REGISTERED NURSE SPECIALIST - 60006519

Requisition No: 872672 

Agency: Children and Families

Working Title: REGISTERED NURSE SPECIALIST - 60006519

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 60006519 

Salary:  $52,945.36 - $63,810.50 Annually 

Posting Closing Date: 03/30/2026 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) is the state of Florida’s social services agency. The agency oversees services for child safety, fostering, adoption, domestic violence, adult protective services, refugees, homelessness, mental health, substance abuse, childcare providers, human trafficking and public assistance. The agency’s mission is to work in partnership with local communities to protect the vulnerable, promote strong and economically self-sufficient families, and advance personal and family recovery and resiliency.

Within DCF, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SAMH) Program office is recognized as the single state authority for substance abuse and mental health services. The Office of SAMH is statutorily responsible for the planning, evaluation, and implementation of a comprehensive statewide system of care for the prevention, treatment, and recovery of children and adults with serious mental illnesses or substance use disorders.

Florida State Hospital (FSH) is a mental health treatment facility owned and operated by the State of Florida and is part of the Department of Children and Families. The department’s mission is to “work in partnership with local communities to protect the vulnerable, promote strong and economically self-sufficient families, and advance personal and family recovery and resiliency.”

FLORIDA STATE HOSPITAL IS A TOBACCO FREE FACILITY.

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION RESPONSES TO THE QUALIFYING QUESTIONS ARE REQUIRED AND MUST BE VERIFIABLE BASED ON YOUR SUBMITTED APPLICATION.

This is a highly responsible and professional position serving as a Registered Nurse Specialist within the Nursing Services. The ideal candidate will be a collaborative team player who works seamlessly across all sections within the program office. This role requires the use of independent judgment, a proactive approach to responsibilities, and exceptional attention to detail. If you are driven, organized, and thrive in a fast-paced environment, we encourage you to apply.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities include:

• This position requires lifting, pulling, and squatting.  Duties of this position require the incumbent to be knowledgeable of and utilize the principles of Total Quality Management. Nursing will provide guidance in the care and treatment of residents.  This is a high level position within the nursing field and possesses a high degree of nursing knowledge and ability with responsibility for nursing care within the unit and serves as a nursing resource to the treatment team.  Specific duties and responsibilities are as follows:
• Provides learning opportunities for all levels of nursing services.  Identifies learning needs of employees by using but not limited to:  position descriptions; personal observations and those of others; interviews, questionnaires, surveys, and reports; meeting minutes; policies, procedures, directives; current literature; incident/accident reports; Quality Improvement reports; employee identification of own learning needs; conferences; suggestions of supervising nurses, CON, or END.  Plans offerings/programs that correlate to identified learning needs by establishing priorities in learning; allotting sufficient planning time; setting reasonable and attainable objectives; developing course outline and teaching strategies; identifying appropriate media, teaching methods and resources.    
• Conducts in-service classes for licensed nursing staff and non-licensed direct care staff as well as certification and re-certification classes in nursing functions for non-licensed personnel.  Provides class for same in SD&T orientation of new employees.
• Communicates the plan for the program to foster participation by discussing the program with appropriate END's and utilizing posters, flyers, calendars, and other materials to publish educational offerings.  Implements the established plan to meet learning needs by establishing effective teaching/learning climate and exercising flexibility in use of time, space, equipment, and instructional plans.  Evaluates result of total program as well as specific offerings to ensure optimum customer satisfaction. Utilizes identified short and long term goals for educational programming.  Evaluates cost effectiveness and cost containment in achievement of program goals in absence of specific department budget to reduce the cost of controllable expenditures.  Maintains professional growth and development by seeking new concepts in professional and other relevant literature and in sharing such knowledge/information.  Participates in professional organizations; attends workshops, seminars to further knowledge; attends and maintains own training classes as required by facility. 
• Develops and maintains a record system to serve as guide for future planning by determining types of records to be maintained, then utilizing records for evaluation of goals and objectives.  Maintains approved provider status through state Board of Nursing by adhering to Board guidelines for continuing education as well as obtaining renewal status per Board directives.
• Serves as CPR for Healthcare Training Instructor for a minimum of one full class per month.  May be required to teach additional classes depending on the needs of the Department.  Maintains CPR training records for all nurisng staff. Submits all needed documentation to American Heart Association in accordance with partnership agreement.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required for the position:

• Knowledge of nursing principles, practices and techniques.
• Knowledge of human anatomy and physiology.
• Ability to provide emergency nursing services.
• Ability to participate in the planning and implementing of treatment for patients.
• Ability to conduct individual and group therapy sessions.
• Ability to work with patients having a variety of physical or emotional problems.
• Ability to observe patients' reactions to medications.
• Ability to plan, organize and coordinate work assignments.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to effectively interview and assess the health care of clients.
• Ability to analyze complex reports and determine the service utilization habits of clients and to evaluate the appropriateness of that utilization.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Licensure as a Registered Professional Nurse in accordance with Florida Statute 464 or eligible to practice nursing in accordance with Florida Administrative Code 210-8.27 and two years of professional nursing experience, with at least one year in a specialty area or Bachelor of Science degree in nursing.

Preference will be given to applicants who have:

• Candidates who have 3 years of experience as a Registered Nurse.

Candidate Profile (application) Requirements:

Candidate Profile (application) must be complete in its entirety.

• Work History - entered with the most recent/current listed first:
• Any and all State of Florida jobs
• Any and all Florida University jobs
• All periods of employment
• Periods of unemployment
• Gaps 3 months or more*
• Education
• Volunteer Experience
• Include supervisor names and phone numbers including current place of employment.
• *Gaps 3 months or more must be addressed – you will need to account for and explain any gaps in employment including unemployment. You can either list these in your application under Period of Employment or attach a word document listing your gaps.
• Experience, education, training, knowledge, skills and/or abilities as well as responses to pre-qualifying questions must be verifiable to meet the minimum qualifications.
• If claiming Right to First Interview, candidate MUST attach a copy of your official layoff letter when applying. This only applies to employees laid off from Career Service positions.

If you experience problems applying online, please call the People First Service Center at (877) 562-7287.

Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:

• Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits.
• For a more complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.

DCF EMPLOYMENT DISCLOSURES

US CITIZEN REQUIREMENT Only US citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers will be hired.

SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM REGISTRATION All selected male candidates born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion into an authorized position unless they are registered with the Selective Service System (SSS).  Verification of Selective Service registration will be conducted prior to hire.  For more information, please visit the SSS website: http://www.sss.gov.

RETIREE NOTICE If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida. Your current retirement benefits may be suspended or voided, and you required to repay all benefits received depending upon the date of your retirement.

BACKGROUND SCREENING It is the policy of the Florida Department of Children and Families that any applicant being considered for employment must successfully complete a State and National criminal history check as a condition of employment before beginning employment, and, if applicable, also be screened in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, F.S., and Chapter 408, F.S.  No applicant may begin employment until the background screening results are received, reviewed for any disqualifying offenses, and approved by the Agency.  Background screening shall include, but not be limited to, fingerprinting for State and Federal criminal records checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and may include local criminal history checks through local law enforcement agencies.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE.  Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply.  Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements.  Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code.  Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here.  All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.