Head Nurse (40 Hour)

State of Connecticut • Middletown, CT

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The State of Connecticut, Department of Children and Families (DCF) is recruiting a Head Nurse to join our Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) in Middletown, CT. This is a full-time position with 40 hours per week, typically working the second shift (2:45 P.M. - 11:15 P.M.). The role involves leading the planning of care and implementation of the nursing process, planning unit workflow, scheduling, assigning, overseeing, and reviewing work. The Head Nurse also makes recommendations for personnel actions, conducts performance evaluations, leads nursing staff in patient care, maintains nursing standards, ensures proper handling of controlled drugs, identifies staff development needs, provides training, instructs staff on policies, and participates in interdisciplinary meetings. Additionally, the role may involve preparing reports, serving as a Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional (QIDP), and performing related duties. The position also offers opportunities for professional growth, paid professional development, and a healthy work-life balance. The State of Connecticut is an eligible Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer.

Requirements

• Two (2) years of experience as a Registered Nurse
• Possess and retain a license or temporary permit as a Registered Nurse in Connecticut OR hold a Multistate or Compact Registered Nurse license.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in a behavioral health hospital setting
• Experience serving youth with complex psychiatric profiles
• Fluent in a foreign language or proficient in the use of the American Sign Language in certain designated positions.
• May be required to travel.

Responsibilities

• Leads the planning of care and implementation of the nursing process
• Plans unit workflow and determines priorities
• Schedules, assigns, oversees and reviews work
• Makes recommendations for personnel actions such as selection, discipline and performance
• Conducts or assist in conducting performance evaluations
• Leads professional and paraprofessional nursing staff in provision of patient/individual care
• Maintains and promotes standards of nursing
• Ensures controlled drugs are properly stored, administered and ordered
• Identifies staff development needs
• Provides staff training and assistance
• Instructs staff regarding policies and procedures
• Participates in interdisciplinary meetings to promote and ensure adjustment and continuity of patient/individual care programs
• Responds to emergencies
• May make recommendations on policies and standards
• May prepare reports or correspondence
• May serve as Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional (QIDP)
• Performs related duties as required
• Independently develops, implements and evaluates nursing and/or health care plans
• Provides nursing consultation in the assigned specialty program
• Conducts nursing assessments
• Provides admission and discharge nursing assessments including plans for continuing care
• Maintains records and makes reports
• Provides for nursing services to comply with intermediate care facility (ICF) regulations and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) standards
• Maintains records of stored and secured medications
• Independently manages and provides direct care to patients/individuals
• Participates in individual, group or family therapy
• Participates as a member of an interdisciplinary team in the assessment, development, implementation and evaluation of patient/individual treatment or health care plans
• Manages an assigned caseload of other appropriate clinical activities
• Provides clinical direction and/or training to staff in individual, group and family service delivery programs
• May participate in home visits and crisis intervention
• May provide in-service training to nursing and paraprofessional staff with regard to signs and symptoms of illness, dysfunction, injury and prevention of same
• May conduct patient/individual- centered conferences with nursing personnel
• May consult with and make recommendations to physicians concerning health needs
• Independently provides counseling and health education services to students and staff
• Serves as member of crisis intervention team
• Provides assessment of medical problems
• Determines need for physician or medical care
• Performs basic evaluative procedures and tests
• Performs primary first aid
• Makes referrals and follows up on health needs
• Provides counseling on health- related issues
• Maintains accurate medical records
• Writes reports
• May administer medication
• May administer routine tests or exams

Benefits

• Professional growth and paid professional development opportunities
• A healthy work-life balance
• Eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness after 10 years of service
• Additional compensation bonus of three thousand dollars ($3,000.00) yearly for Registered Nurses permanently assigned to the second or third shift, after one year of service.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level