Upcoming Filing Cutoff Dates:

• 7/26/2024
• 8/2/2024
• 8/16/2024
• 9/6/2024
• 9/20/2024
• 10/4/2024
• 10/18/2024
• 11/1/2024
• 11/15/2024
• 12/6/2024
• 12/20/2024

Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) must be received or postmarked by the filing date indicated above. Applications postmarked, personally delivered or received via interoffice mail after the filing date will be processed in the next group.

The information below will help you determine which classification(s) is(are) appropriate for you. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications as stated on this bulletin to compete in this examination.

Open and Open, Non-Promotional Examination(s):

• HEALTH SERVICES SPECIALIST (SAFETY) - Open

For all Classifications, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 6 months:

Exam Code(s):

3289

For HEALTH SERVICES SPECIALIST (SAFETY), once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 6 months:

Exam Code(s):

• EX-03289

Submit an Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) to apply for this examination.

Electronic applications can be submitted through your account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov.

You may apply by mail to:

• Department of State Hospitals
  Selection Services Unit
  1215 O Street, MS 14
  Sacramento, CA 95814
  

Indicate the Examination Code and Classification(s) on your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678).

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

• Department of State Hospitals
  Selection Services Unit
  1215 O Street, MS 14
  Sacramento, CA 95814
  8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Indicate the Examination Code and Classification(s) on your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678). All applicants must provide proof of identification. Accepted forms of identification are: 1) a photo identification card or 2) two forms of signed identification.

If you require assistance or alternative testing arrangements due to a disability, indicate on your application that you need reasonable accommodation. You will be contacted by a representative of the testing department to make the necessary arrangements. If you have not been contacted by the time you receive notification of testing, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

If you are unable to submit your application or complete the test due to a disability, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements as stated on this exam bulletin to be accepted to the examination.

Unless otherwise stated in the Minimum Qualifications, qualifying experience may be combined on a proportionate basis if the requirements stated below include more than one pattern and are distinguished as "Either" 1, "or" 2, "or" 3, etc. For example, applicants possessing qualifying experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 1 and additional experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 2 may be accepted to an examination as meeting 100% of the overall experience requirement.

Minimum Qualifications

Possession of the legal requirements to practice as a professional Registered Nurse in California as determined by the California Board of Registered Nursing. (Applicants who are in the process of securing approval of their qualifications by the California Board of Registered Nursing will be admitted to the examination, but they must possess all legal requirements as determined by that Board before they will be eligible for appointment.) and Either I Education/Experience: Bachelor of science degree with a major in a health-related field and one year of nursing experience working with developmentally or mentally disabled persons.

Or II

Experience: One year of experience performing the duties of a nursing classification comparable in level of responsibility to a Registered Nurse, Range B, in a California developmental center or State hospital working with developmentally or mentally disabled persons.

Or III

Experience: One year of experience directing the nursing services of a developmental center or State hospital level-of-care unit during an eight-hour shift working with developmentally or mentally disabled persons.

Applicants must submit their exam applications AND complete the exam during the same cut-off period.  For example, if you submit your exam application on July 8^th, 2024 (which is after the July 5^th, 2024 cut-off) you must complete the exam by July 19^th, 2024.

Filling Cut-Off Dates are listed at the beginning of the exam bulletin.

This examination consists of the following component(s):

Components that are due with your application will be scored and will count toward your final examination result. Failure to submit these items may result in disqualification or elimination from the examination.

A final score of 70% must be attained to be placed on the eligible list.

In addition to evaluating the applicant's relative knowledge, skill and ability as demonstrated by quality and breadth of education/experience, emphasis in each test component will be on measuring competitively, relative to job demands, each applicant's:

Knowledge of: California healing arts licensure laws and regulations; regulations pertaining to hospital licensing, certification, and accreditation; principles and practices used in training nursing services staff of a treatment program; professional nursing principles and techniques; concepts and methods of consultation; principles of specialized treatment and training techniques as they relate to developmentally or mentally disordered offenders; program organization in California forensic facilities.

Ability to: Evaluate and monitor the quality of nursing services with specific emphasis on physical care; plan, conduct, and evaluate training for the nursing services staff of a treatment program; work effectively with a multidisciplinary clinical staff; perform evaluations and write reports; communicate effectively.

A Servicewide Open eligible list for the HEALTH SERVICES SPECIALIST (SAFETY) Classification will be established for:

• State of California

The names of successful competitors will be merged onto the eligible list(s) in order of final score regardless of test date. Eligibility expires 12 months after it is established. Applicants must then retake the examination to reestablish eligibility.

Veterans' Preference will be granted for this examination. Veterans' Preference is an assistance program for veterans, veteran widows and widowers, and spouses of 100% disabled veterans who seek employment with the state. Veterans' Preference is also extended to currently serving military members nearing their retirement or separation date.

