Head Nurse (40 Hour)

State of Connecticut•Bridgeport, CT

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The State of Connecticut, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) is accepting applications for the position of Head Nurse. This role involves providing administrative and clinical supervision of professional nurses, paraprofessionals, and other staff involved in direct nursing care or specialized professional nursing work. The position is within the Hospital Services Division at the Southwest Connecticut Mental Health System (SWCMHS) in Bridgeport, CT, serving units such as the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU I, PICU II) and the Co-Occurring Treatment Unit (CTU). The department focuses on promoting the overall health and wellness of individuals with behavioral health needs through a comprehensive network of services and supports. SWCMHS aims to provide high-quality, compassionate, and culturally competent mental health and substance abuse services to indigent adults with behavioral health disorders. The Hospital Services Division offers inpatient treatment programs for individuals with prolonged psychiatric and co-occurring illnesses requiring hospitalization due to acute exacerbation of symptoms or rehabilitation before returning to the community. The units provide treatment to individuals who are severely, acutely, and persistently psychiatrically disabled, requiring a safe, supportive, highly structured hospital level of care. Treatment goals include stabilization, evaluation, rehabilitation, and assistance in regaining a level of functioning that allows for treatment in a less restrictive environment or return to community-based living. The division emphasizes community reentry, rehabilitation, and intense skills building for community reintegration. A comprehensive medical examination, including a drug screening, will be required upon a conditional offer of employment.

Requirements

Two (2) years of experience as a Registered Nurse
Must possess and retain a license or temporary permit as a Registered Nurse in Connecticut OR hold a Multistate or Compact Registered Nurse license.
Considerable knowledge of and ability to independently apply nursing principles, techniques and standards.
Specialized individual care applicable to nursing assignment.
Knowledge of medications, their actions, interactions, uses and side effects.
Knowledge of general and mental health conditions and treatment interventions through utilization of assessment, nursing diagnosis, outcome identification, health planning, implementation and re-evaluation.
Knowledge of adult learning and family systems theory.
Knowledge of sensitivity to cultural and socio-economic differences.
Considerable interpersonal skills.
Considerable oral and written communication skills.
Ability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with other professionals, community resources and providers.
Ability to act as a role model to health care staff.
Supervisory ability.
Considerable knowledge of behavioral health of individuals.
Skill working with individuals, groups and families.
Ability to provide therapeutic treatment with a variety of individuals.
Must be fluent in a foreign language or proficient in the use of the American Sign Language in certain designated positions (may be required).
May be required to travel.

Nice To Haves

Experience in an Inpatient and Psychiatry setting
Experience working with clients who have mental health and medical concerns
Experience utilizing evidence-based strategies for health teaching, health promotion and prevention
Experience supervising staff of a lower grade
Experience using nursing principles and national standards to complete daily task
Experience with Microsoft Word and Excel for clinical documentation, reporting, and data management
Experience using Electronic Medical Record systems

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 assists 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.