Public Health Nurse
Company: Tohono O'odham Nation Healthcare
Location: Sells
Posted on: February 11, 2026
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Job Description:
Job Description Job Description PLEASE NOTE - This position may
require temporarily relocation to other TONHC Facilities: Sells
Hospital, Santa Rosa Health Center, San Simon Health Center, and
San Xavier Health Center. Position Summary: The Public Health Nurse
(PHN) serves as a community health advisor and provides
comprehensive nursing services to schools, individuals, and
families on the Tohono O'odham Nation. Scope of Work: This position
is located within the Tohono O'odham Nation Health Care Sells
Hospital, San Xavier Health Center, Santa Rosa Health Center, and
San Simon Health Center. The incumbent works under the supervision
of the Director of Public Health Nursing, who defines and
establishes overall program objectives and operations according to
Standards of Care for Public Health Nursing (PHN) Programs.
According to the PHN priority policies for home visits, each PHN
independently plans and schedules comprehensive nursing services
for their geographic areas and determines the nature of assessment,
counseling, teaching, and treatment to be provided. Essential
Duties and Responsibilities: (Depending on the area of assignment,
an incumbent may not be required to perform some of the duties
listed below): Evaluate, promote, and maintain the health of
at-risk individuals, families, and the community through teaching
disease prevention activities, counseling, advocacy, referral,
coordination of care, and appropriate health assessments and
interventions. Assists with the coordination of the immunization
program to include the tracking and follow-up. Manages and
participates in public health screening clinics, including
interviewing and counseling clients, performing clinical tasks,
administering prescribed treatment, documentation of care, and
making the necessary referral. Participate in
emergency/bioterrorism preparedness and planning activities and
respond and assist during emergencies, such as flooding, fires,
microbursts, etc. Utilizes the public health nursing process of
assessment, diagnosis, planning, intervention, and evaluation when:
assessing the patient's condition and needs: setting outcomes;
implementing appropriate nursing actions to meet the patient/family
physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and safety needs; and
evaluating the patient's progress. Refer the patient to the
appropriate resources; organizes patient caseload in the assigned
geographic area. Application of care treatment and intervention
according to principles of population based health care and
standing public health orders. Identifies and reports child abuse
or dependent adult abuse and incidents of domestic violence.
Provides maternal and child health services; makes home visits as
necessary. Monitor prenatal patients and provide prenatal
education, and participates in sonogram clinics. Plans and
exchanges information with other health care entities for effective
patient care; cooperates with other agencies in planning for
patient care. Utilizes the RPMS systems as appropriate for position
requirements and enters information into RPMS patient care packages
as necessary. Coordinates response to outbreaks of
reportable/infectious disease on the Tohono O'odham Nation. Work
closely with state and tribal health departments in testing and
contact investigation. Respond to communities for direct care and
education. Utilize MEDSIS for investigation and surveillance of
communicable diseases. Assists the physician in control and
treatment and consults with various agencies (i.e. health
department) on communicable disease issues. Sexually Transmitted
Disease (STD) general: Coordinates care provision, case and contact
investigation efforts, organize education efforts, and acts as
liaison with State and Federal entities dealing with STD issues.
Tuberculosis (TB) General: coordinates and implements the treatment
plan for active cases and preventative therapy on TB infected
individuals and; Conducts TB testing and surveillance; Plans and
coordinates community investigations. Responds to public health
emergencies as required. Promote, teach and demonstrate nursing
care to patients, families, and community groups. Provide
instruction and information regarding specific diseases or health
conditions and health maintenance. Provide public health
consultation services, including health education, to tribal
programs, Head Start, schools, other settings in the community and
TONHC employees, and outside agencies. Participate with local
community groups in the development and planning of health
services. Serve on various community task forces relating to the
position. Participates in orientating new employees and mentoring
nurses to public health nursing. Assists in planning and conducting
continuing education. Maintain compliance with all mandatory
training requirements. Lead and guides non-professional staff, i.e.
Health Technician/Disease Investigator. Participates in performance
improvement teams and other committees as assigned. Continually
monitors the work processes for quality and quantity and makes
recommendations for necessary corrective action. Maintains
professional knowledge and proficiency in nursing and public health
nursing through continuing education, staff meetings, workshops,
and serving on nursing committees. Performs other duties as
assigned. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Knowledge of the Tohono
O'odham traditions, language, history, geography, and culture.
