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Clinical Nurse I - Extra Help - Specialty Training Programs

Under close supervision, to apply the theoretical concepts of the nursing profession while providing routine direct patient care within the parameters of established nursing policies and procedures in controlled patient care situations required by the assigned clinical setting; to develop the skills, knowledge, and abilities of nursing. 


Registered Nurses (RN) have an opportunity to continue their education in our Clinical Nurse Specialty Training Programs.  The Clinical Nurse Specialty Training Programs are comprehensive including both didactic (classroom) and clinical orientation time with a skilled preceptor. Training program cohorts are scheduled as needed for Critical Care, Progressive Care Unit, Emergency Department, Medical/Surgical, Operating Room, Labor and Delivery, Pediatrics, Neonatal Intensive Care and other specialty departments.  Depending on the specialty area, programs usually occur 2-4 times a year. The training programs are intended for Registered Nurses with less than one year of acute care RN experience in the specialty area.

This recruitment is for EXTRA HELP (temporary) assignments located at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, O'Connor Hospital, St. Louise Regional Hospital, and Regional Medical Center.  Extra Help positions are unbenefited and are limited to 1,040 hours each Fiscal Year.

To qualify, candidates must have a California (CA) RN license or CA RN Interim Permit. Applications without the required license or permit will be rejected. Clinical Nurse Specialty Training Programs occur at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, O'Connor Hospital, St. Louise Regional Hospital and Regional Medical Center. 
 
Please indicate your preferences for hospital(s), specialty areas, unit(s), shift(s) and shift length(s) in the supplemental questions. Upon meeting the employment standards, applications are referred to desired specialty training programs based on selections in the supplemental questions.
 

Distinguishing Characteristics

The Clinical Nurse I classification is the entry level classification in the Clinical Nurse classification series. The Clinical Nurse I is distinguished from the Clinical Nurse II in that the Clinical Nurse I is a graduate nurse or registered nurse (RN) with limited nursing experience. Incumbents work under close supervision of another registered nurse, providing only routine and general patient care assignments within well-defined guidelines.

 

The Clinical Nurse classification series is distinguished from the Public Health Nurse classification series in that the Clinical Nurse classification series works directly with individual patients or a defined patient assignment, where patients are injured, ill, or in life-threatening situations requiring nursing interventions, whereas the Public Health Nurse works in clinics, homes, and community settings caring for the health of the population to prevent disease and improve population health. 

 

The Clinical Nurse classification series differs from the Psychiatric Nurse classification series in that the Psychiatric Nurse classification series works in mental health hospitals and clinics providing psychiatric and nursing interventions. 

Requirements

The following are the duties performed by employees in this classification. However, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level. Each individual in the classification does not necessarily perform all duties listed.

Assessment

  • Obtains data for nursing assessment from patient and/or family;
  • Learns to utilize assessment data to formulate nursing diagnosis; 
  • Observes patient behavior and documents it in a clear, concise manner.

Planning

  • Identifies obvious patient care problems and establishes priorities for care based on nursing and medical diagnoses; 
  • Under direction, initiates a patient care plan and collaborates with other staff members when appropriate; may suggest revisions to a patient care plan dependent upon the changing needs of the patient;
  • Contributes to the development of unit standards of care;
  • Under direction, plans patient teaching activities. 

Implementation

  • Complies with external and internal licensure regulations and accreditation body standards pertaining to nursing practice;
  • Recognizes and implements legal and ethical responsibilities and duties of registered nurses;
  • Establishes priorities and provides nursing care based on the patient care plan;
  • Accepts accountability for all nursing care provided;
  • Monitors compliance with safety standards and care protocols for self and others;
  • Documents nursing care provided and patient's response to care; 
  • Assists in coordinating the activities needed to implement the patient care plan; 
  • Participates in implementation of patient discharge plan; 
  • Under direction, teaches patient and families; 
  • Seeks supervision and guidance in developing nursing skills, in performing procedures not yet mastered, and when functioning in unfamiliar situations. 

Evaluation

  • Evaluates the patient's response to care provided; 
  • Communicates evaluation outcomes to appropriate staff; 
  • Evaluates teaching provided by self and others.
  • May be assigned as a Disaster Service Worker (DSW), as required*; 
  • Performs other related duties, as required.

