Nurse Consultant Series

California State Personnel Board Specification

Series established March 18, 1970

Scope

This series specification describes four Nurse Consultant classes used in one of the health-related departments.

Definition of Series

The Nurse Consultant series of classes describes work concerned with the provision of nursing and program consultation to individuals, and public and private health agencies in the planning, development, implementation, evaluation, and monitoring of health services, programs and projects, the development and evaluation of standards, policies and procedures, and the development and coordination of training and education of nursing and other health-related personnel who are responsible for the delivery of health care services.

Consultation services may be provided to a total program, or a selected part or parts of a total program, or to a specific area within the department.

Entry Level

Entry into this series may be at any level.

Factors Affecting Position Allocation

Differences between class levels are determined primarily by: (1) the level of difficulty, complexity, and sensitivity of the assignments given to the incumbent; (2) the degree of independence with which the incumbent performs an assignment; and (3) the experience and expertise which the incumbent brings to those assignments.

Definition of Levels

Nurse Consultant I

This is the first working level. Under general supervision, performs the less complex nursing consultation and technical assistance to public and private institutions and agencies on the provision of health services; participates in planning, developing, evaluating, and monitoring health services, programs, and studies; participates in the development and evaluation of policies, procedures, and standards; develops and coordinates training programs; may assist in the more complex health programs, studies, or reports; and does other related work.

Nurse Consultant II

This is the full working level. Under general direction, provides complex nursing and program consultation and technical assistance to public and private agencies on the provision of health services; plans, develops, organizes, monitors, and evaluates programs and studies on the delivery of health services; may also serve in a lead capacity to Nurse Consultants and other health-related multidisciplinary staff; develops and evaluates program standards, policies, and procedures; and does other related work.

Nurse Consultant III (Specialist)

Positions at this level function as nonsupervisory technical specialists in difficult and/or sensitive program and policy development or in a coordinating role where the level of expertise required is definitively greater than that for any other supervisory position at this level. Incumbents serve as highly skilled technical program consultants, or as recognized authorities in areas of extreme sensitivity or complexity, or in areas of high specialization. Typically, incumbents have statewide responsibility for the nursing and related components of a major statewide program with coordinating or lead responsibility for nursing and other professional/technical staff. Under general direction, incumbents provide the most complex, difficult, and sensitive consultation; develop, plan, organize, coordinate, implement, and evaluate the nursing and related components of a major statewide program; evaluate and ensure statewide program consistency; provide professional guidance to nursing and other health professional staff; and do other related work.

Nurse Consultant III (Supervisor)

This is the working supervisor level. Under general direction, incumbents supervise a small to moderate group of Nurse Consultants and/or other health professional/technical staff, and personally perform the most difficult, complex, or sensitive consultation and policy and program development work. Positions in this class are supervisory, having authority in the interest of management to: hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward, or discipline other employees; or responsibility to direct them, adjust their grievances, or effectively to recommend such action.

Minimum Qualifications

1. All classes in this series require possession of an active valid license as a registered nurse in California. (Applicants who do not meet this requirement will be admitted to the examination, but they must secure the required license before they will be considered eligible for appointment.) and

2. All classes in this series require a baccalaureate or higher degree in nursing from a school of nursing accredited by the National League for Nursing (NLN) or its equivalent for foreign graduates. (For applicants who received a baccalaureate degree in a health-related field prior to 1990, the California State Public Health Nurse Certificate may be substituted for the baccalaureate in nursing (BSN), thereafter the baccalaureate or higher degree must be in nursing from a school of nursing accredited by the NLN or its equivalent for foreign graduates.) and

3. All classes in this series require possession of a master's degree in a health-related field such as: nursing, public health, health care services, health care administration, or hospital administration. All degrees must be from an institution approved by the Council for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education under the provisions of California Education Code Chapter 3, Part 59, Division 10.

Nurse Consultant I

Two years of professional registered nursing experience which must have included responsibility for health services program planning and implementation or an administrative, consultative, teaching, or supervisory capacity.

Nurse Consultant II

Either I

Two years of experience performing the duties of a Nurse Consultant I in the California state service.

Or II

Four years of professional registered nursing experience, at least two years of which shall have been in an administrative, consultative, teaching, or supervisory capacity. (One additional year of graduate work in group dynamics, interpersonal relations, or other courses relating to the consultative process in nursing may be substituted for one year of the required general nursing experience.)

Nurse Consultant III (Specialist)

Nurse Consultant III (Supervisor)

Either I

Two years of experience performing the duties of a Nurse Consul- tant II in the California state service.

Or II

Broad and extensive (at least five years) professional registered nursing experience, at least four years of which shall have been in an administrative, consultative, teaching, or supervisory capacity. (One year of health-related postmaster's graduate work may be substituted for one year of general nursing experience.)

Knowledge and Abilities

Nurse Consultant I

Knowledge of: Principles, techniques, methods, and procedures of current nursing practices; epidemiology and methods of health promotion and disease prevention concepts and methods of control of communicable diseases; current philosophies and patterns of nursing education; principles and methods of consultation; group process and problem solving; research principles and methodology; roles, responsibilities, and interrelationships of the various health disciplines and health agencies; functions of social and health agencies; cultural and sociological patterns as they affect health programs; State and Federal legislation related to health services.

Ability to: Effectively provide consultation and technical assistance; establish and maintain the confidence and cooperation of those personnel within the department and in other social and health agencies; analyze situations accurately and take effective action; be flexible in approach to the solution of problems; communicate effectively; prepare reports.

Nurse Consultant II

Knowledge of: All of the above, and the administration and organization and trends in health care delivery systems; techniques of program planning, development, monitoring, and evaluation.

Ability to: All of the above, and apply principles of administra-tion of nursing and health care services in various administrative patterns; assist administrators to plan with others in meeting community health needs.

Nurse Consultant III (Specialist)

Knowledge of: All of the above, and management problem-solving methods; principles and methodology of research; current trends in the fields of nursing education and health care services; interagency and interdiscipline relationships.

Ability to: All of the above.

Nurse Consultant III (Supervisor)

Knowledge of: All of the above, and principles and practices of effective supervision; techniques of employee training and development; a supervisor's responsibility for promoting equal opportunity in hiring, employee development and promotion, and for maintaining a work environment which is free of discrimination and harassment.

Ability to: All of the above, and effectively supervise and train subordinate staff; manage a health program or project; establish and maintain priorities; effectively promote equal opportunity in employment and maintain a work environment which is free of discrimination and harassment.

Additional Desirable Qualifications

All Levels:

Special consideration will be given to candidates at all levels who possess professional nursing experience in a local health department or other community health agency.

Class History