REGISTERED NURSE

About the role

Looking for More Than Just a Job? At Alternative Consulting Enterprises (ACE), we're not just hiring employees—we're building a team of compassionate healthcare professionals dedicated to providing high-quality psychiatric care to children, adolescents, and adults.

Responsibilities

• Administer long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotic medications per prescriber orders, manufacturer guidelines, and clinic protocols, using correct dilution/reconstitution, needle gauge, and Z-track or deltoid/gluteal injection technique as indicated.
• Verify patient identity, medication, dose, injection site, and due date against the medication administration record (MAR) prior to every injection.
• Perform pre-injection assessments, including review of psychiatric status, current medications, allergies, injection site condition, and any interim symptoms or side effects.
• Maintain and monitor the LAI injection schedule for an assigned patient panel; proactively contact patients who are due or overdue for injections to support adherence and relapse prevention.
• Observe patients for immediate post-injection reactions (e.g., post-injection delirium/sedation syndrome with olanzapine pamoate) per required monitoring periods, and initiate emergency protocols when necessary.
• Monitor for and document medication side effects, including extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), akathisia, tardive dyskinesia, sedation, metabolic changes, and injection-site reactions; escalate concerns to the prescriber promptly.
• Carefully coordinate metabolic and other required lab monitoring (e.g., weight, glucose, lipids, prolactin) in accordance with prescriber orders and clinic protocol.
• Accurately and promptly document all injections administered, including medication, lot number, dose, site, and patient response, in the Electronic Health Records (EHR) system.
• Provide patient and caregiver education on the purpose, benefits, and possible side effects of LAI antipsychotic treatment, and reinforce the importance of maintaining the injection schedule.
• Coordinate with pharmacy and prescribers on prior authorizations, medication procurement, and timely refill of LAI medications to prevent gaps in treatment.
• Maintain accurate inventory of LAI medications, diluents, and injection supplies, including proper storage, refrigeration where required, and tracking of expiration dates.
• Ensure proper handling, storage, and disposal of biohazardous materials and sharps in accordance with OSHA and clinic safety standards.
• Consult the Psychiatrist/Medical Director immediately for any case outside the ICRN's scope of practice, for missed or refused injections, or for signs of clinical decompensation.
• Communicate with case managers, care coordinators, and outpatient treatment teams to support continuity of care for patients with serious mental illness.
• Maintain patient confidentiality and comply with HIPAA and applicable behavioral health confidentiality regulations (e.g., 42 CFR Part 2) at all times.
• Use trauma-informed, de-escalation, and therapeutic communication techniques when engaging with patients who may present with agitation, psychosis, or distress.
• Demonstrate cooperative, professional behavior with providers, colleagues, and patients.

Qualifications

• Current, unrestricted Registered Nurse license in Pennsylvania.
• Current CPR/BLS certification required.
• Training/competency in administration of long-acting injectable antipsychotic medications (including Z-track and deltoid/gluteal technique) required prior to independently administering treatments.
• One (1) year of clinical nursing experience required; psychiatric, behavioral health, or community mental health experience strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of antipsychotic medications, common side effects, and psychiatric monitoring requirements.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport with patients who have serious mental illness.
• Training or experience in de-escalation and trauma-informed care preferred.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary psychiatric care team.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to multi-task in a fast-paced outpatient clinic setting.
• Sensitive to the needs of a diverse psychiatric patient population.

Skills

• Compassion
• Professionalism
• Collaboration
• Detail-Oriented
• Ethical
• Strong Communication
• Patient-Focused
• Committed to Clinical Excellence

Benefits

Starting at $35.00 per hour

Pay

$35.00 per hour

Schedule

Part-Time

Location

Alternative Consulting Enterprises Berks County, Pennsylvania