Nurse, LPN

Find Your Career at Jefferson Center for Mental Health • Lakewood, CO

5d

About The Position

The Outpatient Nurse provides psychiatric nursing services to patients at Jefferson Center for Mental Health outpatient offices. The nurse collaborates with prescribers throughout medication management and follow-up, supports medication groups, addresses medication problems and side effects, and identifies physical health issues that may affect patients’ mental health. The role also provides psychiatric diagnosis and medication education to patients and families.

The position coordinates prescription and patient assistance program (PAP) refills, supports medication processing and prior authorizations, administers long-acting injections, assists patients with medication boxes, and monitors medication-related and medical concerns. The nurse reviews and orders labs, alerts prescribers to abnormal results requiring immediate attention, and helps track annual labs and AIMS testing. The role includes chart review, care coordination with prescribers and other providers, patient and family engagement, risk identification, and participation in supervision, training, and Center activities.

Requirements

• Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) license required.
• One or more years of experience and/or training in a psychiatric setting required.
• Good understanding of psychiatric diagnoses, symptoms, and medications used to treat those symptoms.
• Good understanding of possible side effects of psychotropic medications.
• Awareness of medical conditions, medication interactions, and side effects that may affect a patient’s health or psychological functioning.
• Basic computer skills, including email and prescription writing.

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual in English and Spanish.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate prescription refills and respond to refill requests within three business days.
• Coordinate patient assistance program (PAP) refills and respond to requests within three business days.
• Assist with medication groups as required and coordinate and run Clozaril groups as determined by location.
• Educate and assist patients with filling medication boxes.
• Administer long-acting injections.
• Review and order labs, and notify prescribers of abnormal results requiring immediate attention.
• Assist prescribers in tracking and meeting timeframes for annual labs and AIMS testing.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA regulations.
• Coordinate medication processing and applications with the PAP office.
• Work with drug representatives to keep medication cabinets stocked.
• Provide patients with medication education and screen calls about medication problems and refills.
• Return calls promptly within 72 hours on working days; return emergent calls the day they are received.
• Monitor patients for medication side effects, including through AIMS testing, and for medical conditions that may affect mental illness.
• Review patient charts for medication and medical issues and arrange appropriate follow-up.
• Coordinate care with prescribers, including documenting medical medications and dosages, physical diagnoses, potential interactions with psychiatric medications, and referrals as indicated.
• Submit prior authorizations to patients’ insurance in a timely manner.
• Address medication changes with prescribers as needed.
• Attend mandatory in-services and comply with an individualized training plan if required.
• Participate in supervision, arrive prepared with an agenda, report high-risk or problem cases, use a problem-solving approach, and attend at agreed-upon times and intervals.
• Engage child and adult patients and their families in treatment and goal setting.
• Identify risk factors, including lethality, and work constructively with patients toward agreed-upon outcomes.
• Coordinate care with internal and external providers and cooperate with community agencies as appropriate and in agreement with a supervisor.
• Maintain effective interpersonal relationships and respond to patient needs, problems, calls, email, and other requests in a timely manner.
• Volunteer for Center committees and task forces.

Benefits

• Hiring bonus of $7,500 total, paid in installments of $2,500 at the one-month, six-month, and one-year employment anniversaries, subject to continuous employment through each bonus effective date.
• Applicants must work at least 20 hours per week to be eligible for the hiring bonus; current Jefferson Center employees are not eligible.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: No Education Listed