Qualifications

Sufficient education, training, and experience to demonstrate the ability to perform the above tasks, plus the possession and direct application of the following knowledge and abilities:

Training and Experience Note: The required knowledge and abilities are attained through possession of an active California Registered Nurse License without restrictions; 

OR

Possession of a California Interim Permit issued to a graduate of a California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) approved registered nurse program. 

Possession of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is preferred. 

Special Requirements

  • Must possess and maintain the following certification(s) during employment:

o          Basic Life Saving Certification (BLS)

  • For clinical specialty areas, must possess and maintain the following certification(s) during employment: 

o          Advance Cardiovascular Life Saving Certification (ACLS) 

o          Other identified specialty area certification for specialty patient populations at appointment, as required. 

  • Ability to travel to alternate locations in the course of work.  If driving, possession of a valid California driver’s license prior to appointment and the ability to qualify for and maintain a County driver authorization.
  • *As a condition of employment, pursuant to California Government Code Sections 3100-3109 and Local Ordinance, all County of Santa Clara employees are designated Disaster Service Workers (DSWs), including extra help.  A DSW is required to complete all assigned DSW-related training, and in the event of an emergency, return to work as ordered.

Knowledge of:

  • California Nurse Practice Act; 
  • American Nursing Association Code of Ethics; 
  • Nursing Professional Practice Model;
  • Federal and State healthcare laws and regulations appropriate to the operation of California hospitals; 
  • Current nursing and related medical theory necessary to administer nursing care within assigned clinical setting;
  • Principles, practices, and methods of acute and primary care clinical nursing, including community aspects and continuity of patient care;
  • Diagnosis and treatment of common medical problems as related to a clinical specialty area; 
  • Clinical systems, supplies, and equipment;
  • Safety and Infection Control practices;
  • Sciences basic to nursing (anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, microbiology); 
  • English usage, style, grammar, punctuation, and spelling; 
  • Common computer systems and charting applications.

Ability to:

  • Build effective therapeutic relationships; 
  • Assume responsibility and accountability for patients;
  • Collaborate with peers to develop and implement individualized teaching plans;
  • Utilize educational resources available for promoting self-learning;
  • Focus on the whole clinical picture of the patient;
  • Integrate input from other disciplines for decision making;
  • Respond in a timely manner to changes in patient condition;
  • Model professional accountability for clinical practice; 
  • Respond to patient requests and needs with some ability to shuffle priorities;
  • Escalate issues when demands exceed capacity; 
  • Read and understand material safety data sheets and other safety communications;  
  • Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people of diverse backgrounds and cultures; 
  • Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work, at all levels, including colleagues, the public, and representatives of other agencies.

The physical requirements may include:

 

  • Ability to work alternate work schedules, weekends, and holidays, as necessary;
  • Ability to perform physical skills required to deliver patient care;
  • Bend, stoop, reach, perform fine motor movements, see, hear, and touch. 
  • Strength to lift, move and transfer most patients; to restrain and carry children; to move and carry equipment; and to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which requires sufficient body weight and adequate lung expansion;
  • Mobility: bend, stoop, get down on the floor; combination of strength, dexterity, mobility, and coordination to assist patients; ability to move around physically and adequately in confined spaces (patient rooms, bathrooms, treatment settings, around patient equipment, etc.);
  • Fine Motor Movements: manipulate syringes and IVs; assist patients with

feeding and hygiene; write appropriate notations; document in health record; and perform sterile procedures and other skilled procedures; 

  • Vision: Visualize patients in order to assess and observe their health status; skin tone, color changes, dermatological conditions, non-verbal behaviors, changes in signs and symptoms of illness, health improvement or deterioration, etc.;
  • Hearing: Hear and see patients, monitor signs and symptoms, hear alarms, patient voices, call lights, and assess patient conditions, non-verbal behaviors, changes in signs and symptoms of illness, health improvement or deterioration, hear through the stethoscope to discriminate sounds, and accurately hear on the telephone;
  • Touch: Ability to palpate both superficially and deeply and to discriminate tactile sensations
Date Posted
12/02/2025
Job Reference
25-X1A-A
Organization
Santa Clara Valley Health Care - Valley Medical Center
Location
Santa Clara, CA 95050
Category
Health Education Specialist
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