Registered Nurse - Behavioral Health

This role is responsible and accountable for prescribing, delegating, and coordinating all nursing care, utilizing standards of care and practice to help substance abusers and mentally disturbed patients achieve their optimum health potential within the framework of the nursing process. The Registered Professional Nurse renders service to acutely ill adult psychiatric/substance abuse patients aged 16 years and older, in collaboration with other members of the healthcare team.

Responsibilities

In accordance with professional nursing standards and practice, the mental health nurse will:

• Provide optimum healthcare to substance abusers, emotionally disturbed patients, and those with dual diagnoses by assisting them in attaining their highest level of wellness.
• Assume a leadership role in prioritizing assignments based on patient activity, complexity, resources, staffing, and skills mix.
• Perform duties related to the nursing process, including:

Assessment

• Assess patient’s physical, social, and psychological status through direct observation, interviews, and medical, physical, and mental assessments.
• Utilize observational skills to assess patient and family needs.
• Document a complete nursing assessment, including fall, pain, suicide, nutrition, psychosocial, environmental factors, educational level, and discharge planning.
• Obtain and review available data and any data collected by other members of the healthcare team.
• Identify nursing care problems resulting from substance abuse or prolonged use of neuroleptics and mental illness.
• Re-assess continuously to improve patient care.
• Communicate findings with other members of the healthcare team.
• Summarize and document all findings clearly and concisely.

Nursing Diagnosis

• Formulate, prioritize, and document nursing diagnoses consistent with assessment data.
• Include physiological, psychosocial, emotional, and educational needs of patients.

Planning

• Formulate and document patient-centered, measurable goals consistent with the nursing diagnosis.
• Document a written plan of care reflecting knowledge of physiological, psychological, and emotional aspects of patient care.
• Identify patient level of education, learning needs, and discharge planning needs on the day of admission.

Intervention/Implementation

• Communicate and collaborate with the interdisciplinary team in implementing a comprehensive plan of care in response to patient needs.
• Utilize clinical skills in the provision of nursing care and management of patients, including but not limited to:
  • Identification of withdrawal symptoms
  • Management of the agitated patient
  • Administration of medications
  • Management of the dependent/suicidal patient
• Intervene appropriately in psychiatric emergencies utilizing non-violent crisis interventions.
• Maintain all levels of Infection Control Standards.
• Provide for psychosocial and educational needs of patients.
• Provide health teaching/counseling sessions on an individual basis and in group settings.
• Participate in treatment plans, medical rounds, interdisciplinary rounds, and clinical assessments as scheduled.
• Ensure all procedures are performed based on established nursing mental health standards.
• Demonstrate competency in performing all procedures within the scope of practice.
• Investigate, resolve, communicate, and document all required information regarding unusual occurrences.
• Delegate, guide, and assist ancillary nursing personnel in tasks appropriate to their role.
• May have unsupervised patient contact in the course of performing duties.

Evaluation

• Interpret, communicate, and document the patient’s response based on the nursing and medical regimen.
• Revise the patient’s plan of care based on evaluation of interventions and expected outcomes in collaboration with other members of the healthcare team.
• Evaluate the patient’s/significant other’s response to patient/discharge teaching.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Nursing.
• Minimum one (1) year of medical/surgical nursing experience preferred.
• Current NY State RN License required.
• Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certification required.

Skills

• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Additional languages preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills.

Physical Requirements

• Involves standing, walking, sitting, talking, hearing, and bending.
• May include some repetitive motions.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position without compromising patient care.

The salary range and/or hourly rate is a good faith determination of potential base compensation that may be offered to a successful applicant at the time of this job advertisement and can be modified in the future. Factors considered may include site, specialty, service line, years of relevant experience, education, credentials, negotiated contracts, budget, and internal equity.