LPN (Night Shift 6p-6a) Behavioral Health Nurse - Palm Valley Post Acute

PACS • Goodyear, AZ

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The primary purpose of this role is to provide direct nursing care to residents and supervise the day-to-day nursing activities performed by nursing assistants. This supervision must align with current federal, state, and local standards, guidelines, and regulations, and as directed by the Director of Nursing Services or Nurse Supervisor to ensure the highest quality of care.

Essential Duties include administrative functions such as directing nursing assistants, ensuring compliance with policies, reviewing and revising procedures, planning shift services, maintaining procedure manuals, making reports, coordinating with other services, participating in quality assurance and facility surveys, updating resident discharge plans, interpreting policies, admitting/transferring/discharging residents, completing accident/incident reports, writing charge slips, maintaining census reports, and performing other administrative duties. Charting and Documentation involve completing and filing records, transcribing physician orders, charting nurses’ notes, completing accident/incident reports, recording diet orders, reporting discrepancies, completing transfer forms, and ensuring proper documentation for unauthorized discharges.

Drug Administration Functions include preparing and administering medications, verifying resident identity, ensuring correct medication administration, maintaining adequate supplies, ordering medications and supplies, ensuring accurate narcotic records, notifying supervisors of discrepancies, reviewing medication cards, notifying physicians of stop orders, and disposing of drugs and narcotics.

Personnel Functions involve participating in performance evaluations, determining staffing needs, reporting absenteeism, reviewing the workforce, developing work assignments, providing leadership, making daily rounds, ensuring nursing assistant training compliance, supervising trainees, holding staff meetings, ensuring policy compliance, fostering good working relationships, creating a positive environment, reviewing complaints, administering disciplinary action fairly, receiving/giving nursing reports, reporting occupational exposures, reporting fraud, and ensuring workstation security.

Nursing Care Functions include informing staff of new admissions, ensuring rooms are ready, greeting new residents, participating in resident orientation, making rounds with physicians, requisitioning diagnostic/therapeutic services, consulting with physicians, reviewing resident charts, implementing nursing objectives, checking treatments, ensuring direct nursing care is provided by qualified personnel, cooperating with activity programs, notifying physicians and next-of-kin of changes in condition, carrying out restorative programs, inspecting treatment areas, administering professional services (e.g., catheterization, wound care), using restraints when necessary, obtaining specimens, monitoring residents, checking food brought by visitors, ensuring care aligns with care plans, checking residents who cannot call for help, meeting with residents/families, admitting/transferring/discharging residents, arranging transportation, escorting discharged residents, informing families of death, and calling funeral homes.

Staff Development involves participating in in-service training, implementing orientation programs, standardizing work methods, training personnel on exposure risks, assisting with clinical supervision for trainees, attending outside training, participating in annual facility training, attending advance directive training, and attending continuing education to maintain licensure.

Safety and Sanitation include monitoring staff for safety compliance, ensuring policy adherence, identifying tasks with potential exposure, ensuring training on exposure risks, ensuring availability of personal protective equipment, maintaining clean and sanitary work areas and resident rooms, ensuring proper hand hygiene, participating in fire safety drills, implementing infection control programs, ensuring adherence to isolation precautions, following procedures for PPE use/disposal, developing procedures for reporting hazardous conditions, ensuring proper use of safety equipment, and reporting missing labels/MSDSs.

Equipment and Supply Functions involve recommending equipment/supply needs, maintaining adequate stock levels, participating in procedures for safe equipment operation, ensuring only trained personnel operate equipment, monitoring equipment use, ensuring efficient use of supplies to avoid waste, and ensuring MSDSs are on file for hazardous chemicals.

Care Plan and Assessment Functions include reviewing care plans daily, informing supervisors of changes, ensuring nurses’ notes reflect care plan adherence, reviewing resident care plans for goals/approaches/revisions, ensuring CNAs are aware of care plans and refer to them, and assisting with MDS and RAP implementation.

Budget and Planning Functions include reporting suspected fraud related to billings, cost reports, or kickbacks.

Miscellaneous duties include providing data to the Quality Assurance & Assessment Committee as requested.