Knowledge of applicable federal, state, tribal laws, regulations,
and requirements. Knowledge of health-related issues, medical
terminology, and health and child care education. Knowledge of
comprehensive health programs and the full range of professional
public health nursing principles, practices, and procedures to
formulate plans and provide services in clinics, homes, schools,
and community environments. Knowledge of current research methods
including statistical compilation and interpretation to participate
in epidemiological surveys, field investigations and research
studies related to planning, assessing and evaluating the community
health programs. Knowledge and ability to apply methods and
techniques of adult education to stimulate behavioral changes
related to good health practices. Awareness of the customs of the
Native American tribes within the area and the ability to
appreciate cultural differences and their effect on health care
delivery. Possesses knowledge and ability to make physical and
psychological assessments of individuals, families, and communities
and recognize the range of patient conditions from normal to
abnormal abnormalities. Knowledge of the biological aspects of the
disease process and illness to recognize complications and
therapeutic interventions required. Knowledge of pharmaceuticals to
recognize desired effects, side effects, and complications of their
use. Knowledge and ability to advise and counsel healthy
individuals in preventative care and to provide guidance in
nutrition, common illnesses, child growth and development patterns,
mental health, immunizations, and all aspects of maternal child
health. Knowledge of available resources for primary care and
referral services. Awareness of performance improvement and the
evaluation process to improve patient care and facilitate
monitoring and program planning. Knowledge of health records and
ability to accurately complete and document clinical-related data.
Ability to work independently to organize services to patient
caseload in assigned geographic areas and function cooperatively as
a PHN team member to achieve department objectives. Ability to
communicate and interact with various personnel (tribal staff,
other health care professionals, individuals in the community) of
varying functions, level of knowledge, and care requirements to
provide optimal care for the patient population. Knowledge and
skill in computer usage and case management programs on RPMS and
other systems. Knowledge of drugs and biologicals and the desired
effect in treatment of disease and untoward and undesired
side-effects. Knowledge of health records aspects of patient care
and ability to accurately and completely document related clinical
data. Ability to provide instruction and job experience for
trainees assigned to the PHN and other training programs. Ability
to drive government vehicles. Ability to establish and maintain
positive and effective working relationships with other employees
and the general public. Ability to maintain privileged,
confidential information. Ability to work extended hours and
various work schedules. Ability to work independently and meet
strict time limes. Minimum Qualifications: Degree or diploma from a
professional nursing program, approved by the legally designated
state accrediting agency when the program was completed by the
applicant, and Two years of clinical nursing experience.
Registration: Applicants must have active, current and unrestricted
license as a professional nurse in a State, District of Columbia,
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United
States. Licenses, Certifications, Special Requirements: Must have
active, current, and unrestricted licensure as a Registered Nurse.
Public Health or Community Health Nursing, preferred. Upon
recommendation for hire, a criminal background and a National FBI
fingerprint check are required to determine suitability for
employment, including a 39-month driving record. May require
possessing and maintaining a valid driver's license (no DUIs or
major traffic citations within the last three years). If required,
must meet the Tohono O'odham Nation tribal employer's insurance
requirements to receive a driver's permit to operate program
vehicles. Based on the department's needs, incumbents may be
required to demonstrate fluency in both the Tohono O'odham language
and English as a condition of employment. Physical Demands: While
performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly
required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel;
reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear. The employee is
occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; stoop, kneel,
crouch, crawl; and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally
lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. The work requires extensive
driving between communities. It involves moving and placing
equipment in specialty clinics and health fairs and setting up
audio-visual equipment for group presentations in communities and
schools. Vehicle operation ranges from driving in isolated areas or
unimproved roads. Occupational exposures to infectious and
communicable diseases are possible. Exposure to persons under the
influence of drugs and alcohol is possible. This list of duties and
responsibilities is illustrative only of the tasks performed by
this position and is not all-inclusive.
Keywords: Tohono O'odham Nation Healthcare, Catalina Foothills , Public Health Nurse, Healthcare , Sells, Arizona
