Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To provide general nursing services to residents of the Thunder Bay Jail and Correctional Centre.

Duties / Responsibilities :

1. Assessing and triaging clients upon admission, and as identified through observation, client request or other staff request, based on physical examinations (e.g. taking vital signs, obtaining laboratory samples, administering T.B. tests), interviews (e.g. medial history, psychiatric history, suicide risk, special needs), and/or other information gathering means.
2. Assisting in the development and implementation of health care treatment plans (e.g. administering treatments, monitoring physical and mental condition, efficacy of treatments; arranging and/or conducting tests, conducting health care parades, obtaining treatment consents) in consultation with client, supervising nurse, physician, dentist, other treatment professionals and parents/legal guardians as required. Assesses suicidality in accordance with ministry policy and procedure.
3. Observing, assessing, recording and reporting offender's health care treatment, condition and behaviour, evaluating progress and assisting in modifying health care treatment plans in consultation with health care professionals; completing reports/documents (e.g. accident and injury reports, maintaining appropriate health information on OTIS)
4. Providing limited occupational health nursing duties, including health care crisis intervention/management, arrangement of transportation if required, health care counselling/education and providing health care services to staff (e.g. facilitating access to Hepatitis B vaccine, Mantoux skin tests, provision of limited over the counter medications, and Emergency First Aid). Maintains employee personal health files.
5. Identifying health care services are resources for offenders, advocating on their behalf with treatment professionals and agencies and arranging implementation (e.g. making appointments upon approval).
- Collaborates with community health care providers and resources (i.e. public health officials, pharmacist, Canadian Mental Health Court Outreach Workers).
6. Ensuring safety and security of health care services area, equipment, pharmaceuticals and medical supplies.
7. Works with a multidisciplinary team consisting of Psychologists, Social Workers, and Correctional staff.
8. Maintains client health care and medication records. Ensures all clients have a valid health card number.
9. Provides health care education to clients as per identified need. Participates in the delivery of formal, planned education sessions with treatment residents. Mandatory programming includes communicable diseases. Other programs are delivered as identified (i.e. Sleep Hygiene, Hepatitis C Wellness, Diabetic Education
10. Prepares, issues and assesses efficacy of medication for clients. Maintains stock of daily issue medication. Issues methadone to clients on methadone maintenance programs.
11. Maintains and records daily, the security of the health care unit including medication, keys, doors and equipment. Reports security breeches and discrepancies in drug stock/counts.
12. Collects and maintains surveillance information pertaining to client infections and TB status.

Staffing and Licencing :

Current registration as a registered nurse in Ontario

Knowledge :

Job requires knowledge of general nursing theory, practices and procedures and College of Nurses of Ontario standard of practice to provide nursing services (e.g. implementing treatment process, first aid/emergency techniques, administering medication). Job requires knowledge of institutional and health care policies and procedures to ensure appropriate treatment implementation including safety of offenders and security of health care area; to report observations, e.g. rash on offender kitchen helpers, to manager that may effect programs and offender activities. Job requires knowledge of relevant sections of related legislation (e.g. Regulated Health Care Professional Act, health Care Consent Act) to ensure compliance with health care standards and to ensure that legislated offender entitlements are adhered to (e.g. consent to treatment, confidentiality of records). Knowledge of Computerized Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS) to input/retrieve offender information.

Skills :

Job requires reasoning and notice skills to evaluate offenders response to planned health care intervention and to assess emergency situations. Job requires oral and written communication skills including terminology pertinent to the health care profession to discuss information and to document/chart offender treatment and progress. Job requires interpersonal skills to advise/counsel offenders on health care treatment matters.

Freedom of Action :

Job requires working independently within parameters set be physician treatment directions, ministry, legislation and College of Nurse of Ontario standards of practice to provide nursing services (e.g. implementing treatment process, first aid/emergency techniques, administering medication), ensuring safety of offenders and security of health care area. Job evaluates health care situations in the absence of the physician, deciding upon course of action and referring doubtful or serious cases to physician, supervising nurse of hospital. Job requires communicating issues such as non-compliance with nursing standards, missing medication, errors and security concerns to supervising nurse, physician or manager.