Requirements

• Must possess, as a minimum, a Nursing Degree from an accredited college or university, or be a graduate of an approved LPN/LVN program.
• Must possess a current, unencumbered, active license to practice as an LPN/LVN in this state.
• Must be able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language.
• Ability to read technical procedures.
• Ability to read and comprehend policy and procedure manuals.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from managers and employees.
• Must be able to relate information concerning a resident’s condition.
• Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios and proportions to practical situations.
• Must demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age-related needs of the residents served.
• Must be a supportive team member, contribute to and be an example of team work and team concept.
• Must possess the ability to make independent decisions when circumstances warrant such action.
• Must possess the ability to deal tactfully with personnel, residents, family members, visitors, government agencies/personnel, and the general public.
• Must be knowledgeable of nursing and medical practices and procedures, as well as laws, regulations, and guidelines that pertain to nursing care facilities.
• Must possess leadership and supervisory ability and the willingness to work harmoniously with and supervise other personnel.
• Must possess the ability to plan, organize, develop, implement, and interpret the programs, goals, objectives, policies and procedures, etc., that are necessary for providing quality care.
• Must have patience, tact, a cheerful disposition and enthusiasm, as well as the willingness to handle difficult residents.
• Must be willing to seek out new methods and principles and be willing to incorporate them into existing nursing practices.
• Must not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals in the workplace.
• Must possess a current, unencumbered, active license to practice as an LPN/LVN in this state.
• Current CPR certification.
• Must maintain all required continuing education/licensing.
• Must remain in good standing with the State Board of Nursing at all times.
• Must be able to move intermittently throughout the workday.
• Must be able to speak and write the English language in an understandable manner.
• Must be able to cope with the mental and emotional stress of the position.
• Must be able to see and hear or use prosthetics that will enable these senses to function adequately.
• Must function independently and have flexibility, personal integrity, and the ability to work effectively with residents, personnel, and support agencies.
• Must meet the general health requirements set forth by the policies of this facility.
• Must be able to relate to and work with the ill, disabled, elderly, emotionally upset, and, at times, hostile people within the facility.
• Must be able to push, pull, move, and/or lift a minimum of 25 pounds to a minimum height of 5 feet and be able to push, pull, move, and/or carry such weight a minimum distance of 50 feet.
• May be necessary to assist in the evacuation of residents during emergency situations.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge and experience with PCC preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct nursing care to residents.
• Supervise the day-to-day nursing activities performed by nursing assistants.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local standards, guidelines, and regulations.
• Direct the day-to-day functions of nursing assistants.
• Ensure nursing personnel comply with facility policies and procedures.
• Review and revise department policies and procedures.
• Plan shift services, programs, and activities with nursing staff and support personnel.
• Maintain and update the Nursing Service Procedures Manual.
• Make written and oral reports and recommendations concerning shift activities.
• Coordinate nursing services with other resident services.
• Ensure nursing service personnel comply with their job descriptions.
• Participate in the facility's quality assurance program for the nursing service department.
• Participate in facility surveys and inspections.
• Review and update resident discharge plans.
• Assist in planning the nursing services portion of resident discharge plans.
• Interpret department policies and procedures.
• Admit, transfer, and discharge residents.
• Complete accident/incident reports.
• Write resident charge slips.
• Maintain the Daily Census Report.
• Complete medical forms, reports, evaluations, studies, and charting.
• Prepare and administer medications as ordered by the physician.
• Verify resident identity before administering medication/treatment.
• Ensure prescribed medication is administered only to the intended resident.
• Ensure an adequate supply of floor stock medications, supplies, and equipment.
• Order prescribed medications, supplies, and equipment.
• Ensure narcotic records are accurate for the shift.
• Notify the Nurse Supervisor of all drug and narcotic discrepancies.
• Review medication cards for completeness and accuracy.
• Notify the attending physician of automatic stop orders.
• Dispose of drugs and narcotics according to procedures.
• Participate in employee performance evaluations.
• Determine shift staffing requirements and make recommendations.
• Inform the Nurse Supervisor of staffing needs when personnel fail to report.
• Report absentee call-ins to the Nurse Supervisor.
• Develop work assignments and assist in completing them.
• Provide leadership to nursing personnel.
• Make daily rounds to ensure work assignments are performed to standards.
