Registered Nurse - Addictions and Primary Care

Department:Medical

Reports To:Lead MOUD RN

Job Family:Advanced Medical and Dental

FLSA Status:Exempt

EEO Classification:Professionals

Supervisor:No

Leadership Level: Individual Contributor

Job Function:Essential On-Site

Provider Category:OLCHP

Overview

The Registered Nurse provides direct clinical nursing care within Health Care for the Homeless' low-barrier addiction treatment clinic (MAT clinic) and during designated clinical time in primary care. In collaboration with medical providers and the interdisciplinary care team, the RN supports the assessment and treatment of substance use disorders, including initiation and continuation of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), medication administration and management, harm reduction, health education, and care coordination to address clients' substance use, as well as acute, chronic, and preventive health needs. The position is supervised by the Lead MOUD RN.

Key Role Responsibilities

• Complete nursing assessments, including relevant medical, medication, mental health, substance use, withdrawal, and social histories; identify immediate clinical needs and collaborate with a medical provider or other team members on the plan of care.
• Use trauma-informed, harm reduction, and motivational interviewing approaches that draw on each client's strengths, goals, resiliency, and readiness for change.
• Safely manage and administer medications, immunizations, long-acting injections, and other prescribed treatments while maintaining proper storage, handling, inventory control, and accountability in accordance with agency policies and applicable requirements.
• Provide client-centered education about prescribed medications, particularly medications for opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders, overdose prevention and naloxone, safer substance use, and other risk-reduction strategies.
• Assess barriers to care and coordinate solutions to help clients navigate the internal and external health care system, including medication access, primary care, behavioral health, specialty and recovery services, pharmacy and insurance processes, prior authorizations, referrals, appointments, and transitions of care
• Actively participate in daily huddles, case conferences, staff meetings, performance improvement activities, and interdisciplinary care planning, contributing nursing observations and collaborating across addiction treatment and primary care to promote continuity of care.
• Accurately complete documentation in the electronic medical record and other required systems in a timely manner.
• Participate in infection prevention, emergency response, and other activities that support safe, equitable, and effective care.

MAT Clinic

• Provide direct clinical nursing care in the low-barrier addiction treatment clinic (MAT clinic) and during designated primary care assignments, adapting to walk-in, scheduled, and other clinical workflows as needed.
• Support initiation, continuation, and adjustment of medications for opioid use disorder in collaboration with prescribing providers, including conducting clinical withdrawal assessments, assessing medication adherence, and applying internal guidelines to make client-centered medication continuation or adjustment recommendations.

• Manage incoming patient phone calls during clinic hours in collaboration with other team members.
• Maintain patient panel tracking tools to support treatment continuity, timely follow-up, identification of care gaps, and outreach to clients who may need additional support.

Primary Care Clinic 

• Provide primary care nursing services during assigned clinical sessions, including triage and nursing assessment of walk-in and scheduled clients, chronic disease management, preventive health care coordination, screenings, immunizations, medication reconciliation and education, care coordination, and follow-up of acute and chronic health needs.

Key Agency Responsibilities 

In addition to role responsibilities, every staff member has the following responsibilities as a part of their employment:

• Models and reinforces the core values of dignity, authenticity, hope, justice, passion and balance
• Actively participates in performance improvement and advocacy activities that support the mission 
• Protects clients’ personal health information by maintaining compliance with HIPAA and other relevant health care-related IT security regulations

• Performs other duties on an as-needed basis

Knowledge, Experience and Skills 

Formal Education and Training

• Bachelor's degree in Nursing preferred; Associates degree with 5 years direct experience in addictions medicine
• Possess current licensure as a Registered Nurse in Maryland
• BLS CPR certification required

Experience  

• Experience in community health, primary care, addiction care, harm reduction, or public health nursing preferred
• Experience working collaboratively in a multidisciplinary ambulatory clinical setting preferred

Skills 

• Strong interpersonal skills necessary to work with vulnerable populations and to collaborate with other team members, other staff members, and personnel of other agencies
• Possess the ability to make independent decisions when circumstances warrant such action
• Able to cope with interruptions, be flexible and be a team player
• Able to work with ill, disabled, emotionally upset and sometimes hostile individuals

Success Profile

Core Competencies

Compassion

• Demonstrates empathy and patience in words and actions; continually strengthens these skills 
• Demonstrates self-awareness about one’s own perspective and biases; seeks to become more open
• Shares credit with others and recognizes success results from the combined efforts of many

Courage

• Thoughtfully engages with difficult issues in order to solve them
• Provides constructive, direct and, actionable input and feedback
• Navigates conflicts head-on to resolve them in a positive manner