Nurse (Multiple Positions)

State of Connecticut • Hartford, CT

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The State of Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) is hiring Nurses for Connecticut Valley Hospital’s Addiction Services Division and General Psychiatry Division. Nurses provide professional behavioral health nursing care to patients with acute psychiatric and substance-use needs, supporting stabilization, recovery, dignity, and well-being. Positions may be assigned to any unit or location across the hospital’s Middletown and Hartford campuses, and a permanent assignment will be determined within the first six months of employment. Candidates may initially receive a temporary assignment.

The role includes comprehensive, person-centered nursing assessments and individualized care planning, direct patient care, patient education and counseling, medication administration, and documentation of treatment plans and ongoing interventions. Nurses work with interprofessional team members and contribute to decisions about patient care needs. The broader Nurse classification provides a full range of professional nursing care, including implementing the nursing process, carrying out physician orders, monitoring and evaluating care, responding to emergencies, and maintaining medical records, medications, supplies, equipment, and the care environment.

Full-time and part-time schedules are available, with first, second, third, and weekend shifts. Shift and weekend differentials may apply depending on assignment. Registered Nurses permanently assigned to second or third shift may qualify for a $3,000 annual recruitment and retention bonus after one year of service; the bonus is prorated for part-time Registered Nurses. A comprehensive medical examination, including drug screening, is required after a conditional offer.

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited nursing program.
• Must possess and retain a Connecticut Registered Nurse license or temporary permit, or hold a Multistate or Compact Registered Nurse license.
• Knowledge of and ability to apply professional nursing theory, practice, and ethics.
• Knowledge of current medications, including their actions, interactions, uses, and side effects.
• Knowledge of medical, therapeutic, and psychiatric nursing interventions and methods, and ability to apply quality standards, procedures, and protocols.
• Sensitivity to cultural and socioeconomic differences and ability to apply clinical therapeutic models of individual care using an interdisciplinary team approach.
• Interpersonal, oral communication, and written communication skills.
• Ability to model and teach professional behaviors to healthcare staff; learn specialized care applicable to the assignment; provide empathetic assistance to individuals and families; and develop therapeutic relationships with individuals and caregivers.
• Ability to respond to emergencies, seek and respond to supervision, foster cooperation and teamwork, and analyze and evaluate appropriate care and treatment.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in behavioral health or medical-surgical nursing.
• Experience in co-occurring disorders nursing.
• Fluency in a foreign language or proficiency in American Sign Language may be required for certain designated positions.
• Ability to travel may be required.

Responsibilities

• Provide nursing care to behavioral health patients within the nursing scope of practice.
• Collaborate with interprofessional team members to provide patient care and treatments.
• Provide input regarding patient care needs.
• Complete comprehensive, person-centered nursing assessments and develop individualized care plans for individuals with acute psychiatric and substance-use needs, emphasizing stabilization and recovery goals.
• Provide direct patient care, including education, counseling, medication administration, and documentation of treatment plans and ongoing interventions.
• Implement the nursing process and carry out physician orders regarding diet, medication, and treatment.
• Assess patients; change dressings; observe and evaluate care; and report on patients’ physiological and mental health status.
• Document nursing interventions in medical records and maintain records and reports.
• Distribute and maintain records of controlled drugs and ensure their security.
• Instruct individuals, staff, and family members regarding treatments, nursing plans, and related care issues.
• Respond to emergencies and maintain the availability of medications and supplies.
• Ensure the cleanliness of equipment and the care environment.
• As assigned, participate in interdisciplinary treatment teams and in the assessment, development, implementation, and evaluation of care plans.
• As assigned, formulate and implement nursing care plans; participate in outpatient clinics and physical examinations; administer routine tests; conduct training; delegate nursing tasks under established protocols; and participate in psychotherapeutic or rehabilitation interventions.
• Perform related duties as required.

Benefits

• Professional growth and development opportunities.
• A healthy work/life balance.
• Some Registered Nurses permanently assigned to second or third shift may qualify for a $3,000 annual recruitment and retention bonus after completing one year of service; the bonus is prorated for part-time Registered Nurses.
• Shift and/or weekend differentials may be available depending on the assigned schedule.

What This Job Offers

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