REGISTERED NURSE SPECIALIST - F/C - 67056554 APD/ DDDP CHATTAHOOCHEE, FL

State of Florida • CHATTAHOOCHEE, FL

7d • $68,459 - $75,190 • Onsite

About The Position

The Registered Nurse Specialist provides professional medical care and health and safety monitoring for residents committed by the court to the Developmental Disabilities Defendant Program, a 24/7 treatment and training facility. The role delivers nursing care within applicable policies, Florida statutes, and the nursing scope of practice, and coordinates with medical and psychiatric providers as needed.

The position is based at the Developmental Disabilities Defendant Program on the Florida State Hospital campus in Chattahoochee. Staff must be agreeable to a shift schedule that may include regular, evening, or night shifts, with days off varying. The role involves direct contact with residents in a secure forensic facility for at least 75% of work time. Employees may need to work additional days or hours to maintain facility coverage and may be required to provide essential services during emergencies.

The program serves people with developmental disabilities charged with a felony, helping them acquire skills to become competent to stand trial and skills and supports for success in future environments. The position requires Level 2 background screening, fingerprinting, and pre-employment and ongoing TB screening. The facility is tobacco-free.

Requirements

• Licensure as a Registered Professional Nurse and three years of professional nursing experience, or a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing and two years of documented employment.
• Knowledge of nursing principles, practices, and techniques, and of human anatomy and physiology.
• Ability to provide emergency nursing services and participate in planning and implementing patient treatment.
• Ability to conduct individual and group therapy sessions and work with patients who have varied physical or emotional problems.
• Ability to observe patients’ reactions to medications.
• Ability to plan, organize, and coordinate work assignments; communicate effectively; and establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Ability to interview and assess clients’ health care, analyze complex reports, assess service-utilization habits, and evaluate the appropriateness of service utilization.
• Advanced-level certification in the agency-approved crisis prevention and intervention program, unless a reasonable accommodation supported by annual medical certification is requested.
• Submit to pre-employment TB screening and ongoing annual screening as prescribed by the program.
• Maintain confidentiality of employee and resident information in accordance with HIPAA and other applicable federal and state laws.
• Perform duties involving direct contact with residents in a secure forensic facility for at least 75% of work time; the role requires lifting, pulling, and squatting.
• Demonstrate commitment to outstanding customer service and act responsively, professionally, and courteously toward employees, customers, and the public.
• Be agreeable to working a shift schedule at a 24-hour facility; additional days and hours may be required for coverage, activities, holidays, or emergencies.
• Complete required qualifying questions and provide responses verifiable from the submitted application.
• Meet Level 2 employment screening requirements, including fingerprinting and criminal-record checks.
• Be a U.S. citizen or lawfully authorized to work in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct nursing care as ordered or prescribed and in accordance with policies, Florida statutes, and scope of practice.
• Monitor residents’ health and safety; perform and document nursing assessments in response to complaints, referrals, or signs of adverse medical or psychiatric conditions; and notify or refer to providers as needed.
• Carry out physician-ordered treatments, including vital-sign monitoring, intake and output monitoring, phlebotomy, wound care, radiological-exam preparation, applying salves and bandages, urinalysis, and EKGs.
• Manage medical and psychiatric emergencies until the attending physician or EMS arrives, including use of oxygen, suction, CPR, and splints, and document the event.
• Administer medications and document administrations or refusals; verify medications received from the pharmacy against physician orders; complete Medication Administration Records; and maintain controlled-substance counts and security during shift handoffs.
• Document care according to professional nursing standards, policies, procedures, and best practices; participate in audit and survey processes; and give and receive shift reports about incidents, illness, and other resident-care information.
• Observe new admissions within 24 hours, excluding weekends and holidays; complete admission and annual nursing assessments and admission Monitoring of Side Effects Scale assessments; and initiate monitoring flow sheets as needed.
• Assist physicians with resident examinations, make chart notations, and communicate orders for diets, laboratory work, x-ray studies, and other treatments.
• Develop, implement, and monitor assigned residents’ treatment and overall well-being; document care and progress monthly, including responses to prescribed treatments.
• Check emergency medical carts and crash carts according to policy to ensure necessary items are present and working.
• Comply with APD and unit Double-On and Double-Back policies; complete required training and maintain required MANDT certification.
• Maintain accurate timesheets and submit them on time according to policy and procedure.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Benefits

• Annual and sick leave
• Nine paid holidays and one personal holiday each year
• State group insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and supplemental insurance
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Tuition waivers
• Paid maternity and parental leave

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level