Nurse I or Nurse II

State of South Dakota; Mitchell (SD); On-site; USD 83,326,000 - 97,681,000; Full time

Job summary

State of South Dakota Department of Health in Mitchell, SD is seeking a Registered Nurse for the Office of Public Health Nursing Services. The RN provides public health nursing across programs such as immunizations, pregnancy care, school health, and preparedness, with duties including assessments, care coordination, education, and community outreach.

Travel to clinics, schools, homes, and other settings is required; schedule may vary, and state travel may be needed.

Qualifications

• Licensed as a Registered Nurse in South Dakota.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
• Willingness to travel and work across multiple settings.
• Strong nursing judgment and ethical practice.

Responsibilities

• Provide public health nursing services across program areas such as immunizations, pregnancy care, school health, and public health preparedness.
• Conduct nursing assessments and develop care plans.
• Educate communities and coordinate care with partners.
• Travel to clinics, schools, homes, and other public health sites as needed.

Skills

Nursing assessment

Public health nursing

Clinical judgment

Empathy and communication

Travel readiness

Education

RN license

BLS certification

Job description

Job ID: 37154
Agency: Department of Health - Division of Family and Community Health
Location:Mitchell, SD
Salary: $29.08-$34.09 Hourly, depending on qualifications
Pay Grade: N1 or N2
Closing Date: 9/4/26
This is a Full-Time position with the Department of Health - Division of Family and Community Health. For more information on the Department of Health, please visit https://doh.sd.gov/

The South Dakota Department of Health's programs and services help prevent illness and injury, promote healthy places to live, work and play; provide education to help people make good health decisions; prepare for, respond to, and prevent public health threats; and support efforts to enhance quality and accessibility of healthcare. Our services touch the lives of every person in the state of South Dakota.

We recognize that employees are our most valuable resource and we are committed to promoting a culture of excellence in DOH. We trust our employees to be innovative, challenge existing processes, and make the best decisions. We are interested in employing a diverse and skilled workforce that exhibits the values of leadership, accountability, communication, integrity, and teamwork. Public health is a diverse and growing field that offers many career options for people from a variety of educational backgrounds. Imagine yourself as part of a winning team that is making the lives of South Dakotans healthier and safer.

This position is for a Registered Nurse in the South Dakota Department of Health, Office of Public Health Nursing Services. The Registered Nurse provides public health nursing services across key program areas, including Pregnancy Care, Immunizations, School Health, and Public Health Preparedness. This role may include direct client care, nursing assessments, health education, community outreach, care coordination, disease prevention, and health promotion activities. Services may be provided in clinics, schools, homes, community settings, and other public health service locations.

OPHNS Registered Nurses practice as professional public health nurses by applying nursing theory, clinical judgment, and evidence-based practice to protect and promote the health of individuals, families, populations, and communities across South Dakota. The role requires professional judgment, adaptability, collaboration, compassion, and a commitment to public service. Work assignments, schedules, and travel may vary based on organizational and public health needs.

