Registered Nurse

SUMMARY

Utilizing the nursing process, is responsible for providing for the acute and long-term nursing care needs of patients, families, and generic Program milieu within the context of Program, Department, and Hospital standards. Provides services to children and adolescents.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provides direct nursing and patient care services through application of nursing process by assessing patient’s immediate and long-term needs.
• Initiates biopsychosocial assessment of patients’ acute nursing needs guided by admission procedure; documents such in required patient medical records format.
• Affirms completion of the nursing assessment form within 8 hours of admission for assigned patient.
• Communicates significant changes in assessment findings to the nurse in charge and other appropriate health care providers and summarizes the patient’s status in team meetings and reports.
• Provides direct patient care through the application of nursing process by planning treatment interventions with the patient, family, and health care team.
• Initiates patient care plan at the time of admission and completes plan within 8 hours according to admission procedure.
• Ensures patient/staff safety according to established Hospital procedures.
• Develops and updates the patient care plan to reflect the patient status each shift:
• Formulates patient and family treatment goals.
• Identifies nursing interventions based on treatment goals.
• Identifies patient/family strengths.
• Identifies inpatient and aftercare needs of patient and family.
• Formulates measurable short and long-term goals with time.
• Provides direct patient care services through application of nursing process by implementing nursing care based on individual patient needs.
• Establishes and maintains an individual and milieu-based therapeutic alliance as reflected in ongoing documentation and clinical supervision.
• Serves as a patient advocate by supporting patient Bill of Rights and child mental health law.
• Acquires and maintains technical and psychiatric specialty skills appropriate to clinical program.
• Provides direct patient care within the context of the therapeutic milieu.
• Implements interventions as specified in the Nursing Care Plan within established time frames.
• Follows established policies, procedures, program protocols, and Joint Commission standards to ensure safe and effective standards of practice.
• Provides patient education regarding procedures prior to implementation.
• Administers and documents prescribed medications (scheduled/PRN’s) according to medical protocol.
• Assesses and documents effectiveness of medication and side effects.
• Accurately transcribes physician orders and implements according to prescribed medical protocol.
• Evaluates the effectiveness of interventions according to patient’s response and modifies interventions as needed.
• Seeks consultation and direction through established lines of supervision in identifying and resolving situations which interfere with patient outcomes and work relationships.
• Participates in accurate quality assurance data collection and contributes to the Program and Program-based nursing quality assurance program.
• Demonstrates the ability to communicate the status of the patient’s condition through the use of behaviorally oriented procedures.
• Assertively and respectfully questions any medical orders which conflict with ethical or patient care standards of nursing/medical back-up.
• Participates in the ongoing development and implementation of the therapeutic milieu.
• Provides milieu management throughout each shift by assessing and responding to the acute needs of the patient group, including:
• Safety of the environment.
• Patient group interactions.
• Staff interactions.
• Responds immediately to requests for assistance beyond the unit level when directed and according to Program protocol.
• Provides leadership in acute or emergency situations according to Program standards; participates as a member of the Emergency Response Team.
• Demonstrates group skills in leading and co-leading therapeutic milieu groups and supports individual patient participation.
• Organizes and participates in informal patient groups in Program-based milieu assessment.
• Communicates significant changes in individual patient/milieu status to nurse in charge.
• Directly participates in the milieu program as a direct care provider.
• Demonstrates leadership in organizing the delivery of patient care.
• Supervises Milieu Therapists and support staff according to their scope of practice in accordance with Joint Commission acute care and Program standards.
• Prioritizes interventions in rapidly changing patient situations as demonstrated by an organized response with an outcome that optimizes patient welfare in accordance with Program standards.
• Provides consistent leadership on unit when assigned as nurse in charge according to Program standards.
• Identifies and provides for teaching needs of patients, families, and other health care providers.
• Reviews and documents teaching needs in nursing care plan.
• Provides basic and complex teaching to patients and documents response in patient’s record.
• Assists in orientation of new employees and students according to orientation guidelines.
• Provides impromptu instruction and demonstration of therapeutic techniques, nursing procedures, and products.
• Maintains commitment to professional growth and competency through ongoing activities that promote professional role development.
• Effectively manages time; recognizing and prioritizing urgent issues while assuring assigned work is completed.
• Consistently documents required materials, keeps records of such, and disseminates to appropriate parties.
• Consistently follows established job schedule and required procedure for assuring adequate coverage during absences.
• Maintains current knowledge of the field as demonstrated by sharing knowledge and skills with members of the health care team during team meetings, report, or informal sessions.
• Participates in the performance appraisal process by identifying specific short and long-term professional goals with supervisor.
• Keeps current with changes in the Hospital and Program by participating in staff meetings, reading and initialing all minutes and new policies and procedures.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Licensure as Registered Nurse in the State of Rhode Island by the Rhode Island Board of Nursing or licensure as a Registered Nurse in accordance with the Nurse Licensure Compact agreement of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
• BLS
• Demonstrated knowledge and skills necessary to provide care to patients with consideration of aging processes, human development stages, and cultural patterns in each step of the care process.

EXPERIENCE

• One year of psychiatric nursing and/or pediatric nursing preferred.