School Nurse Leader

Somerville is a city that upholds progressive principles for both employees and residents. The City of Somerville embraces and encourages an innovative, empowering, and collaborative workplace culture in a fast-paced, challenging environment. The City also offers a generous benefits package that embodies a strong work-life balance. Not only is Somerville a “Model City,” as termed by The Boston Globe, but it is also a model employer.

Statement of Duties

The School Nurse Leader manages the total school nursing program, providing nursing leadership within the school system.  Employee is required to perform all similar or related duties.

Essential Functions:

• Recruits and participates in the hiring process for all Health & Human Services Department (HHS) school health staff.
• Orients and assigns qualified personnel to implement the school health program.
• Provides ongoing formal and informal feedback to staff about their progress in achieving the goals of the program, encouraging their continued educational and professional development.
• Coordinates and implements daily staffing plans
• Communicates regularly with HHS, school personnel and partners regarding shared goals and student well being
• Identifies the health needs of the student population using available demographics, health and school system data and develops programing and policies to meet these needs
• Collaborates with school administrators and teachers to promote a physically and psychologically healthy school environment.
• Seeks opportunities to interpret health care needs for school age children, goals of health service program and importance of health education to administrators, family, general community and school committee members.
• Reviews and updates policies and practice as needed to comply with local, state and federal regulations.
• Maintains compliance records and submits documents to state as required
• Promotes positive linkage and referral mechanisms to community providers for a range of services dealing with child and adolescent health.
• Compiles statistical reports as required by state agencies, grants and department head.
• Participates in the development of an interdisciplinary plan for each building to ensure that students in need of services are identified in a timely manner and appropriate interventions initiated.
• Develops and implements written policies and procedures for the clinical services and programs addressing health issues.

Recommended Minimum Qualifications                                                     

Education and Experience: College Degree and five to seven (5-7) years’ experience; BS in Nursing, MSN or M. Ed preferred; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Special Requirements

Must be a Registered Nurse with active Massachusetts licensure

First Aid & CPR Certification required

Must be DOE Certification eligible

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill

Knowledge: Knowledge of accepted standard clinical nursing best practices including the legal ramifications as provided under state laws and regulations.

Abilities: Ability to work with a variety of stakeholders; strong management ability; ability to meet and deal with the public effectively and appropriately; ability to handle problems and emergencies effectively; ability to communicate clearly, both orally and in writing; ability to operate a computer; ability to maintain confidential information; ability to maintain, manage, and organize records; ability to deal appropriately with city employees, school officials and the general public.

Skill: Exceptionally strong clinical skills in nursing; excellent interpersonal skills; strong organizational skills; excellent organizational skills; excellent data processing skill in the use of personal computers and office software including word processing, data base, internet and spreadsheet applications.

Work Environment                                                                                       

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements.  Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant.  Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours in response to attend evening meetings or complete work assignments.

Physical and Mental Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.

Physical Skills

Few physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing.  May also be some occasional lifting of objects such as office equipment and computer paper (up to 30 lbs.).  Ability to respond to emergency situations.

Motor Skills

Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office equipment including word processing, filing and sorting of papers.

Visual Skills

Visual demands require constantly reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes.

Send your resume and cover letter by March 20, 2020 to:

City Hall Personnel Office
93 Highland Avenue
Somerville MA 02143
Fax: 617-666-4426
TTY: 1-866-808-4851
Email: employment_opportunities@somervillema.gov

City of Somerville residents are especially encouraged to apply.

The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request.

Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication, written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, in order to access the programs and activities of the City of Somerville or to attend meetings, should contact the City’s ADA Coordinator, Nancy Bacci, at 617-625-6600 x2250 or NBacci@somervillema.gov.