informed approach
• Strong interprofessional communication and collaboration skills

 STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS:

• Practical Nursing Diploma from an approved College of Applied Arts and Technology or equivalent recognized program
• Current registration in good standing with the College of Nurses of Ontario
• Minimum 3 to 5 years of nursing experience; experience in primary care nursing in various community and/or outreach settings;
• Knowledgeable in areas of CDM, education, community health, outreach, emergency care, and Indigenous health is considered an asset
• Current Basic Cardiac Life Support certification
• Proof of professional liability insurance
• Strong assessment, triage, clinical decision-making, and critical thinking skills
• Strong interpersonal, communication, teaching, counselling, and documentation skills
• Knowledge of Indigenous health, health equity, social determinants of health, and barriers to care
• Experience supporting patients with chronic illness, mental health and addictions concerns, harm reduction, family-centred care, and/or complex social needs is considered an asset
• Strong computer and electronic medical record skills
• Valid driver’s licence and access to a reliable vehicle
• Experience working with Indigenous communities is considered an asset
• Knowledge of local Indigenous organizations, programs, and services is considered an asset