Nurse Practitioner - Health Care for the Homeless
Location: Washington, DC
Organization: Unity Health Care
Employment Type: Full-Time
Position SummaryUnder the supervision of the Medical Director or Specialty Director, the Nurse Practitioner is responsible for providing culturally competent, comprehensive health care to patients served by Unity Health Care.
The Nurse Practitioner assesses, diagnoses, and treats acute, chronic, physical, and behavioral health conditions while providing preventive care, counseling, education, and continued care coordination.
This position is primarily focused on serving individuals experiencing homelessness and requires a strong commitment to trauma-informed care, health equity, and underserved populations. The Nurse Practitioner must be able to work independently at health centers, outreach locations, and community-based sites while collaborating closely with the Health Care for the Homeless team.
Key Responsibilities- Obtain and document complete patient histories and clinical assessments.
- Conduct physical examinations and clinical evaluations.
- Diagnose and treat acute, chronic, and behavioral health conditions.
- Develop and implement individualized, evidence-based treatment plans.
- Order and interpret diagnostic tests, laboratory studies, and health screenings.
- Prescribe medications and provide medication management within the Nurse Practitioner's scope of practice.
- Provide preventive health services, counseling, patient education, and health maintenance.
- Respond to urgent or emergent clinical concerns when appropriate.
- Refer patients to hospitals, specialists, behavioral health providers, social services, and community resources.
- Provide culturally competent, patient-centered, and trauma-informed care.
- Use interpretation and translation services when needed.
- Provide clinical services at Unity Health Care locations, outreach sites, shelters, and community-based settings.
- Collaborate with physicians, nurses, behavioral health professionals, social workers, outreach staff, and other care-team members.
- Participate in panel management, population health, and care coordination activities.
- Document patient encounters accurately and within required timeframes.
- Complete and lock clinical notes within 48 hours.
- Address outstanding documentation, billing, and claims-related concerns promptly.
- Maintain clinical privileges, professional licenses, certifications, and registrations.
- Participate in quality improvement, patient safety, and clinical best-practice initiatives.
- Conduct peer reviews and provide constructive feedback to colleagues.
- Review patient experience data and support improvements to the patient-care environment.
- Communicate test results, treatment recommendations, and follow-up instructions to patients in a timely manner.
- Respond professionally to patient concerns and complaints.
- Maintain a clinical schedule that supports timely access to care.
- Provide coverage for late, walk-in, or rescheduled patients when operationally appropriate.
- Participate in rotating after-hours, evening, weekend, and on-call coverage as required.
- Participate in student and resident education when requested.
- Attend and actively participate in team, health center, and organization-wide meetings.
- Collaborate with leadership to improve productivity, patient access, workflow, and efficiency.
- Serve on organizational or clinical committees as requested.
- Perform additional duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications- Graduate of an accredited Nurse Practitioner program.
- Master of Science in Nursing or Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.
- Current and unrestricted Registered Nurse and Advanced Practice Registered Nurse licenses in Washington, DC.
- Current national board certification as a Nurse Practitioner through an approved certifying organization.
- Current DC Controlled Dangerous Substances registration.
- Current Drug Enforcement Administration registration in Washington, DC.
- Current Basic Life Support or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation certification.
- Ability to provide culturally responsive and trauma-informed care to individuals experiencing homelessness and other underserved populations.
- Strong clinical assessment, diagnostic, treatment-planning, and medication-management skills.
- Ability to work independently in outreach, community-based, and traditional clinical settings.
- Strong communication, documentation, collaboration, and professional judgment skills.
- Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary care team.
- Willingness to participate in rotating on-call coverage and provide evening or weekend clinical sessions when needed.
- Ability to maintain all required clinical privileges, licenses, registrations, certifications, and occupational health requirements.
