Adriana Mina-Otto, CSC Docket No. 2022-1924

BackgroundAdriana Mina-Otto appeals the determination of the Division of Agency Services (Agency Services) which found that she did not meet the requirements for the open competitive examination for Regional Staff Nurse Medical Assistance (S0656C), Statewide.

The open competitive examination at issue was announced with requirements which had to be met as of the announced closing date of November 22, 2021. Specifically, all applicants had to possess a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university including or supplemented by successful completion of a curriculum in an approved school of nursing plus three years of experience as a professional Registered Nurse, which shall have included clinical nursing, practice in nursing supervision, nursing education, nursing management, or public health nursing. The examination announcement also stipulated that two additional years of above-noted experience could be substituted for the Bachelor's degree. Records indicate that the resulting eligible list promulgated on February 17, 2022, containing the names of 12 qualified applicants.

The appellant filed an application on which she indicated that she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, and possessed experience as a Nurse Care Manager (June 2019 to November 2021, the closing date) and Supervisor Medicaid Managed Care (May 2015 to November 2017). In particular, as a Supervisor Medicaid Managed Care, the appellant indicated that she supervised a team of

Registered Nurses who assessed clients in the community to determine level of care; reviewed those assessments for accuracy, timeliness and quality; conducted interviews, staff development, training, and performance reviews; ensured certification criteria was met by staff; and ensured that policies, procedures, contractual and State regulations were followed. Agency Services concluded that, as of the closing date, the appellant only possessed two years and six months of applicable experience as a Nurse Care Manager as the appellant’s experience as a Supervisor Medicaid Managed Care did not involve actual experience performing registered nursing work. As a result, Agency Services found the appellant ineligible for the subject open-competitive examination.

Appellant's argumentOn appeal, the appellant asserts that she satisfies the subject requirements and notes that as a Supervisor Medicaid Managed Care, she supervised 15 Registered Nurses and was engaged in “public health nursing” while she was employed by VNA Health Group as a Supervisor Medicaid Managed Care. In support of her appeal, the appellant submits copies of her W-2s.

CONCLUSION

RuleN.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.3(b) provides that applicants shall meet all requirements specified in the examination announcement by the closing date. N.J.A.C. 4A:4-6.3(b) provides that, except for medical or psychological disqualification appeals, the appellant shall have the burden of proof.

AnalysisAs of the closing date, the appellant satisfied the educational requirement and possessed two years and six months of applicable nursing experience as a Nurse Care Manager. However, the primary focus of the appellant’s responsibilities as a Supervisor Medicaid Managed Care were in the areas of supervision, staff development and training, and conducting performance reviews, rather than experience as a professional Registered Nurse involving clinical nursing, practice in nursing supervision, nursing education, nursing management, or public health nursing as required. In this regard, qualifying experience has the announced experience as the primary focus of the position at issue. The amount of time, and the importance of the duty, determines if it is the primary focus. An experience requirement that lists a number of duties which define the primary experience, requires that the applicants demonstrate that they primarily performed all of those duties for the required length of time. Performance of only one or some of the duties listed is not indicative of comprehensive experience. See In the Matter of Jeffrey Davis (MSB, decided March 14, 2007). Therefore, she was correctly deemed ineligible for the subject open-competitive examination.

ORDER

Therefore, it is ordered that this appeal be denied.

ClosingThis is the final administrative determination in this matter. Any further review should be pursued in a judicial forum.