Routine work hours are generally Monday through Friday during standard business hours. However, schedules, work locations, and assignments may vary based on organizational priorities, service delivery needs, training requirements, community events, and public health response activities. Statewide travel, including occasional overnight travel, may be required. Physical requirements may include lifting or transporting supplies and equipment related to clinical and public health service delivery.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• The Registered Nurse applies nursing knowledge, clinical judgment, and public health principles to meet regional and statewide public health service needs.
• Professional Nursing Practice: Apply nursing theory and evidence-based standards; conduct nursing assessments; develop, implement, and evaluate care plans; exercise independent clinical judgment; document according to legal and organizational requirements; and perform age-appropriate, pregnancy-related, and population-based assessments according to OPHNS protocols.
• Public Health Service Delivery: Provide public health nursing services across program areas such as immunizations, pregnancy care, school health, and public health preparedness. Deliver services in a variety of settings, which may include clinics, schools, homes, community sites, and emergency response settings. Identify health risks, provide education, support disease prevention, and contribute to health promotion efforts.
• Client and Community Engagement: Provide services with empathy, compassion, and respect for individuals, families, and communities, including underserved and vulnerable populations. Navigate sensitive, complex, or challenging client situations with professionalism, sound judgment, and compassion.
• Professional Accountability: Demonstrate accountability to the organization, the nursing profession, and the public. Follow applicable policies, procedures, protocols, and supervisory guidance. Maintain professionalism, ethical conduct, confidentiality, and public trust.
• Flexibility and Operational Readiness: Support regional and statewide service needs, including travel as needed, occasional overnight travel, and flexibility in work settings or schedules when required by organizational priorities, service delivery needs, or public health response activities.
• Collaboration and Systems-Based Practice: Work with supervisors, colleagues, healthcare partners, schools, families, community organizations, and other stakeholders to coordinate services, support referrals, and improve health outcomes.
• Quality Improvement and Professional Development: Participate in training, quality improvement, program evaluation, and professional development activities. Support organizational change and continuous improvement in public health nursing practice.
• Other duties may be assigned within the scope of professional nursing practice.

Licenses And Certifications

• Licensed as a Registered Nurse to practice in South Dakota.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel as needed.

Nursing level will be determined based on education and experience:

• Nurse 1 level – Registered Nurse License and Associate’s degree, Bachelor’s degree, or 3-year Diploma.
• Nurse 2 level – Registered Nurse License and Associate’s degree, Bachelor’s degree, or 3-year Diploma plus additional education with 2 – 4 years of progressive experience at Level 1 of the Nursing Job Family. All certificates and/or tests required for performance at this level must be obtained and/or completed.

The Ideal Candidate Will Have

• Demonstrated professional nursing judgment, accountability, and ethical practice.
• Adaptability and resilience in changing environments and priorities.
• Comfort performing nursing assessments and applying clinical judgment to support pregnancy care, immunization services, school health, and population-based public health services.
• Empathy, compassion, and respect for individuals, families, and communities, including underserved and vulnerable populations.
• Ability to navigate sensitive, complex, or challenging client situations with professionalism, sound judgment, and compassion.
• Willingness to travel and adjust work location or schedule when needed based on organizational and public health service needs.
• Ability to work effectively within a public service structure by receiving guidance, collaborating with supervisors and colleagues, and contributing to team-based service delivery.
• Commitment to public health, community service, and population-based care.
• Ability to apply critical thinking and nursing theory in daily practice.

Knowledge Of

• Professional nursing standards and scope of practice.
• Public health principles and population-based nursing care.
• Principles of maternal health assessment, normal and high-risk pregnancy indicators, and physiological changes across the perinatal period.
• Federal and state regulations, policies, procedures, and documentation requirements relevant to public health nursing.

Ability To

• Function independently and accountably as a professional nurse.
• Adapt to changing priorities, assignments, and service locations.
• Apply sound judgment and discretion within established policies, protocols, and professional standards.
• Communicate effectively with diverse populations, families, community partners, and interdisciplinary teams.
• Perform and interpret non-invasive physical and physiological nursing assessments and elevate findings according to protocol.
• Demonstrate empathy, professionalism, and respect when working with individuals, families, and communities.
• Demonstrate a strong commitment to public service, professional accountability, and meeting the needs of the communities served.

This position is eligible for Veterans’ Preference per ARSD 55:10:02:08.

The State of South Dakota does not sponsor work visas for new or existing employees. All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete an Employment Eligibility Verification, Form I-9. The State of South Dakota as an employer will be using E-Verify to complete employment eligibility verification upon hire.

The State of South Dakota offers $0 premium employee health insurance option plus eleven paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave accrual, dental, vision, and other insurance options, and retirement benefits. You can view our benefits information here . This position is a member of Class A retirement under SDRS.

South Dakota Bureau of Human Resources and Administration

Telephone: [phone] Email: [e-mail]

http://bhr.sd.gov/workforus

'An Equal Opportunity Employer'