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Cole County health staff seek flexible nurse hires and part-time coverage ahead of busy fall clinics
Summary
Health department staff told county commissioners they plan to reclassify one maternal-child health position to allow hiring either an RN or LPN and asked permission to hire two part-time nurses to cover flu clinics and an anticipated maternity leave; commissioners verbally agreed.
Cole County health department staff told the Cole County Commission on Sept. 9 that persistent vacancies have led the department to propose two staffing changes to avoid clinic closures during the fall flu season.
The health department representative said the nursing supervisor recently left, and the maternal-child-health coordinator resigned. To expand the candidate pool, staff proposed reclassifying the MCH coordinator as an RN/LPN role so the county could hire either a registered nurse or a licensed practical nurse. “We think by having this kinda dual allocated, it'll open up the job market a little bit,” the staff member said.
The staff member said the county currently has six nurses with two vacancies and expects additional leave in October during peak clinic activity. To avoid closing clinics and to ensure at least two licensed staff at school-based flu clinics, she requested authority to hire one or two part-time nurses using unspent personnel funds. “Most part time RN positions run about 25 to $30 an hour,” the staff member said, adding that part-time pay would be slightly lower than current full-time wages.
Officials discussed pay and workload. The staff member noted pay differentials the department expects if it hires an LPN instead of an RN: a public health nurse 2 starts at $61.05 (as discussed in the meeting) and the average LPN salary in Missouri is about $54.05. She said the department will advertise the position as RN/LPN with a reduced salary if an LPN is hired and will provide a modified job description to county HR if the commission supports the change.
Commissioners voiced support. One commissioner said, “I'm good with your proposal,” and the discussion concluded with staff planning to proceed with interviews, finalize part-time arrangements, and forward budget figures to county budget staff. The staff member also said they have an interview scheduled the day after the meeting and a retired nurse willing to assist if needed.
Why it matters: The health department’s proposals are intended to preserve clinic operations and communicable-disease follow-up during a typically busy period (flu clinics begin Sept. 24, with the last clinic listed as Nov. 12). Department leaders flagged that if a significant outbreak occurred while staff are short, disease follow-up could demand substantial time and outside assistance.
The commission did not take a formal roll-call vote on the staffing changes during the public discussion; commissioners provided verbal agreement for staff to move forward and asked that updated job descriptions and budget numbers be routed to county budget staff.
