RN WEEKEND - ADOLESCENT INPATIENT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

About the role

The Registered Nurse (RN), Weekend assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates care for all assigned psychiatric patients. The RN coordinates, directs, and participates as an effective interdisciplinary team member.

Responsibilities

• Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending education workshops, reviewing professional publications, establishing personal networks, and participating in professional societies.
• Assure quality of care by adhering to therapeutic standards, measuring health outcomes against patient care goals and standards, and making or recommending necessary adjustments following system/hospital and nursing division philosophies and standards.
• Protect patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols, medication administration and storage procedures, and controlled substance regulations.
• Document patient care services by charting in patient and department records.
• Maintain continuity among nursing teams by documenting and communicating actions, irregularities, and continuing needs using Nurse Knowledge Exchange techniques.
• Maintain patient confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.
• Identify patient care requirements by establishing personal rapport with potential and actual patients and others in a position to understand care requirements.
• Establish a compassionate environment by providing emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to patients, friends, and families.
• Promote patient independence by establishing patient care goals, teaching patients/families to understand conditions, medications, and self-care skills, and answering questions.
• Maintain a safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations; calling for assistance from health care support personnel.
• Resolve patient problems and needs by utilizing multidisciplinary team strategies.
• Maintain cooperative relationships among health care teams by communicating information, responding to requests, building rapport, and participating in team continuous quality improvement and problem-solving methods.
• Ensure operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements, following manufacturer’s instructions, troubleshooting malfunctions, calling for repairs, maintaining equipment inventories, and evaluating new equipment and techniques.
• Maintain nursing supplies inventory by checking stock, anticipating needed supplies, placing and expediting orders, verifying receipt of supplies, and using equipment and supplies as needed.
• Provide direct oversight of GN, LPN, Technical Partner, ALS Technician, Nurse Extern, and Unit Clerks, including conducting initial comprehensive assessments and interpreting them to initiate the interprofessional plan of care.
• Support delegation of duties within the scope and capability of the care team.
• Ensure assessment and care delivery comply with the PA Nurse Practice Act, hospital policies, procedures, protocols, and professional standards of care.
• Process psychiatric emergencies through patient assessment and collaboration with psychiatrists to achieve crisis resolution, process commitments, and refer patients to appropriate treatment facilities.
• Provide for patient safety in compliance with hospital and nursing department policies.
• Orchestrate management of agitated patients with other staff members (handling, restraining, secluding).
• Demonstrate ability to assess escalating patient behavior and take action.
• Update crisis intervention skills yearly.
• Search patient belongings for potentially harmful items.
• Demonstrate working knowledge of psychotropic medications, maintain department protocols for identified psychiatric medications, administer, monitor, and document efficacy, side effects, and patient compliance.
• Provide patient/family education for prescribed medications.
• Conduct group therapy, including medication groups, support groups, and educational groups for patients, and serve as an information/referral source for families.
• Act as a facilitator of group sessions and provide patients with individualized educational materials.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Graduate of an accredited Nursing Program required.
• Current licensure to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of Pennsylvania.
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from the American Heart Association (CPR and AED).
• Act 33, Act 34, and Act 73 FBI Clearance with renewal.
• Strong leadership ability, good organizational skills, independent and critical thinking skills, sound judgment, and knowledge of legal aspects and liability of nursing practice.
• Strong ability to communicate complex and/or controversial topics to a wide and diverse audience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing preferred.
• One (1) to two (2) years’ experience in Nursing preferred.

Work Environment

The position may require rotating shifts, standby, on-call, and local travel between system locations. The role involves direct patient care in a psychiatric setting.

Physical Demands

When lift requirement is in excess of 50 lbs, lift assistance (2-person) and/or transfer device is required.

• Essential Physical Conditions:
  • Constantly: Standing, Walking, Hand/Arm Coordination, Seeing Near with Acuity, Feeling (Sensation), Hearing Clearly.
  • Frequently: Bending (Stooping), Twisting/Turning, Pushing/Pulling (lbs. of force), Carrying, Transfer/Push/Pull Patients, Reaching Forward, Lifting (Knuckle to Shoulder, Seat Pan to Knuckle).
  • Occasionally: Sitting, Climbing Stairs, Kneeling, Squatting (Crouching), Keyboard/Computer Operation, Gross Grasp, Fine Finger Manipulation, Reaching Above Shoulder Level, Lifting (Floor to Knuckle, Shoulder to Overhead).
  • Rarely: Climbing Ladders, Pulling/Pushing Objects Overhead.
• Environmental Exposures:
  • Direct Patient Care, Blood/Body Fluid Exposure, Chemicals (direct use), Latex Exposure.
• Protective Equipment:
  • Respirator Protective Equipment, Eye Protection, Hand Protection, Body Protection.