Psychiatric Registered Nurse

Provides nursing care to individuals experiencing mental health concerns, substance use disorders, co-occurring conditions, and related medical needs. Supports the integration of physical health, behavioral health, substance use treatment, crisis response, and culturally responsive care.

Responsibilities

• Conduct nursing assessments addressing physical health, mental health, substance use, medication needs, safety concerns, and social factors affecting wellness.
• Complete intake screenings, health histories, vital signs, medication reconciliation, and nursing evaluations.
• Screen for suicide risk, self-harm, violence risk, withdrawal symptoms, intoxication, medication side effects, and other urgent concerns.
• Identify medical conditions that may contribute to or complicate behavioral health symptoms.
• Assist with determining the appropriate level of care and make referrals to outpatient, crisis, detoxification, residential, inpatient, or emergency services.
• Immediately notify the appropriate provider or emergency responder when a patient presents an imminent risk to self or others or has an urgent medical condition.
• Administer prescribed psychotropic, injectable, withdrawal-management, and other medications within the scope of RN practice.
• Complete medication reconciliation and maintain accurate medication records.
• Monitor patients for medication effectiveness, adverse reactions, allergies, interactions, and treatment adherence.
• Coordinate prescription refills, prior authorizations, pharmacy communication, laboratory orders, and follow-up appointments as authorized.
• Provide education regarding medication purpose, dosage, side effects, safe storage, and the importance of taking medications as prescribed.
• Support medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders in collaboration with authorized prescribers and treatment providers.
• Participate in the development, implementation, and review of individualized treatment and recovery plans.
• Collaborate with patients, families, caregivers, medical providers, therapists, substance use counselors, and other members of the care team.
• Help patients identify health, wellness, recovery, and relapse-prevention goals.
• Support discharge planning and transitions between outpatient, residential, inpatient, detoxification, correctional, and community-based services.
• Ensure care plans address both behavioral and physical health needs.
• Respond to psychiatric emergencies, substance-related crises, medication reactions, and behavioral health safety concerns.
• Use trauma-informed verbal de-escalation and crisis-intervention techniques.
• Assist with suicide-risk response, safety planning, emergency referrals, and follow-up after a crisis or hospitalization.
• Coordinate with Tribal Law Enforcement, Emergency Medical Services, hospitals, crisis-response providers, schools, and other appropriate agencies.
• Follow all organizational policies related to emergency response, mandatory reporting, patient safety, infection control, and workplace safety.
• Participate in community crisis-response activities when requested.
• Provide education regarding mental health conditions, substance use disorders, co-occurring conditions, medications, treatment options, and recovery supports.
• Teach patients and families about warning signs, coping strategies, self-care, overdose prevention, relapse prevention, and when to seek emergency help.
• Provide age-appropriate education to children, adolescents, adults, elders, parents, and caregivers.
• Promote healthy sleep, nutrition, physical activity, medication adherence, and preventive medical care.
• Provide or coordinate education regarding naloxone and overdose response, when applicable.
• Serve as a liaison among patients, families, pharmacies, medical providers, hospitals, schools, treatment facilities, Tribal programs, and community agencies.
• Assist patients in accessing primary care, psychiatric care, substance use treatment, laboratory services, pharmacy services, and other needed resources.
• Follow up with patients after emergency-room visits, hospitalizations, residential placements, missed appointments, or changes in medication.
• Participate in multidisciplinary staffing, case consultation, treatment-team meetings, and discharge-planning meetings.
• Coordinate services while maintaining patient confidentiality and following applicable consent requirements.
• Maintain accurate, complete, and timely documentation in the electronic health record.
• Document assessments, medications, patient education, consultations, telephone contacts, laboratory results, referrals, adverse reactions, and patient progress.
• Maintain confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, Tribal policies, and all other applicable requirements.
• Assist with quality-improvement activities, chart reviews, medication audits, incident reviews, and program evaluation.
• Follow nursing standards, provider orders, organizational procedures, and professional codes of ethics.
• Report suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, or threats of harm in accordance with mandatory-reporting requirements.
• Provide respectful, patient-centered services that recognize the importance of culture, spirituality, family, community, and traditional ways of healing.
• Work cooperatively with Cultural Specialists, elders, traditional helpers, and other approved cultural resources when requested by the patient and appropriate to the care plan.
• Recognize the effects of historical trauma, intergenerational trauma, grief, discrimination, poverty, and rural barriers on individual and community wellness.
• Participate in community education, prevention activities, health fairs, recovery events, and outreach initiatives.
• Build trusting relationships with Omaha Tribal members, families, and partner programs.
• Demonstrate respect for Tribal sovereignty, Omaha Tribal customs, and organizational policies.
• Maintain nursing supplies, medication-administration materials, and emergency-response equipment.
• Follow infection-control and medication-storage procedures.
• Participate in required staff meetings, supervision, training, and professional-development activities.
• Maintain required licenses and certifications.
• Assist with grant-related activities, data collection, and program reporting when assigned.
• Provide services at other organizational or community locations when needed.
• Perform other duties consistent with the position and assigned by the Behavioral Health Director or designated supervisor.

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited registered nursing program.
• Associate Degree in Nursing required; Bachelor of Science in Nursing preferred.
• Current and unrestricted Registered Nurse license in Nebraska or eligibility to practice in Nebraska through an applicable nurse licensure compact.
• Current CPR and Basic Life Support certification or ability to obtain certification within the required timeframe.
• Valid driver's license and ability to meet organizational driving requirements.
• Previous nursing experience in behavioral health, psychiatric care, substance use treatment, community health, crisis services, or a related healthcare setting is preferred.
• Experience working with children, adolescents, adults, families, or individuals with co-occurring conditions is preferred.
• Experience working with American Indian or Alaska Native communities, rural communities, or Tribal healthcare programs is preferred.
• Experience with psychiatric medications, medication-assisted treatment, withdrawal symptoms, and suicide-risk response is beneficial.

Preferred Qualifications

• Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Certification, such as PMH-BC.
• Training in suicide-risk assessment, trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, crisis prevention, verbal de-escalation, and substance use treatment.
• Knowledge of medication-assisted treatment and overdose prevention.
• Knowledge of Omaha Tribal culture, customs, family systems, community resources, and traditional healing practices.

Skills

• Knowledge of mental health conditions, substance use disorders, co-occurring conditions, and psychiatric medications.
• Ability to recognize medical and psychiatric emergencies and respond appropriately.
• Strong therapeutic communication, active-listening, and patient-education skills.
• Ability to remain calm and exercise sound judgment during crisis situations.
• Ability to establish professional boundaries while building respectful and trusting relationships.
• Ability to work effectively with an interdisciplinary team.
• Ability to provide trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and recovery-oriented care.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and properly handle sensitive health information.
• Ability to complete timely, accurate, and professional documentation.
• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities and adapt to changing patient and program needs.
• Basic proficiency with electronic health records, email, telehealth platforms, and standard office technology.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit, stand, walk, bend, and move throughout clinical and community settings.
• Ability to safely perform routine nursing duties and respond to emergency situations.
• May be exposed to individuals experiencing psychiatric distress, intoxication, withdrawal, or behavioral escalation.
• May require local travel, community-based services, and occasional evening, after-hours, or on-call responsibilities.