The Registered Nurse assesses, plans, and implements care for psychiatric patients while coordinating with an interdisciplinary team. They are responsible for managing patient safety, administering medications, and facilitating group therapy sessions.
Requirements summary
Candidates must be graduates of an accredited nursing program and hold a current Pennsylvania Registered Nurse license. One to two years of relevant experience and current BLS certification are preferred.
The RN assesses, plans, implements and evaluates the area of all assigned psychiatric patients. The RN coordinates, directs and participates as an effective interdisciplinary team member.
Essential Job Functions
Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending education workshops, review professional publications, establish personal networks, and participate in professional societies.
Assure quality of care by adhering to therapeutic standards, measuring health outcomes against patient care goals and standards, making or recommending necessary adjustments, and following system/hospital and nursing division's philosophies and standards of care set by state board of nursing, state nurse practice act, and other governing agency regulations.
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 other persons 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's independence by establishing patient care goals, teaching patient/family to understand condition, medications, and self-care skills, and answering questions.
Maintain 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 a cooperative relationship among health care teams by communicating information, responding to requests, building rapport, and participating in team continuous quality improvement and problem-solving methods.
Contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.
Ensure operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements by 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 to determine inventory level, anticipating needed supplies, placing and expediting orders for supplies, verifying receipt of supplies, and using equipment and supplies as needed to accomplish job results.
Ensures that assessment of the patient and the direct and indirect patient care delivered is in accordance with the PA Nurse Practice Act, hospital policies, procedures and protocols and other professional standards of care.
Process psychiatric emergencies as assigned, through assessment of patients' condition and collaboration with psychiatrist to affect a crisis resolution, process commitments and refer patients to appropriate treatment facilities.
Provides for patient safety in compliance with hospital and nursing department policies.
Orchestrates management of agitated patients with other staff members (handling, restraining, secluding).
Demonstrates ability to assess escalating behavior of patient and take action.
Updates crisis intervention skills on a yearly basis.
Assures that patient belongings have been searched for potentially harmful items.
Demonstrates a working knowledge of psychotropic medications.
Maintains department protocols for identified psychiatric medications.
Administers, monitors and documents efficacy, side effects and patient compliance.
Provides patient/family education for prescribed medications.
Conducts group therapy including medication groups, support groups and educational groups for patients, as well as serves as an information/referral source for families in these areas.
Acts as a facilitator of group sessions.
Provides patients with individualized educational materials.
Other related duties as assigned.
Competency and Experience [Knowledge, Skills and Abilities]
Required Qualifications/Experience
Graduate of an accredited Nursing Program required.
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 and concepts to a wide and diverse audience.
A Nursing refresher course may be required if employee hasn’t worked in an acute care setting for his / her most recent three consecutive years of professional employment
Preferred Qualifications/Experience
Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing preferred.
One (1) to two (2) years relevant experience
License, Certification & Clearances
Current licensure to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of Pennsylvania required.
Current Basic Life Support (BLS) approved curriculum of the American Heart Association (CPR and AED) program required.
Act 33 with renewal.
Act 34 with renewal.
Act 73 FBI Clearance with renewal.
Supervisory Responsibilities
This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities, but may serve as a coach and mentor for other positions in the department.
Position Type/Expected Hours of Work
Incumbent will be scheduled based on operational need (rotate shifts, standby, on-call, etc.).
Travel may be expected locally between System locations.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Independence Health and its affiliated companies are Equal Opportunity Employers. It is their policy to prohibit discrimination of any type and to afford equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, or genetic information, or any other classification protected by law. Independence Health and its affiliated companies will comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
Disclaimer
This job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Moreover, duties, responsibilities and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.
Work Environment
Effective
March 2020 or during pandemic: goggles, face shield and mask are required according to CDC guidelines
When lift requirement is in excess of 50#, lift assistance (2 person) and/or transfer device is required.
Essential – Absolute Necessity.
Marginal – Minimal Necessity.
Constantly – 5.5 to 8 hours or more or 200 reps/shift.
Frequently – 2.5 to 5.5 hours or more or 32-200 reps/shift.
Occasionally – 0.25 to 2.5 hours or 2-32 reps/shift.
Rarely – Less than 0.25 hours or less than 2 reps/shift.
Physical Condition
Essential
Marginal
Constantly
Frequently
Occasionally
Rarely
Never
Extreme Heat: x
Extreme Cold: x
Heights: x
Confined Spaces: x
Extreme Noise(>85dB)
x
Mechanical Hazards: x
Use of Vibrating Tools
x
Operates Vehicle (Company)
x
Operates Heavy Equipment: x
Use of Lifting/Transfer Devices
x
x
Rotates All Shifts: x
x
8 Hours Shifts
x
x
10-12 Hours Shifts
x
x
On-Call: x
x
Overtime(+8/hrs/shift; 40/hrs/wk)
x
x
Travel Between Sites: x
Direct Patient Care: x
x
Respirator Protective Equipment: x
x
Eye Protection: x
x
Head Protection (hard hat)
x
Hearing Protection: x
Hand Protection: x
x
Feet, Toe Protection
x
Body Protection: x
x
Latex Exposure: x
x
Solvent Exposure: x
Paint (direct use) Exposure
x
Dust (sanding) Exposure
x
Ethylene Oxide Exposure: x
Cytotoxic (Chemo) Exposure
Chemo Units: X all other
Blood/Body Fluid Exposure: x
x
Chemicals (direct use) Exposure
x
x
Mist Exposure: x
Wax Stripper (direct use)
x
Non-Ionizing Radiation Exposure: x
Ionizing Radiation Exposure: x
Laser Exposure: x
Physical Demands
When lift requirement is in excess of 50#, lift assistance (2 person) and/or transfer device is required.
Essential – Absolute Necessity.
Marginal – Minimal Necessity.
Constantly – 5.5 to 8 hours or more or 200 reps/shift.
Frequently – 2.5 to 5.5 hours or more or 32-200 reps/shift.
Occasionally – 0.25 to 2.5 hours or 2-32 reps/shift.
Rarely – Less than 0.25 hours or less than 2 reps/shift.
Physical Condition
Essential
Marginal
Constantly
Frequently
Occasionally
Rarely
Never: Bending (Stooping)
x
x
Sitting: x
x
Walking: x
x
Climbing Stairs: x
x
Climbing Ladders: x
Standing: x
x
Kneeling: x
x
Squatting (Crouching)
x
x
Twisting/Turning: x
x
Keyboard/Computer Operation: x
x
Gross Grasp: x
x
Fine Finger Manipulation: x
x
Hand/Arm Coordination: x
x
Pushing/Pulling(lbs. of force)
x
10#
50#
Carry: x
25#
Transfer/Push/Pull Patients: x
x
Seeing Near w/Acuity
x
x
Feeling (Sensation)
x
x
Color Vision: x
x
Hearing Clearly: x
x
Pulling/Pushing Objects Overhead: x
x
Reaching Above Shoulder Level: x
x
Reaching Forward: x
x
Lifting Floor to Knuckle
x
10#
Lifting Seat Pan to Knuckle: x
50#
Lifting Knuckle to Shoulder
x
20#
Lifting Shoulder to Overhead
x
10#
When lift requirement is in excess of 50#, lift assistance (2 person) and/or transfer device is required.
