Registered Nurse (7P-7A) Full-Time

About the role

The Registered Nurse (RN) at Dallas Behavioral Healthcare Hospital will provide professional nursing care to patients according to hospital policy and procedure. They will assess patient care needs, plan and implement nursing care procedures, evaluate patient progress and modify care plans as necessary. They will also provide teaching to patients and their families, direct the work of nursing support staff, and maintain a safe environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct care to patients, which includes facilitating social and emotional needs, supervising medication schedules, and evaluating patient progress
• Collaborate with a variety of interdisciplinary professionals to determine and provide the best possible care for their patients
• Maintain a safe environment
• Provide social support for patients by creating and encouraging patients to take advantage of opportunities such as support groups, social activities, and other therapeutic measures
• Conduct intake assessments through interviews with patients and relatives to gather case history
• Plan and provide nursing care for patients
• Make nursing diagnoses of the medical and emotional status of patients and recommend treatment options
• Consult with psychiatrists and other behavioral health staff in designing appropriate treatment plans for clients
• Administer and note reactions to psychotropic drugs and other medications
• Arrange further medical attention when necessary
• Assist the client in understanding the nature of emotional disturbances and accepting the need for treatment
• Keep accurate written charts and records of patient activities and progress
• Comply with laws, rules, regulations, protocols, and procedures
• Use professional judgment to ascertain and apply appropriate intervention techniques with patients in crisis
• Assists in maintaining a safe and secure environment for staff and patients
• Test for vital signs of pain and ensures treatments of pain
• Documents all patient information on medical charts and follows physician's written orders
• Maintains patient confidentiality
• Maintains accurate records and documentation of patient treatments, immunizations, and laboratory results according to standard medical record keeping
• Performs administrative assignments such as filing, answering phones, typing, and completing progress notes in the computer system
• Performs related duties, as requested
• Upholds the Organization's ethics and customer service standards

Requirements

• Education: ADN or BSN from an accredited college or university
• CPR Required
• Licenses: Valid Texas RN license in good standing required
• Certifications: BLS, ACLS, CPI certifications a plus
• De-escalation Program (provided during on-site training)
• Experience: Minimum of 2 years clinical experience, preferably in a behavioral healthcare setting, phone triage, telehealth, case management, or a combination of education and experience
• Must be 21 years old or older
• Bi-lingual (English/Spanish) a plus

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledgeable of patient rights and laws pertaining to mental health and regulations pertaining to psychiatric nursing and the treatment of the mentally and emotionally disturbed patients
• Theories, principles, and techniques of group and individual psychotherapy
• Symptoms and behavior patterns of emotionally disturbed mentally ill patients
• Advanced knowledge and clinical skills in diagnosis and treatment of mental health
• Professional nursing principles, procedures, and techniques used in the care and treatment of psychiatric patients
• Social, psychological, and physical factors of mental and emotional disorders
• Medical and psychological terminology
• Medications, including psychotropic drugs, and effects on psychiatric patients
• Control, preparation and administration of medications
• Demonstrates sound leadership skills and utilizes these skills in organizing the activities and schedules for medical and/or non-medical tasks of the Child, Adolescent and Adult for a given shift
• Displays basic knowledge of treatment procedures; interventions common to acute psychotic as well as non-violent crises intervention practice, medical and psychiatric emergency procedures
• Basic knowledge of abnormal psychology as typically found in the child or adolescent psychiatric population
• Thorough familiarity of psychopharmacy and the use of psychotropic medications with child, adolescent or adult psychiatric population
• Problem-solving; organizational and time management; crisis intervention skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; skills in facilitating and/or co-facilitating process-oriented and didactic groups

Physical Demands

• With or without reasonable accommodations, must be able to stoop, kneel, crouch, reach, stand for sustained period of time, walk, pull, lift, raise and move objects from position to position (up to 50 lbs), finger grasp; feel sizes, shapes, temperatures, and textures; express or exchange ideas orally and potentially loudly, accurately, or quickly; visually detect, determine, perceive, identify, recognize, judge, observe, inspect, assess; perceive the nature of sound with or without correction; perform repetitive motions of the wrist, hands, or fingers
• Light work most of the time, exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently; and occasionally medium work, that is exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently