Primary Care Nurse

St. Thomas Community Health Center; New Orleans (LA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

St Thomas Community Health Center in New Orleans Uptown campus seeks a Primary Care Nurse (LPN or RN) to support two adjacent primary care buildings. The role emphasizes OB/GYN nursing, pediatric care, and immunizations, with collaboration alongside MAs and the supervising clinic nurse.

No supervisory duties; strong clinical judgment and teamwork are essential. Responsibilities include direct clinical support across pulmonology, OB/GYN, and primary care; triage calls; manage nursing messages;

Qualifications

• Active LPN or RN license in good standing (Louisiana).
• CPR/BLS certification (or obtained within 30 days of hire).
• Demonstrated OB/GYN nursing experience with gynecologic/ obstetric procedures.
• Experience with telephone triage or nursing message management in outpatient settings.
• Primary care experience including pediatrics preferred.

Responsibilities

• Support providers and MAs across pulmonology, OB/GYN, and primary care.
• Triage inbound patient calls routed through operators.
• Manage nursing messages and document in the EPIC EHR.
• Provide backup to supervising clinic nurse for huddle facilitation and operations.
• Administer injections and immunizations per protocols.
• Support walk-in and unscheduled patient care.
• Assist with pediatric well-child workflows and vaccine administration.

Skills

OB/GYN nursing

Pediatrics experience

Injections & immunizations

Telephone triage

EHR documentation

Outpatient clinic

Education

Nursing license (RN or LPN)

Job description

The Primary Care Nurse (LPN or RN) is a frontline clinical role supporting day-to-day patient care operations across two adjacent primary care buildings at the Uptown campus. This is not a supervisory position; however, the nurse works closely alongside medical assistants (MA) and collaborates with the supervising clinic nurse to maintain smooth, high-quality clinic operations. This role requires demonstrated experience in OB/GYN care including gynecologic and obstetric procedures, and pulmonology outpatient care or willingness to learn both. Additional competency in primary care including pediatrics is preferred. Proficiency in injections and immunizations across all patient populations is essential.

Core responsibilities include direct clinical support to provider and MA teams across pulmonology, OB/GYN, and primary care service lines; triaging inbound patient calls routed from operators; managing clinical messages through the nursing message pool; supporting walk-in and unscheduled patient care; and serving as backup to the supervising clinic nurse for huddle facilitation and operational continuity. Success in this role requires strong clinical judgment, effective communication, and the ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, multi-specialty outpatient environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

1. Primary Care/Pediatric Clinical Support

• Provider & MA Team Support: Support primary care providers and medical assistants across adult and pediatric populations, assisting with rooming, clinical assessments, and care delivery during patient visits.
• Immunizations & Injections: Administer vaccinations, immunizations, and injections for patients of all ages in accordance with established schedules and clinic protocols.
• Chronic & Preventive Care: Provide nursing support for chronic disease management, preventive care, and acute visit needs as directed by providers.
• Pediatric Care: Assist with pediatric-specific clinical workflows including well-child visit preparation, developmental screening support, and vaccine administration.

2. OB/GYN Clinical Support

• Provider & MA Team Support: Support OB/GYN provider and medical assistants in the delivery of gynecologic and obstetric care, including pre- and post-procedure preparation, patient education, and clinical documentation.
• Procedure Assistance: Assist with or provide direct nursing support for OB/GYN procedures such as colposcopy, IUD insertion/removal, prenatal assessments, and other in-office gynecologic procedures consistent with scope of practice.
• Medication Administration: Administer injections, immunizations, and medications as ordered within the OB/GYN service line.
• Patient Education: Deliver patient education on reproductive health, family planning, prenatal care, and post-procedure instructions in a culturally responsive manner.
• Care Coordination: Coordinate OB/GYN-related patient messages and care instructions.

4. Patient Communication & Telephone Triage

• Telephone Triage: Triage inbound patient calls routed through operators, applying clinical judgment to assess urgency, provide guidance, and direct patients to the appropriate level of care or scheduling.
• Nursing Message Pool: Manage and respond to patient messages within the nursing message pool in a timely, accurate, and thorough manner, ensuring follow-through on clinical instructions and provider-directed communications.
• Documentation: Document all telephone encounters and message responses accurately in the EPIC EHR in accordance with clinic protocols.
• Escalation: Escalate clinically complex or urgent patient concerns to providers or the supervising nurse as appropriate.

5. Pulmonology Clinical Support

• Provider & MA Team Support: Partner with pulmonology providers and medical assistants to support patient care workflows, including pre-visit preparation, rooming, and post-visit follow-up as needed.
• Pulmonary Function Testing: Assist with or facilitate pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and related respiratory assessments, ensuring proper equipment setup, patient instruction, and accurate documentation.
• Patient Education: Provide patient education on respiratory conditions, inhaler technique, oxygen therapy, injection therapy and disease management plans as directed by providers.
• Care Coordination: Monitor and follow through on pulmonology-related messages and care coordination needs.

6. Daily Operations & Huddle Backup

• Huddle Backup: Serve as backup to the supervising clinic nurse for facilitating daily team huddles when the supervising nurse is unavailable, ensuring alignment, key updates, and team coordination across both buildings.
• Patient Flow: Contribute to patient flow and clinic efficiency in coordination with the supervising nurse.
• Team Collaboration: Work alongside medical assistants and other team members during high-volume periods, offering clinical support as a peer resource.
• Operational Awareness: Identify and communicate operational concerns — such as provider delays, specimen handling issues, or equipment problems — to the supervising nurse or appropriate leadership.

7. Compliance and Collaboration

• Standards Compliance: Ensure all clinical activities adhere to established protocols, safety standards, and regulatory requirements for patient care and documentation.
• Leadership Collaboration: Communicate regularly with the supervising clinic nurse and engage with the CNO and Director of Nursing as needed.
• Medication & Vaccine Oversight: Oversee proper storage, documentation, and handling of medications and vaccines in partnership with the designated vaccine/medication coordinator.

Population Health & Quality Support

• Assist with outreach and follow-up for patients due for preventive services, chronic disease management, or re-engagement across pulmonology, OB/GYN, and primary care populations.
• Support clinic quality improvement initiatives and contribute to care audits and performance goals.
• Ensure accurate, timely EHR documentation for all patient encounters, telephone triage contacts, and nursing message pool responses.

Minimum Qualifications

• Active LPN or RN license in good standing (Louisiana)
• CPR/BLS certification (or obtained within 30 days of hire)
• Demonstrated experience in OB/GYN nursing, including direct involvement in gynecologic and/or obstetric procedures (e.g., colposcopy, IUD insertion/removal, prenatal care)
• Experience with telephone triage or nursing message management in an outpatient or primary care setting
• Primary care experience, including pediatric patient populations

Preferred Qualifications

• Pulmonology outpatient experience; familiarity with pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and respiratory care workflows
• Bilingual in English and Spanish or another commonly spoken language

Core Competencies

• Strong clinical judgment and problem-solving ability in a dynamic, high-volume, multi-specialty outpatient environment
• Effective communicator with patients, medical assistants, providers, and clinical leadership
• Collaborative team member who works alongside medical assistants and supports clinic operations without a supervisory role
• Reliable backup for the supervising nurse in huddle facilitation and operational continuity
• Skilled in telephone triage, nursing message management, and EHR documentation
• Commitment to culturally responsive care, health equity, and continuous quality improvement
• Comfort operating across multiple service lines including pulmonology, OB/GYN, primary care, and pediatrics