Charge Nurse RN II - Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Fort Logan (Denver)

State of Colorado•Denver, CO

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Charge Nurse RN II provides professional skilled nursing care in a mental health setting, including acute care, chronic support, assessment, and interventions. The role is assigned to a specific shift and unit but may occasionally be required to work on any unit. The nurse provides patient care and medication administration, leads the unit milieu, supervises and delegates work to nursing and assistive personnel, teaches patients and families, and contributes nursing expertise to interdisciplinary treatment planning. This position is based on-site at Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Fort Logan in Denver and is described as full-time. Available shifts include days, nights, and weekends; night and weekend shifts receive differentials of 14–20% above base pay. Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Fort Logan is one of two state hospitals serving the community. It provides inpatient treatment to adults, generally ages 18–49, with complex, serious, and persistent mental illness. The hospital offers psychiatric and medical services, occupational therapy, neuropsychological rehabilitation, and trauma-informed care. The position works in an interactive, fast-paced, dynamic, team-oriented environment that may involve difficult patients, locked units, immediate critical decisions, and a high level of accountability for patient care. The employee is expected to maintain current skills, knowledge, abilities, and competencies through continuing education, clinical supervision, literature review, and participation in discipline and team development.

Requirements

Current, valid Registered Nurse licensure from the Colorado Board of Nursing or a state participating in the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC).
Two years of professional experience in an occupational field related to the assigned work; appropriate education may substitute for up to two years of required experience on a year-for-year basis.
Ability to see and hear to observe, address, and respond to potential safety and security breaches.
Ability to work in situations involving assaultive behavior, physical control of another person, and/or restraint situations.
Ability to lift 50 or more pounds on occasion.
Must be a Colorado resident; the posting is open only to Colorado state residents.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated ability to understand and apply the nursing process to provide adequate patient care.
Demonstrated ability to understand treatment plans and provide appropriate interventions.
Demonstrated ability to direct a shift through training, mentorship, and staff development.
Strong work ethic based on self-motivation, loyalty, honesty, and integrity.
Dependability, responsibility, and adaptability.
Relevant years of state service experience.

Responsibilities

Assess, plan, coordinate, provide, and evaluate nursing care for patients with psychiatric and medical conditions, documenting pertinent data.
Develop nursing plans of care and therapeutic interventions that support patient recovery, including individual counseling, psychoeducational and teaching groups, and milieu management.
Communicate nursing plans of care to the interdisciplinary team and ensure appropriate documentation and shift-to-shift communication.
Make rounds to assess patients’ psychiatric and medical status; notify medical staff of changes in condition and the need for evaluation or orders; and report patient-care concerns to supervisors and physicians as appropriate.
Direct, coordinate, and implement medical and psychiatric crisis interventions, including de-escalation, seclusion or restraint, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, in accordance with nursing standards and policies.
Plan and implement milieu-management techniques to maintain a safe, therapeutic environment, anticipate problems, plan interventions, and assign responsibilities.
Provide clinical and administrative supervision of nursing staff on duty and ensure interventions are implemented and care meets or exceeds professional and community standards.
Coordinate replacement or additional staff for high-acuity needs as indicated.
Administer medications or provide backup to the nurse assigned to medication administration, including transcription and clarification of orders.
Evaluate medication need, effectiveness, side effects, and interactions using nursing judgment and applicable standards and policies; follow medication-order transcription and documentation procedures.
Delegate assignments and oversee nursing staff, mental health clinicians, nursing students, orientees, and others, ensuring timely work completion and providing clinical leadership and teaching.
Continuously supervise 2–5 nursing staff and supervise all nursing staff on duty during the assigned shift.
Orient new staff and serve as a preceptor for students.
Assess and teach patients and families about preventive health care, illness management, coping, social and living skills, and medication indications and side effects.
Support patients in developing skills and self-efficacy.
Provide nursing input to interdisciplinary treatment planning and unit programming.
Serve as a communication link among patients, families, physicians, health professionals, ancillary staff, and supervisors, exchanging information and clarifying plans and interventions.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Maintain updated professional skills, knowledge, abilities, and competencies through continuing education, clinical supervision, literature review, and participation in discipline and team development.

Benefits

PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus 401(k) and 457 plans.
Medical and dental health plans.
Employer-supplemented Health Savings Account.
Paid life insurance.
Short- and long-term disability coverage.
11 paid holidays per year, plus vacation and sick leave.
State of Colorado Employee BenefitHub Resource Center.
Employee Wellness program.
Work-life programs, including flexible schedules and training.
Remote work arrangements for eligible positions.
Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
Night and weekend shift differentials of 14–20% above base pay.