Universal Nurse Home Visiting Nurse- Postpartum Home Visiting Nurse

To be part of our organization, every employee should understand and share in the YNHHS Vision, support our Mission, and live our Values. These values - integrity, patient-centered, respect, accountability, and compassion - must guide what we do, as individuals and professionals, every day.

At Bridgeport Hospital, we are committed to providing quality medical care and treatment that is coordinated and centered on the patient's specific needs. We strive to achieve benchmarks as a Patient Centered Medical Home and provide health care in a setting where patients are at the center of their care team. All employees of Bridgeport Hospital are part of the patients care team and contribute to the team approach of promoting access, continuous, comprehensive care and work to provide quality improvement in the care provided to their patients.

The Universal Nurse Home Visiting (UNHV) Nurse Home Visitor will provide home visiting services using the Family Connects model. The Family Connects model is an evidence-based and successfully demonstrated program that connects parents of newborns to the community resources they need through postpartum nurse home visits. 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. The Nurse Home Visitor will provide home visiting to all families with newborns in the determined catchment 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 nonclinical staff in order to schedule, visit, and support families in the community using the evidence-based Family Connects home visiting protocol. This position is coterminous with project funding.

EEO/AA/Disability/Veteran

• 1. Complete all FC training programs required for nurse home visitors, as well as routine nursing orientation required by Bridgeport Hospital.
• 2. 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.
• 3. Follow the Family Bridge Program scheduling protocol. Visit target area hospitals as needed to schedule home visits for new mothers.
• 4. Provide a health and physical assessment of mother and baby in the home to determine well-being.
• 5. 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.
• 6. 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.
• 7. Work with Community Health Worker (CHW) and other assigned team members 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.
• 8. 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.
• 9. Respond to client needs through flexible scheduling of home visits, including additional visits per day and occasional home visits during evening or weekend hours to accommodate patient needs.
• 10. Apply effective time-management skills, organization, and multitasking skills. Documentation should be completed in compliance with state guidelines, ideally within 24 hours of the encounter.
• 11. Participate in weekly case conference meetings, mandatory team meetings to review and discuss challenging cases.
• 12. Adhere to all organization policies and procedures and UNHV employee guidelines to ensure consistency, professionalism, and high-quality service.

EDUCATION

Completion of an accredited program in nursing and current license as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the State of Connecticut.

EXPERIENCE

Minimum 2 years of nursing experience required. Experience in the maternal, infant, and early childhood home visiting highly valued. IBCLC/CLC Certification highly valued, not required.

LICENSURE

Current State of Connecticut Registered Nurse Licensure required. IBCLC/CLC Certification highly valued, not required.

SPECIAL SKILLS

Ability to establish and maintain strong, positive professional relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders. Ability to adjust and adapt to changes in schedules, processes, and patient needs Ability to use a collaborative approach in community-based work. Strong commitment to community, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Ability to work independently, to meet deadlines, and work well with multiple priorities. Strong commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable young children and families. Sound judgment. Excellent interpersonal and organization skills. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Knowledge of EPIC, Salesforce, and SharePoint highly valued.

PHYSICAL DEMAND

Work Location(s): Remotely, in the hospital system, and in community locations. Valid driver's license and use of reliable personal vehicle with appropriate insurance required. Will consider requests for per diem work schedule from candidates that meet previously stated criteria.

Minimum 2 years of nursing experience required. Experience in the maternal, infant, and early childhood home visiting highly valued.

This position is coterminous with grant funding.