Pinal County Health seeks clinic nurse in Maricopa

The Pinal County Public Health Department is having a problem hiring a public health registered nurse at its Maricopa clinic.

With only two applications received since the job posting at the end of February, division manager Marcela Salinas said the department is not getting the response it expected.

“We have been posting the position on the Pinal County web site, and maybe people from Maricopa just aren’t looking there because they assume the job would be in Florence (the county seat),” Salinas said. “But the position is at our Maricopa clinic, so it would be a perfect job for someone who lives there but might be commuting to the Valley now. Someone from Maricopa could get this position and be closer to their kids and spend more time with them, or not have that long commute.”

The Pinal County Public Health Department’s Maricopa Clinic provides both Community Health Nursing and Women Infant and Children (WIC) services, including childhood immunizations, family planning, birth control supplies/methods, pregnancy testing, STD testing, the Well Women Health Check Program for cancer screening, nutrition education, breast feeding support, and supplemental foods or food boxes.

The clinic is open four days a week – Tuesday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Salinas said there could be any number of reasons why the job isn’t drawing applicants.

“COVID fatigue could be a factor,” she said. “It also could be that since it’s currently posted on our Pinal County HR (human resources) site, maybe we’re not reaching the nursing community or the Maricopa community. We thought we’d have more applicants specifically from the city of Maricopa just for the convenience. There are a lot of health care workers in Maricopa who have to commute to work because there just aren’t many nursing jobs there yet.”

The job is different from working in a hospital, an advantage for someone with a family, she said.

“In a hospital setting, of course, you’re around more illnesses and potentially at a higher risk,” she said. “In a public health setting, you don’t work weekends, you’re out by 6, there is not as much danger. The four-day schedule is really important to help build a work/life balance and be home at a reasonable time every day. There are benefits to working in public health field. You don’t have to do shift work, or work days and nights.

The pay range is $49,647-$56,473 based on experience. A minimum of two years of professional nursing experience, preferably in a public health setting, is preferred. Applicants must be a registered nurse, have a degree from an accredited nursing school, and have a valid, unrestricted license issued by the Arizona State Board of Nursing.