About the position
The Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) is a Registered Nurse prepared at the Master’s level and certified as a clinical specialist in child and adolescent mental health nursing. The Psychiatric CNS has advanced knowledge and clinical skills in psychiatric diagnoses and treatment which may include prescriptive authority, individual, group and family psychotherapy, crisis intervention, case management, and consultation. The Psychiatric CNS works in various positions involved in evaluation, treatment, and care of children and adolescents with psychiatric illness and/or emotional/behavioral disturbances and their families. The Psychiatric CNS practices as an interdependent member of the health care team collaborating with other health professionals to provide mental health care to children and their families.
Responsibilities
- Consistently applies the corporate values of respect, honesty, and fairness in improving the health status of the people of the region.
- Responsible for knowing and acting in accordance with the principles of the Brown University Health Corporate Compliance Program and Code of Conduct.
- Assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of individuals with acute and chronic psychiatric illnesses or emotional/behavior disturbances.
- Clinical evaluation of patients in seclusion/restraints.
- Psychopharmacologic management in collaboration with a psychiatrist.
- Individual, group, and family therapy.
- Crisis intervention and emergency evaluations.
- Coordination and integration of multidisciplinary services for clients with complex psychiatric problems.
- Provide comprehensive psychiatric mental health education.
- Support of individuals and their families around issues of developmental milestones or life changes and/or catastrophic events.
- Clinical supervision and consultation.
- Promotion of wellness-oriented care with a focus on disease and disability prevention.
- Advocacy for children with mental health issues and their families.
- Participation in research studies.
- Timely and accurate completion of all documents as per the Policy and Procedure Manual.
Requirements
- Current licensure as a Registered Nurse in the State of Rhode Island.
- Master of Science in Nursing with specialization in child and adolescent psychiatry from an accredited college or university.
- Current certification by ANCC as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse.
- Current DEA# for nurses whose position includes prescriptive authority.
- Demonstrated knowledge and skills necessary to provide care to patients considering aging processes, human development stages, and cultural patterns.
Nice-to-haves
- Three to five years clinical experience in working with children and adolescents with mental health needs.
- Experience in crisis intervention with patients with psychiatric-mental health issues.