You are not eligible for Veteran's Preference if you are:

• A veteran who has been dishonorably discharged or released.
• A veteran, widow or widower of a veteran, or spouse of a 100 percent disabled veteran who currently has permanent civil service status. (Permanent civil service status is the status of an employee who is lawfully retained in his/her position after completion of the applicable probationary period. This does not include limited term).

Veterans' Preference is codified in Government Code Sections 18973 – 18979.

Veteran status is verified by the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR). Directions to apply for Veterans' Preference are on the Veterans' Preference Application (Std. Form 1093), which is available at www.CalCareers.ca.gov, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Career Credits are not granted for examination(s) administered on an Open basis or a Promotional basis.

Instructions: 
Rate your knowledge performing specific job-related tasks, knowledge skill or ability.

Tasks:

1. Monitor the quality and delivery of nursing services by reporting changes in patient condition on an ongoing basis to ensure the standard of care is met.
2. Assess the maintenance of quality nursing services by direct observation of patients on an ongoing basis to determine the primary biopsychosocial care needs of patients.
3. Provide recommendations for the maintenance of quality nursing services to emphasize the biopsychosocial care needs of patients.
4. Monitor the use of seclusion and/or restraint to meet the operational needs of a State hospital.
5. Perform nursing audits for the purpose of providing knowledge, expertise, and performance improvement.
6. Report significant changes in a patient’s condition for the purpose of communicating patient care via twenty-four hour HSS report.
7. Initiate and monitor quality improvement processes for the purpose of providing knowledge and technical expertise.
8. Assist in providing ongoing training and orientation by providing knowledge and technical expertise to unit nursing staff on updated information or changes.
9. Participate in the prevention, detection, and control of communicable diseases for the purpose of providing a safe and secure work environment.
10. Report security breaches that may lead to patient escape by primary observation and initial notification to hospital officers.
11. Assist in instances of disruptive or assaultive behavior to maintain a safe and secure work environment.
12. Perform nursing assessment of patients as indicated for the purpose of meeting patient needs in a State hospital.

KSAPCs:

1. Knowledge of regulations pertaining to hospital licensing in order to assist the hospital in maintaining its certification and accreditation.
2. Knowledge of principles and practices used in training nursing services staff of a treatment program.
3. Knowledge of professional nursing principles and techniques to ensure nursing service staff adhere to standards of practice.
4. Knowledge of concepts and methods of consultation to better serve as liaison between multiple levels of the hospital organization including unit staff, program management, and Central Nursing Services.
5. Knowledge of principles of specialized treatment and training techniques as they relate to mentally ill patients.
6. Knowledge of computer skills in order to complete daily tasks (e.g., compose emails, prepare daily shift reports).
7. Knowledge of nursing skills, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use of medical equipment towards the day-to-day care of patients.
8. Ability to evaluate and monitor the quality of care being provided by nursing services personnel.
9. Ability to plan, conduct, and evaluate training for the nursing services staff.
10. Ability to perform evaluations and write reports.

• Department of State Hospitals
• State of California

Questions regarding this examination should be directed to:

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice). TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Examination and/or Employment Application (STD 678) forms are available at the California Department of Human Resources, local offices of the Employment Development Department, and through your CalCareer Account (www.CalCareers.ca.gov).

If you meet the requirements stated on this examination bulletin, you may take this examination, which is competitive. Possession of the entrance requirements does not assure a place on the eligible list. Your performance in the examination described in this bulletin will be rated against a predetermined job-related rating, and all applicants who pass will be ranked according to their scores.

Department of State Hospitals reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service, if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all applicants will be notified.

General Qualifications: Applicants must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. In open examinations, investigation may be made of employment records and personal history and fingerprinting may be required.

Eligible Lists: Eligible lists established by competitive examination, regardless of date, must be used in the following order: 1) sub-divisional promotional, 2) departmental promotional, 3) multi-departmental promotional, 4) service-wide promotional, 5) departmental open, 6) open. When there are two lists of the same kind, the older must be used first. Eligible lists will expire in one to four years unless otherwise stated on the bulletin.

High School Equivalence: Equivalence to completion of the 12th grade may be demonstrated in any one of the following ways: 1) passing the General Education Development (GED) Test; 2) completion of 12 semester units of college-level work; 3) certification from the State Department of Education, a local school board, or high school authorities that the competitor is considered to have education equivalent to graduation from high school; or 4) for clerical and accounting classes, substitution of business college work in place of high school on a year-for-year basis.

Accepted applicants must provide proof of identification at each in-person test session. Acceptable identification consists of a photo identification card or two forms of signed identification.