Psychiatric Nurse I/II

County of Santa Barbara • Santa Barbara, CA

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About The Position

The County of Santa Barbara is hiring a Psychiatric Nurse I/II for its Behavioral Wellness Department. The role provides professional psychiatric nursing care to people with acute and chronic mental illness and related conditions. Psychiatric Nurse I is the entry-level classification, while Psychiatric Nurse II is journey-level; both perform psychiatric nursing duties requiring knowledge of mental health practices, procedures, laws, and regulations, and the ability to work independently.

The current full-time vacancy is in the Adult Outpatient Clinic, with a Monday–Friday schedule from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This is a countywide position supporting Adult and Children/Transitional Age Youth outpatient clinics. Services include individual, family, and group rehabilitation and skill-building, trauma-informed and harm-reduction approaches, assessment and screening, treatment planning, crisis intervention, and collaboration with community partners. The department also has positions supporting a 16-bed locked Psychiatric Health Facility that provides 24-hour inpatient care to adults, and its Quality Care Management team, which conducts and coordinates utilization and quality review of mental health services.

Assignments may be in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Lompoc, Carpinteria, Goleta, Los Olivos, or Santa Ynez, and some may require travel between sites. Other assignments may require evening, night, weekend, or holiday shifts. Employees may work in office and clinical settings, including a locked facility serving people who may pose a danger to themselves or others.

Requirements

• Psychiatric Nurse I: Possession of a valid Registered Nurse license issued by the California State Board of Registered Nursing.
• Psychiatric Nurse II: Possession of a valid California Registered Nurse license and one year of experience in acute psychiatric care or an outpatient community mental health facility; or one year performing duties equivalent to Psychiatric Nurse I with Santa Barbara County; or equivalent training, education, and experience that provides the required knowledge and abilities.
• Knowledge of professional nursing principles, practices, and laws; health education; interviewing and counseling; common illnesses, diseases, disabilities, injuries, and nutrition; and general medications and immunizations.
• Ability to understand and explain mental health laws and regulations and to learn or apply psychiatric nursing methods, psychotropic drugs, patient safety, and facility security.
• Ability to observe and assess emotional and physical behavior, recognize behavioral patterns associated with mental illness, and assess the need for mental health services.
• Ability to prepare and maintain medical records and reports and respect confidentiality limits.
• Ability to analyze situations, exercise independent judgment in medical emergencies, and work independently.
• Ability to communicate with people from diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds, speak before groups, and maintain effective working relationships with coworkers and outside organizations.
• Ability to demonstrate tact, diplomacy, patience, and compassion and comply with nursing policies, protocols, and program regulations.
• Ability to direct and advise other nursing staff for Psychiatric Nurse II.
• Willingness and ability to serve clients with varied cultural, physical, behavioral, and psychological profiles.
• The ideal candidate has three years of clinical experience as a Registered Nurse, including some experience planning, organizing, and evaluating program operations and staff.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with patients diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness.
• Experience working with electronic health records.
• Experience in forensic, detoxification, acute health, or emergency settings.
• Experience working as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to work with hostile or challenging patients.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Spanish language skills; preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

• Observe patients, assess and document physical and emotional status and behavior, and monitor response to treatment or medication.
• Contribute to diagnoses and develop and implement individualized treatment plans as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Provide crisis intervention to people experiencing acute episodes.
• Participate in or lead nursing education groups and attend departmental and team meetings about patient care, progress, activities, and program procedures.
• Administer psychotropic medications, monitor their use and reactions, and explain medication purpose, dosage, side effects, and the legal process related to refusal.
• Obtain medical, psychiatric, social, and family histories; take vital signs; obtain laboratory specimens; assist physicians with examinations; and arrange special tests.
• Develop discharge plans, maintain patient charts and logs, and monitor supplies.
• Coordinate with other agencies to support continuity of patient care.
• For Quality Care Management assignments, develop and implement utilization review policies and procedures, review service authorization requests, and authorize or refer requests and reimbursement decisions.
• For Quality Care Management assignments, review service data and records, assess quality and effectiveness, generate reports, and recommend program changes.
• For Quality Care Management assignments, communicate with beneficiaries, providers, coworkers, public agencies, fiscal intermediaries, and clinical professionals about services, eligibility, treatment, documentation, and reimbursement.
• For Quality Care Management assignments, review regulations and policies, recommend compliance changes, educate staff, address utilization review issues with providers, and conduct training.
• For Quality Care Management assignments, assign, review, and evaluate the work of professional, technical, and clerical staff.

Benefits

• The County offers generous benefits.
• Applicants from other public-sector employers may qualify for retirement reciprocity.
• Applicants from other public-sector employers may qualify for time and service credit toward an advanced vacation accrual rate.
• Bilingual allowance, when applicable.
• Special Duty Assignment allowance of 10%, when applicable.
• Night shift and weekend differential, when applicable.

What This Job Offers

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