HIV Sexual Health Nurse

HIV/Sexual Health Nurse

Join our dynamic team as an HIV/Sexual Health Nurse under the direction of the CARES Program Manager. This position is dedicated to providing a variety of patient care services for individuals living with HIV, those eligible for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), as well as patients at risk for HIV acquisition.

Job Description

• Provide outpatient primary care nursing including medical assessments and triage services for HIV Team patients who come for same-day or scheduled visits; perform virtual, telephonic, or in-person nursing assessment and triage to assess the severity of the patient's health concerns using approved protocols and resources to counsel appropriately. Document patient information accurately and timely in the EHR.
• Complete medication check-in visits and adherence counseling with patients living with HIV (PLWH) and on PrEP (both in-person and via telehealth).
• Coordinate care for patients receiving injectable treatment for HIV treatment and prevention by following up on prior authorizations, coordinating medication delivery and storage, scheduling injection visits, administering the injections, and counseling patients on aftercare.
• Assist team in ensuring that PLWH are up to date on health maintenance by reviewing their required health maintenance periodically and outreaching for needed labs, vaccines, and screenings with physician supervision.
• Assist in chronic care management for co-morbid conditions of PLWH - such as blood pressure and glucose checks, reviewing glucometer or home blood pressure readings, diabetes medication teaching.
• Provide care for patients seeking STI testing by assessing sexual health history/risk factors, symptoms, and work with provider to ensure appropriate testing and treatment, including provider evaluation as per protocol.
• Contact patients about positive STI results and provide counseling on treatment, arrange in-person treatment and expedited partner treatment as needed.
• Assess patients for PrEP eligibility and initiation in consultation with provider.
• Assist with communicating with DPH to provide information on positive results, treatment history, or if providers need information such as titer history.
• Perform procedures such as the administration of medications either orally or by injection and immunizations as ordered, PPDs, suture removal, wound care, dressing changes, ear irrigation, EKGs, visual acuity screening, audiometry, O2 sats, blood glucose per Hemocue protocol, peak flow, nebulizer treatments, etc.
• Collect specimens from patients for laboratory tests and notify requesting providers of abnormal results.
• Perform lab testing such as urine pregnancy test, rapid streps and routine urinalysis.
• Triages patients by telephone or directly as walk-ins to identify urgency and level of care needed. Make appropriate referrals required for the management of patient care.
• Assist providers with procedures such as suctioning, I&D, IUD insertion, endometrial biopsy, straight catheterization, colposcopy, suturing.
• Provide or arrange for patient education, such as instructing patients in the proper use of medical equipment, medication administration, diabetic teaching and other nursing care regimens.
• Ensure that follow-up is made when patients miss scheduled appointments in order to determine reason and reschedule.
• Assure appropriate scheduling and assist with patient flow.
• Provide translation as needed.
• Assist providers with calling patients regarding abnormal labs, sending medication refills and paperwork at the request of the provider.

Administrative and System Development

• Attend department daily huddle and weekly HIV/PrEP meetings.
• Provide sexual health/HIV-related education as needed to nursing and medical assistant team.
• Contribute to community outreach/patient education events surrounding preventing HIV.
• Record in patients' medical records all care provided and ensure that appropriate forms are properly completed for billing purposes.
• Participate in individual or group teaching exercises.
• Precept nursing and medical assistant students as needed.
• Provide follow-up on patients seen in the ER, hospital and patients with chronic diseases and abnormal labs.
• Work on special programs/projects as assigned.
• Assist team providers with paperwork, medication refills or other tasks asked to perform.

Educational/In-service

• Maintain current licensure through in-service education and obtaining CEUs.
• Attend HIV/PrEP/sexual health trainings.
• Serve on committees as needed/assigned.

Requirements

• Graduate of an accredited School of Registered Nursing and current Commonwealth of Massachusetts Registration.
• 2-3 years of experience working in a health care setting (required).
• Prior experience working with patients living with HIV, on PrEP, or diagnosed with other sexually transmitted infections is a plus.
• Certification as AIDS Certified Registered Nurse (ACRN) is a plus.
• Active certification in BLS.
• Excellent organizational skills, and basic computer operations skills such as Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Demonstrated oral and written communication skills.
• Self-directed, motivated and flexible with the ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and responsibilities.

Job Types

Full-time, Part-time

Pay

From $41.00 per hour

Expected Hours

40 per week

Schedule

Day shift

Work Location

In person