Advanced Practice Nurse Specialist - Child Care Health Program

King County; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

King County's Child Care Health Program is seeking a Quality Lead Advanced Practice Nurse Specialist to provide clinical leadership and oversight. You will supervise a team of public health nurses, support trauma-informed, equity-driven care, and conduct field-based observations in early learning settings across Seattle and surrounding counties.

This role emphasizes reducing barriers to access, collaborating with a multidisciplinary team, developing training and materials, and ensuring

Qualifications

• Washington State Registered Nurse License in good standing.
• Bachelor's degree in nursing or MSN/DNP/PhD from an accredited school.
• Washington State Driver's License in good standing with ability to drive to locations around Seattle.
• Current BLS-CPR for Healthcare Providers.
• Advanced knowledge of early learning nursing practice and related codes.
• Experience in multidisciplinary teams and clinical quality improvement.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical quality oversight to nursing staff and ensure high standards.
• Collaborate with Nurse Supervisor to drive program improvements and outcomes measures.
• Create onboarding materials and competency assessments for nurses.
• Document and review nursing standards and site visit reports for quality and trends.
• Develop clinical content for child care health guidance and update materials.
• Lead training content for educators, aligning with equity goals.
• Coordinate with an inter-disciplinary team to assess changing needs.
• Provide nursing consultation to Health Dept staff and partner agencies.
• Travel to early learning sites for classroom observations and health events.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Nursing leadership

Field observations

Trauma-informed care

Equity-driven practice

Public health nursing

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Clinical quality improvement

Education

Bachelor's degree in nursing

MSN / DNP / PhD in nursing

Job description

This opportunity is open to King County nurses only.

The Child Care Health Program (CCHP) provides health consultation, training, and education to child care and early learning educators to elevate their health and safety skills for children birth to 5 in their care. CCHP is an interdisciplinary team of Public Health Nurse, Mental Health, Nutrition, and Educator Consultants who collaborate to provide in-person services and supports to early learning educators. Additionally, the team creates and disseminates materials and resources for educators; models best health practices; and advocates for children, families, and educators to have equitable access to anti-racist opportunities for their well-being.

The Child Care Health Program Quality Lead (Advanced Practice Nurse Specialist) supports the nursing staff on the CCHP team to deliver high-quality, family-centered services that are trauma-informed, equity-driven, and responsive to the diverse experiences of the communities served.

The APNS works in partnership with the Nurse Supervisor to ensure that the program is serving the needs of early learning providers, prioritizing reducing barriers to access and improving outcomes for children and families, particularly those navigating complex medical, developmental, or social needs, and those historically underserved or disproportionately impacted by inequities. This nursing leadership position will provide clinical quality oversight to a team of highly skilled public health nurse consultants; this position also conducts field-based early learning classroom observations.

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 clinical expertise and leadership in establishing and monitoring standards of practice to improve child care health; identify current relevant scientific health information and apply it appropriately to public health practice.
• Work closely with the Program Manager and Nurse Supervisor to support continuous program improvement efforts. Develop measures for assessing program outcomes and support quality assurance activities.
• Develop materials for nursing staff onboarding and competency assessment; support training and orientation of new nursing staff.
• Document clinical standards and protocols for nursing work at early learning sites; review site visit documentation to assess quality, trends and needs across sites; develop/asses documentation standards and continuously improve fit with workflow and reporting requirements.
• Lead development of clinical content for child care health and safety guidance; collaborate with Public Health Nurses in creation of new or updated materials; conduct research and monitor state and local policies and performance standards to inform content.
• Lead development of training content for early learning educators; consult with Public Health Nurses to respond to site-specific training requests, ensuring alignment with program priorities and equity principles.
• Work with an interdisciplinary team, including Public Health Nurse, Mental Health, Nutrition, and Educator Consultants, integrating diverse team perspectives to assess the changing needs of children and providers.
• Provide technical assistance and nursing consultation to Health Department staff, health providers, policy makers and personnel in other community and governmental agencies and organizations.
• Travel to early learning sites to conduct observation of classrooms, support annual health screening events, and provide consultation to a small caseload of early learning sites on a variety of health and safety issues.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Washington State Registered Nurse License in good standing
• Bachelor's degree in nursing or a master's degree in nursing science or a graduate-level nursing degree of MSN, DNP or PhD from an accredited school of nursing
• Washington State Drivers' License in good standing with ability to drive to locations around the City of Seattle to conduct in-person consultations and model various infant and child care best practices.
• Current BLS-CPR for Healthcare Providers, pass background and credentialing
• Advanced knowledge of early learning nursing practice, including Washington state administrative codes and national health and safety best practices related to child care and early learning programs
• Demonstrated experience working in a multidisciplinary team which includes nurses, nutritionists, social workers, community health workers, and/or other disciplines
• Experience in clinical quality improvement

Work Schedule

This is a full-time (1.0 FTE), Career Service position with benefits. The typical work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with travel to multiple service sites. This position is subject to the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is eligible for overtime pay. Some schedule flexibility may be required to meet operational needs.

Work Location

This position requires onsite/in-person consultation in early learning settings in Seattle and King County as well as virtual support and collaboration via remote telework as needed. Additionally, some meetings, collaborations, and resources are based at our downtown Chinook administration building, located at 401 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104. The Child Care Health Program is field-based. In-office presence for this position will depend upon program need.

This posting will be used to fill all needs. Interviews for this opportunity will be held October 6th and 7th.

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 Manager at [e-mail] with any practice related questions.

If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, or you would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, please contact Salyse Duckworth at [e-mail]

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.