• Ensure nursing assistants are enrolled in or have graduated from approved training programs.
• Ensure nurse aide trainees are under direct supervision of a licensed nurse.
• Meet with shift nursing personnel to identify and correct problem areas.
• Ensure personnel, residents, and visitors follow department policies.
• Create and maintain a positive and calm environment.
• Review and report complaints and grievances from personnel.
• Ensure departmental disciplinary action is administered fairly.
• Receive/give the nursing report upon reporting in and ending shift duty hours.
• Report occupational exposures to blood, body fluids, infectious materials, and hazardous chemicals.
• Report known or suspected incidents of fraud.
• Ensure departmental computer workstations are logged off or password protected.
• Inform nursing personnel of new admissions.
• Ensure rooms are ready for new admissions.
• Greet newly admitted residents and escort them to rooms.
• Participate in the orientation of new residents/family members.
• Make rounds with physicians as necessary.
• Requisition and arrange for diagnostic and therapeutic services.
• Consult with the resident’s physician regarding care, treatment, and rehabilitation.
• Review resident charts for specific treatments and orders.
• Implement and maintain established nursing objectives and standards.
• Check that prescribed treatments are administered correctly and evaluate resident status.
• Ensure direct nursing care is provided by qualified personnel.
• Cooperate with and coordinate social and activity programs.
• Notify the resident’s attending physician of accidents or incidents.
• Notify the resident’s attending physician and next-of-kin of changes in resident condition.
• Carry out restorative and rehabilitative programs.
• Inspect nursing service treatment areas daily for cleanliness and safety.
• Administer professional services such as catheterization, tube feedings, wound care, etc.
• Use restraints when necessary and according to policy.
• Obtain sputum, urine, and other specimens for lab tests.
• Take and record TPRs and blood pressures.
• Monitor seriously ill residents.
• Check foods brought by visitors for dietary compliance.
• Ensure personnel provide care according to the resident’s care plan and wishes.
• Ensure residents who cannot call for help are checked frequently.
• Meet with residents and/or family members as necessary.
• Assist in arranging transportation for discharged residents.
• Ensure discharged residents are escorted to the pick-up area.
• Inform family members of the death of a resident.
• Call funeral homes when requested by the family.
• Participate in developing, planning, conducting, and scheduling in-service training classes.
• Implement and maintain an effective orientation program for new employees.
• Assist in standardizing work methods.
• Assist in training personnel on tasks involving potential exposure to blood/body fluids.
• Assist the Director in planning clinical supervision for nurse aide trainees.
• Attend and participate in outside training programs.
• Attend and participate in annual facility in-service training programs.
• Attend and participate in advance directive in-service training programs.
• Attend and participate in continuing education programs.
• Monitor personnel to ensure adherence to safety regulations.
• Ensure adherence to established departmental policies and procedures, including dress codes.
• Assist in identifying, evaluating, and classifying job functions with potential exposure risks.
• Ensure personnel performing tasks with potential exposure receive appropriate training.
• Ensure adequate supply and availability of personal protective equipment.
• Maintain assigned work areas in a clean and sanitary manner.
• Maintain resident care rooms, treatment areas, etc., in a clean, safe, and sanitary manner.
• Ensure personnel follow established handwashing and hand hygiene techniques.
• Ensure personnel participate in fire safety and disaster preparedness drills.
• Participate in the infection control program.
• Ensure personnel follow established infection control procedures.
• Ensure nursing personnel follow procedures for use and disposal of personal protective equipment.
• Participate in developing and implementing procedures for reporting hazardous conditions.
• Ensure personnel use safety equipment when lifting or moving residents.
• Report missing/illegible labels and MSDSs.
• Recommend equipment and supply needs to the Nurse Supervisor.
• Ensure adequate stock levels of medications, medical supplies, and equipment.
• Participate in developing and implementing procedures for safe operation of nursing service equipment.
• Ensure only trained and authorized personnel operate equipment.
• Ensure nursing service equipment is operated in a safe manner.
• Monitor nursing procedures to ensure efficient use of supplies and avoid waste.
• Review care plans daily to ensure appropriate care is rendered.
• Inform the Nurse Supervisor of any changes needed on the care plan.
• Ensure nurses’ notes reflect that the care plan is being followed.
• Review resident care plans for appropriate goals, problems, approaches, and revisions.
• Ensure CNAs are aware of resident care plans and refer to them.
• Assist the Resident Assessment/Care Plan Coordinator with MDS and RAPs.
• Report suspected or known incidence of fraud relative to billings, cost reports, kickbacks, etc.
• Provide data to the Quality Assurance & Assessment Committee as requested.

Benefits

• Equal opportunity employer status implies non-discrimination in employment decisions.
• Consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree