Nurse Supervisor - Jail Health Services, Career Service

Jail Health Services, a division within Public Health - Seattle & King County, is seeking an exceptional nursing supervisor to join our team! This position will partner with a team of nursing leaders to supervise, maintain, and improve nursing services that include Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Medical Assistants, and Certified Nursing Assistants within two King County correctional facilities. This is an opportunity to lead an amazing team whose passion is to serve individuals with great needs and often limited access to care in the community. The Personal Health Services Supervisor will have overall responsibility for the daily supervision of the team and be a key member of the site leadership teams, working with program staff, other leaders and the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention. If this position speaks to you, apply today. Jail Health Services has a strong reputation for deploying principles and methods to continuously improve toward the vision of "Opening doors to healthier, happier lives." We are interested in individuals who are representative of the diverse population we serve and are dedicated to serving patients with quality and compassion. We value and recognize innovation and teamwork. Our teams practice collaborative leadership to foster inclusion, equity and social justice, and respect for people and staff.

JHS provides needed health and social services to the incarcerated population located in the King County jails – King County Correctional Facility (KCCF) in Seattle, WA and Maleng Regional Justice Center (MRJC) in Kent, WA. The primary services we provide include medical, dental, mental health, social and release planning services, treatment of substance use disorders, and pharmaceutical services. We care about the patients we serve and their health outcomes. Our division includes over 250 employees and an annual budget of over $60 million.

The purpose of JHS is to assure that high-quality health and human services are available to the incarcerated population in the King County adult correctional facilities: the King County Correctional Facility (KCCF) in Seattle and the Maleng Regional Justice Center (MRJC) in Kent. The JHS vision is Opening doors to healthier, happier lives, and the mission is to assess and stabilize serious health problems for the detained population of the King County Correctional Facility and the Maleng Regional Justice Center with a focus on transition from jail.  

Staffed 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year, JHS provides a broad range of health care to all individuals booked into the jails. For patients with serious mental health or medical conditions, special housing units (psychiatric and infirmary) along with a higher level of services and medical monitoring are provided. Since the patient population varies both in numbers as well as in acuity of health conditions, staffing is adapted and flexed to meet the constantly changing needs of the population.

JHS staff manage the complex health needs of underserved populations, many of whom come to the facility without access to care in the community and with decompensated acute and chronic health conditions.

Commitment To Equity and Social Justice

Named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures.

The county government has a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all – in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from all communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts.

We recognize that structural racism consists of principles and practices that cause and justify an inequitable distribution of rights, opportunities, and experiences across racial groups. Since declaring Racism is a Public Health Crisis in June 2020, King County and Public Health committed to being intentionally anti-racist and accountable to Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities.

To learn more, please visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equity-social-justice.aspx

• Provide direct supervision of registered and licensed practical nurses, medical assistants, and certified nursing assistants.
• Ensure the delivery of all required nursing and ancillary services to meet the daily health care needs of patients.
• Participate in the development, implementation, and evaluation of staff training, orientation, and education programs.
• Perform periodic nursing services to ensure patient safety and the daily demand of nursing care is met.
• Maintain familiarity with all work processes to effectively lead and manage continuous process improvement efforts for nursing services.
• Participate in after-hours on-call duties that may warrant in person response.
• Provide clinical consultation to staff regarding specific patients and provide guidance on challenging cases; assess and evaluate legal implications and risk factors.
• Investigate and respond to incident/accident reports, grievances, ombudsman calls, legal requests or information, and family inquiries.
• Responsible for hiring, completing performance appraisals, mentoring, training, counseling, team building, and discipline of staff.
• Program level responsibilities include, but not limited to program planning, implementation, coordination and evaluation.
• Develop, maintain, and analyze metrics on program operations and implement necessary changes.
• Facilitate and participate in committees including, but not limited to: Nursing Leadership Team, scheduling and staffing, emergency response, pharmacy and therapeutics, and Quality Improvement committees.
• Participates as a member of the Clinical Leadership Team and represents management at the Labor Conference Committee meetings.
• Work with outside health providers to assure the provision of appropriate patient care; work with Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention management and staff to ensure that the Jail Health programs meet National Commission on Correctional Health Care accreditation standards as well as medical, federal, state and other standards and requirements.
• Develop, implement, monitor, and evaluate policies, procedures, nursing guidelines, and quality assurance activities to demonstrate compliance with standards, laws, and regulations.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required: 

• Washington State Registered Nurse License or valid Registered Nurse multistate license (MSL) from a participating Nurse Licensure Compact state in good standing.
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and/or graduate level nursing degree of MSN, DNP or PhD from an education program approved by the Washington State Board of Nursing
• Washington State Driver's License or ability to travel within the designated territory. 
• Pass background, credentialing and pre-employment physical

Desired:

• Multilingual/Multicultural nurses with lived experience
• Willingness to provide options counseling to pregnant people 
• Clinical practice in ambulatory care or correctional setting within the past 5 years
• Nursing supervisory experience in ambulatory care or a correctional setting within the last 5 years
• Infection Prevention and Control experience within the past 5 years
• Experience in Clinical Education

Work Schedule: The individual selected for this position will work 40 hours per week and will maintain a typical shift that will vary depending on training needs. This position is overtime eligible and may work outside of the typical schedule to meet operational needs. This position supervises staff who work 24/7 and the individual selected for this position will be required to adjust working hours at times in order to carry out supervisory responsibilities and admin responsibilities; variable hours include weekends. After hours on call is rotated through nursing supervisors, and the individual in this position will take part in that rotation.

Work Location: King County Correctional Facility, 500 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104 and Maleng Regional Justice Center, 401 Fourth Avenue North, Kent, WA 98032. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements. 



Who May Apply: This position is open to all minimally qualified nurses.

Union Affiliation: Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA).

Contact: Amy M. Curtis, BSN, RN, Nurse Recruitment Manager at [email protected] with any questions.

Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

King County's Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values unite us.

King County serves residents with a relentless sense of urgency, delivering on commitments with transparency and accountability. We are action-oriented, creative problem solvers who collaborate across roles, engage directly with communities, and challenge the status quo to achieve meaningful impact. As a unified team, we uphold high ethical and stewardship standards, embrace change, stay curious, and continuously improve. Across all interactions, we listen first, act quickly, and stay aligned as a team to earn and sustain public trust. Learn more about our Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values here and visit our Why work at King County page here.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on sex, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age except by minimum age and retirement provisions, pregnancy, status as a family caregiver, parental status, marital status, military status or status as a veteran who was honorably discharged or who was discharged solely as a result of the person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, citizenship or immigration status, genetic information, or other protected class. However, to the extent that distinction or differential treatment on the basis of citizenship or immigration status is authorized by either federal or state law, regulation, or government contract, it is not an unfair practice.

Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

Who May Apply

This position is open to all qualified candidates.

The following items are required to be considered for this vacancy:

• NEOGOV Job Application (The responses on your job application should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)
• Supplemental Questions (The responses to the supplemental questions should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)
• Resume
• Letter of Interest

Please note: (Additional attachments will not be reviewed as part of the evaluation process if not outlined as a required application material as outlined above).

Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the application. Cover letters and/or resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed application. Applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires that state "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.

Necessary Special Requirements

• The selection process may include evaluation of application materials and supplemental questions, interviewing, and testing. You must completely fill out the application with your relevant education and work experience.
• The selected candidate must be able to provide proof of Basic Life Support (BLS) / CPR.
• The selected candidate must be able to pass a thorough background investigation and Pre-Employment Physical, but findings may not necessarily disqualify an applicant for employment.
• For more information on our selection process, please refer to www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/jobs/hiring. For tips on interviewing, please visit https://www.kingcounty.gov/~/media/audience/employees/learning-and-development/Interview_Tips.ashx?la=en. 
• Employees are required to protect the privacy and security of protected health information as defined in State and Federal Law.
• Public Health relies on office automation (Microsoft Office) and web-based enabled tools, therefore candidates must be proficient and comfortable with computer use to perform functions associated with on-going work.
• Employees are required to adhere to OSHA/WISHA guidelines including but not limited to completing their mandatory trainings on time and obtaining required immunizations.
• Regular and reliable attendance, effective communication skills, and development of effective working relationships are requirements of all Public Health positions.
• When Public Health responds to an emergency, and in accordance with relevant CLA language and/or KC policy and procedures, we may assign duties outside your regular job description. This may involve responding at any time, including nights and weekends, with possible deployment to locations other than the department. 
• If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions, please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.

Additional Information 
Public Health - Jail Health Services follows and maintains federal and state requirements standards including, but not limited to, Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards which apply to all public and private institutions that house adult or juvenile offenders. PREA standards preclude the department from hiring or promoting anyone who has engaged in, or been convicted of any conduct which would violate PREA standards related to sexual assault including:

• Sexual abuse in a prison, jail, lockup, community confinement facility, juvenile facility, or other institution.
• Convicted of engaging or attempting to engage in sexual activity in the community facilitated by force, overt or implied threats of force, or coercion, or if the victim did not consent or was unable to consent or refuse; or,
• Has been civilly or administratively adjudicated to have engaged in the activity described above.

Additionally, PREA standards require that the department consider any incidents of sexual harassment involving an inmate or detainee in determining whether or not to hire or promote anyone.

The above is in compliance with PREA and its implementing regulations, 28 C.F.R. Part 115, Subpart A, Section 115.17, Hiring and Promotion Decisions.