Psychiatric Nursing Assistant V

TX-HHSC-DSHS-DFPS • San Antonio, TX

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Would you thrive in an environment where you learn and grow personally and professionally all while helping make a positive impact on people’s lives? Do you appreciate being around others like yourself who are dependable, trustworthy, hard workers who believe in the value of teamwork? HSCS is dedicated to building an atmosphere where employees feel valued and supported while providing specialized care for Texans in need. HSCS is comprised of eleven psychiatric hospitals, two youth residential treatment facilities, and thirteen state supported living centers. Psychiatric hospitals are a hub of excellence for forensic mental health and complex psychiatric care, with all facilities accredited by The Joint Commission. They provide state-of-the-art treatment that is recovery-oriented and science-based. If providing hope and healing through compassionate, innovative, and individualized care interests you, we welcome your application for the position below.

The Psychiatric Nurse Assistant (PNA) V performs highly advanced (senior level) work overseeing the daily operations and delivery of quality programs and services provided on the assigned facility at the State Hospital (SH). Arranges work schedules to ensure adequate supervision/coverage based upon levels of supervision and levels of direct care of individuals served. Provides leadership to, plans, assigns, and supervises the activities of PNAs at the facility. Performs supervisory functions such as hiring, training, coaching, time and leave accounting, and promoting professional growth and development. Models for and coaches PNA IV staff to build their supervisory and leadership skills, and ensures they effectively monitor behavior management, crisis intervention, mealtime coordination, and other plans for each shift. Ensures that care, treatment, training, and support activities are completed and documented, in collaboration with other disciplines. Provides consultation, guidance, and support to staff to build capacity for working with individuals who exhibit challenging behaviors. Maintains a physical presence at the facility to ensure safe and sanitary living conditions, proper infection control practices, attention to health care needs, adherence to risk management protocols, and an optimal quality of life for the patients. Ensures the reporting and proper documentation of unusual incidents. Ensures staff at the assigned facility are engaged in continuous quality improvement. Identifies areas of needed change and makes recommendations to improve operations to the Unit Director. Provides guidance and assistance to PNA staff to understand and implement program procedures, policies, and laws. Attends assigned meetings and prepares required reports and other documentation. Works under limited supervision, with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

Performs other duties as assigned. Other duties as assigned include actively participating and/or serving in a supporting role to meet the agency’s obligations for disaster response and/or recovery or Continuity of Operations (COOP) activation. Such participation may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location.

This position may be eligible to earn additional pay for work performed on evenings, nights and/or weekends.

Requirements

• Knowledge of patient care techniques.
• Knowledge of therapeutic intervention.
• Knowledge de-escalation techniques.
• Skill in administering first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
• Skill in response to emergency psychiatric situations including restraint and seclusion.
• Skill in the use conduct Treatment Intervention Protection Strategies (TIPS).
• Ability to speak and read English.
• Ability to provide appropriate direct patient care.
• Ability to communicate effectively and model appropriate communication skills with direct care staff and with the psychiatric population. including severe and persistent psychosis and with those displaying psychopathic tendencies.
• Ability to conduct, perform, teach and mentor enhanced searches for contraband.
• Ability to observe, document, and report on special observations for potential malingering behaviors.
• Ability to work with, teach, and model these observations with direct care staff.
• Ability to understand staffing needs for the psychiatric population and schedule appropriately.
• Ability to differentiate acuity levels based on levels of observation, current patient population, and specialized programming needs of the unit.
• Ability to model, teach, and mentor appropriate ways to approach and deal with manipulative behaviors of the psychiatric population, particularly in dealing with highly aggressive behaviors often associated with this population.
• Ability to demonstrate proper body mechanics, good posture, and proper lifting techniques
• If transporting patients, will be required to have a valid Texas driver license or obtain it no later than 90 days after hire date to drive a state vehicle. Applicants with an out-of-state driver license must provide an original certified driving record from the state of driving licensure. Eligible driving record required based on HHSC Fleet Management policy.
• CPR certification or the ability to obtain certification for CPR within the first 60 days of employment.
• At least Four (4) years direct patient care experience.
• At least three (3) years Psychiatric patient care experience required.
• At least two (2) years supervisory or team lead experience required, three preferred.
• Applicants must pass a fingerprint criminal background check, pre-employment drug screen, and registry checks including the Client Abuse/Neglect Reporting System (CANRS), Nurse Aid, Medication Aide and Employee Misconduct, List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE). Males between the ages of 18-25 must be registered with the Selective Service.
• All applicants must be at least 18 years of age to be considered for employment at a state-operated facility. Waco Center for Youth applicants must be 21 years of age.
• Compliance with HHSC immunization policy and state hospital operating procedures related to immunizations is required. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, healthcare workers are considered to be at significant risk for acquiring or transmitting hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chicken pox), tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), and influenza. All these diseases are vaccine preventable. As a result, state hospital policy requires employees be vaccinated according to their level of contact with individuals. In the event you choose to not be immunized for the influenza virus, you may be required to wear a mask and take other protective measures.

