Psychiatric Registered Nurse (Adolescent Care Unit)

FDIHB•Fort Defiance, AZ

About The Position

The Psychiatric Registered Nurse provides direct psychiatric nursing care in the Adolescent Care Unit (ACU), including triage, assessments, documentation, medication administration, group facilitation, counseling, and incident debriefing. The nurse coordinates and advocates for patient care with patients, families, multidisciplinary teams, community agencies, and external facilities, supporting treatment planning, continuing care, and appropriate patient disposition. The role also contributes to quality improvement, risk management, utilization review, nursing standards and procedures, and supervision of paraprofessional staff. The position requires completion of annual CMS training and support of compliance with CMS standards. Applicants must have an associate degree in nursing, an unrestricted RN license, current AHA Basic Life Support certification, and at least one year of direct RN experience in an acute inpatient psychiatric nursing setting. Therapeutic Crisis Intervention certification must be obtained within 90 days of hire and maintained. A valid, unrestricted, insurable driver’s license is required. A resume and references are required. Applicants are asked to email a resume, college degree and/or transcripts, license, and certifications to [email protected]. The employer applies Navajo/Indian Preference in Employment Policy: qualified enrolled members of the Navajo Nation receive primary preference, members of other federally recognized Indian tribes receive secondary preference, and other candidates are considered after preference candidates have been fully considered. The posting lists a salary range of $47.78–$62.30 per hour and a closing date of Monday, October 26, 2026 at 4:00 PM MST.

Requirements

At least one year of direct work experience as a Registered Nurse in an acute inpatient psychiatric nursing setting.
Associate of Science degree in Nursing from an accredited nursing program.
Valid, unrestricted Registered Nurse license in any U.S. state or territory.
Valid American Heart Association Basic Life Support certification and ability to maintain certification.
Obtain valid Therapeutic Crisis Intervention certification within 90 days of hire and maintain certification.
Valid, unrestricted, insurable driver’s license.
Resume and references are required.

Responsibilities

Conduct and document psychiatric triage, psychiatric assessments, daily progress notes, weekly discharge planning, and health education classes.
Administer prescribed medications; facilitate groups; provide patient counseling and incident debriefing for staff and patients.
Develop criteria for standards of care and patient outcomes, and develop standard operating procedures for psychiatric nursing care.
Serve as a patient liaison and advocate by helping coordinate continuing care for patients with acute and chronic psychiatric problems.
Participate as a multidisciplinary team member coordinating psychiatric patient care within the ACU.
Help patients and family members access the appropriate level of psychiatric care.
Collaborate with families and the multidisciplinary team to ensure appropriate utilization of health care resources.
Participate in treatment planning meetings and patient conferences to review progress and help patients set and meet treatment goals.
Liaise with community agencies and external facilities to ensure requested care is being rendered.
Support ongoing patient care coordination until planned outcomes are achieved.
Assist the treatment team in determining appropriate patient disposition, including admission or outpatient care.
Educate patients and family members about illnesses or conditions, medications, and available resources.
Participate in continuing quality improvement, including systematic monitoring and evaluation of patient outcomes and tracking appropriate data.
Identify, document, evaluate, report, and follow up on quality improvement, risk management, and utilization review issues.
Complete data input and create reports, graphs, and necessary databases.
Supervise paraprofessional staff; direct, assign, and monitor care provided by mental health technicians; function as Charge Nurse when assigned.
Complete required yearly CMS training by indicated due dates and assist, promote, and support compliance with established CMS standards.
Perform other duties as assigned.