RN Clinical Nurse II - Dogwood Unit at UNC Youth Behavioral Health Facility

About the Role

We are seeking a Clinical Nurse II, preferably with strong clinical experience in adolescent mental health, to work with a multidisciplinary team at UNC Health Youth Behavioral Health (YBH) in Butner, North Carolina. The Clinical Nurse II will primarily work on Dogwood, a 16-bed unit serving pediatric patients in need of crisis stabilization, providing multidisciplinary treatment focused on psychiatric, behavioral, medical, and psychosocial needs.

Youth Behavioral Health Hospital (YBH) is a 54-bed, 24-hour, locked psychiatric facility grounded in a milieu-based, trauma-informed, and therapeutic setting. The facility serves patients with complex histories, including aggression and psychosis, emphasizing safety, positive coping skills, healthy living, and leisure activities. Therapy services are delivered by a large interdisciplinary team, including Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Social Workers, and Nursing Services.

The position requires attendance at a weeklong hospital orientation in Chapel Hill, offered every two weeks: Monday and Tuesday in-person (8am–5pm) and Wednesday through Friday virtual.

Responsibilities

• Provides competent clinical nursing care consistent with professional standards, coordinating and delivering patient care utilizing the nursing process.
• Participates in identifying and meeting learning needs; attends education programs and uses patient education materials relevant to the patient population.
• Assesses readiness to learn, developmental level, and factors affecting the ability to learn for patients, families, and caregivers.
• Identifies expected patient outcomes, revises the plan of care as needed, and communicates relevant information to promote continuity of care.
• Demonstrates competence in care for patients with complex problems, including physical, psychosocial, educational, and safety aspects.
• Performs bedside point-of-care testing and utilizes healthcare organization standards, policies, and procedures in care delivery.
• Organizes and prioritizes care based on patient and family needs; consults appropriate resources for complex care issues or unusual teaching needs.
• Develops goals for professional growth, participates in unit goals and performance improvement activities, and promotes cost-effective care.
• Recognizes data from complex situations to determine priorities for care, synthesizing assessment data into a meaningful whole.
• Assesses and anticipates discharge needs, developing relationships with families to promote advocacy for the patient.
• Collaborates with patients and families to prepare or update the plan of care, addressing cultural and ethnic issues.
• Reads relevant journals and brings ideas to staff for assessment of applicability to practice.

Requirements

• Graduation from a school of professional nursing.
• If hired after January 6, 2014, must enroll within four years of employment and obtain a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Nursing within seven years.
• Licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse in North Carolina.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Provider certification.
• One year of nursing experience.
• Experience in behavioral health nursing (pediatric or adult) strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of pediatric patients in need of crisis stabilization and behavioral/psychosocial needs.
• Excellent communication and team skills.

Schedule

Full-time, 36 hours per week. Three 12-hour shifts per week on a day shift, including rotating weekends and holidays.

Pay

Salary range: $34.22 – $48.38 per hour (hiring range determined by experience and internal equity).

Benefits

• Commitment incentive.
• Relocation assistance.
• Extensive benefit package, including PTO hours accrued based on worked hours.

Entity: UNC Medical Center | Location: Butner, NC