Responsibilities

• Oversees the daily operations and delivery of quality programs and services provided on the assigned unit.
• Arranges work schedules to ensure adequate supervision/coverage based upon levels of supervision and levels of direct care of patients served.
• Makes daily adjustments to ensure coverage of the unit, collaborating with other PNAVs for the best interest of the SH as a whole.
• Provides leadership to, and plans, assigns, and supervises the activities of PNAs on the unit.
• Hires, trains, and promotes professional growth of assigned PNAs so that a competent workforce is maintained.
• Ensures that all assigned staff are compliant in training per agency and facility standards.
• Reviews essential job functions and performance expectations, coaches job performance, and provides supportive and constructive feedback.
• Conducts performance evaluations of assigned staff to give employees timely feedback on their performance and oversees staff development plans and activities.
• Ensures all staff are entering their time accurately into the CAPPS system to reflect leave earned/taken, reviewing, and approving entries, as well as ensuring all direct reports certify their time entries on a monthly basis.
• Take action to improve employee retention and reduce turnover.
• Trains and utilizes PNA IV staff effectively to manage each shift.
• Ensures the PNA IV effectively monitors behavior management, crisis intervention, mealtime coordination, and other plans.
• Models for and coaches PNA IV staff to build their supervisory and leadership skills.
• Models how to teach and assist individuals with carrying out and documenting program plans, including using the electronic health record or other documentation system(s).
• Ensures that care, treatment, training, and support activities are completed and documented on the assigned home according to individual plans.
• Ensures sufficient active treatment/engagement materials are always available for the individuals’ safe and therapeutic use.
• Works collaboratively with other staff assigned to the unit such as in the areas of behavioral health, and active treatment/vocational services to ensure integrated services and programming.
• Attends Interdisciplinary Team Meetings (IDTs) and participates in the development and implementation of individuals’ plans.
• Ensures PNAs understand and are adequately trained to implement the plans.
• Provides consultation, guidance, and support to staff to build capacity for working with individuals who exhibit challenging behaviors.
• Provides behavioral intervention strategies to ensure that individuals are protected from harm or injury, and appropriately manages aggressive behavior between individuals.
• Models how to work with individuals who have complex needs and who exhibit aggressive and/or self-injurious behaviors.
• Guides staff to adapt to changing populations and needs and develop and implements strategies to meet those needs.
• Ensures proper management and supervision of staff and their assigned duties to ensure that individuals are free from physical and emotional harm.
• Ensures ongoing and respectful interaction between the staff and the individuals.
• Maintains a physical presence on the home to ensure optimal quality of life for the individuals.
• Supervises monitors and documents the activities of PNAs.
• Praises staff for positive performance, creating an environment where staff feel safe to ask for help and guidance, while intervening to correct mistakes in real time when necessary.
• Ensures the health care needs of individuals are met, under the supervision of medical personnel.
• Administers first aid to individuals as appropriate.
• Conducts emergency drills on a monthly basis, such as CPR drills, fire drills, ensuring all staff know their role in a true emergency.
• Reports and ensures PNAs report significant changes in patients’ physical conditions and/or behavior to designated personnel.
• Ensures that the unit is maintained as a safe and sanitary living environment for individuals.
• Ensures infection control and risk management policies and procedures are correctly implemented.
• Ensures that individuals’ environment is free of safety hazards by correcting and reporting hazards, entering work orders for maintenance issues, and teaching and overseeing others to do the same.
• Ensures the assigned unit is engaged in continuous quality improvement and compliance with the Joint Commission standards.
• Oversees and ensures the reporting of unusual incidents such as fires, abuse of patients, and injuries.
• Reviews documentation following significant events.
• Identifies areas of needed change and makes recommendations to improve operations to the nurse manager.
• Provides guidance and assistance to PNA staff to understand and implement program procedures, policies, and laws, such as the Texas Administrative Code (TAC).
• Ensures proper procedures are followed in Abuse & Neglect investigations, and follow-up assignments are completed in a timely manner for any administrative concerns identified in such investigations.
• Ensures that identified issues are responded to promptly.
• Ensures proper supports are put in place as directed.
• Attends routine meetings such as scheduling meetings, morning unit meetings and staff meetings, and follows up on issues generated from meetings.
• Prepares required reports and other documentation.
• Attends other meetings, serves on committee, and performs other specific tasks such as providing assistance in transporting of individuals going on scheduled activities and in emergency situations when directed by the nurse manager or other SH Leadership.
• Serves as the manager in his/her absence, as assigned.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Other duties as assigned include but are not limited to actively participating and/or serving in a supporting role to meet the agency’s obligations for disaster response and/or recovery or Continuity of Operations (COOP) activation.
• Such participation may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location.

Benefits

• comprehensive benefits package includes 100% paid employee health insurance for full-time eligible employees, a defined benefit pension plan, generous time off benefits, numerous opportunities for career advancement and more

What This Job Offers

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