Registered Nurse (RN) Nights

TruHealth•Huntsville, AL

About The Position

The Registered Nurse provides clinical oversight for the hospital’s day-to-day operations and delivers patient care in a therapeutic setting. The role includes carrying out physician orders; completing assessments and treatment plans; directing patient care; providing group and individual therapy and education; coordinating intake referrals and continuity of care; administering medications and IV therapy; and applying treatment, restraint, or seclusion interventions when appropriate. The nurse documents clinical care, educates patients and families, and teaches or oversees other mental healthcare workers. The position involves evaluating patients on admission and throughout care, monitoring their responses and clinical changes, coordinating nursing assignments and staffing needs, and maintaining complete medical records. It also includes promoting patient rights, confidentiality, safety, infection prevention, and compliance with applicable laws, accreditation standards, and hospital procedures. Nurses support discharge planning and referrals, provide emergency care, and help maintain a safe therapeutic environment. This is a full-time night-shift role. The position may require unscheduled overtime, weekend work, flexible hours, and travel. Work is typically performed in a standard office environment with frequent above-average conversational noise. The role requires frequent lifting of objects up to 40 pounds and standing, walking, sitting, bending, reaching, kneeling, pushing, and pulling. The position does not have direct supervisory responsibilities, though it includes oversight of nursing care and clinical activities as described in the posting.

Requirements

Graduate from an accredited school of nursing with a Registered Nursing Degree.
Hold a current state Registered Nursing license.
Hold current CPR certification.
Hold current CPI certification.
Have one year of clinical nursing experience; experience in geriatrics and/or mental health is preferred.
Demonstrate knowledge of standard nursing practice and the needs and conditions of geriatric and/or mentally ill patients.
Have communication and interpersonal skills to de-escalate potentially violent patients and prevent or intervene early in assaultive or self-injurious behavior.
Be able to problem-solve and make decisions, particularly during crisis situations.
Know and demonstrate the use of equipment, including restraint systems, and safe restraint or seclusion practices, monitoring, and discontinuation criteria.
Know nonphysical interventions, first aid, CPR, restraint and seclusion-related reporting requirements, and patient monitoring requirements.
Know hospital policies and procedures relating to patient care and safety, abuse and neglect, incident reporting and investigation, patient rights, and applicable regulations.
Know universal precautions and methods of controlling communicable diseases.
Know and demonstrate IV administration, fluid and electrolyte balance, blood components, and venipuncture techniques.
Know DSM IV diagnoses, psychotropic medications, and medication side effects.
Develop thorough patient treatment plans based on needs, strengths, and goals.
Demonstrate knowledge of legal aspects of clinical practice, professional standards, ethics, compliance, cultural competency, advance directives, and the rights and needs of the persons served.
Advocate for the needs of the persons served and promote reduction of stigma associated with mental illness.
Be willing and able to work flexible hours; the position may require unscheduled overtime, weekend work, and travel.
Be able to perform frequent lifting of objects up to 40 pounds and standing, walking, sitting, bending, reaching, kneeling, pushing, and pulling.
Use Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook; be able to learn HRIS and/or scheduling systems and use standard office equipment and computers.

Nice To Haves

Clinical nursing experience in geriatrics and/or mental health.

Responsibilities

Assess patient needs, health status, and responses to interventions, and ensure nursing staffing meets those needs.
Participate in treatment modalities and interventions and document patient progress.
Evaluate patient care on admission and on an ongoing basis in accordance with accepted nursing practice.
Ensure nursing care plans are developed and kept current for each patient.
Make patient care assignments and adjust nursing staff coverage to meet patient-care needs, including in response to absences.
Supervise and evaluate the clinical activities of non-employee nursing staff and monitor department nursing care.
Administer medications and IVs and perform venipuncture within authorization under state law.
Carry out physician orders and raise questions or concerns about prescribing orders with the practitioner or physician.
Educate patients and families about medication administration, disorders, benefits and side effects, disease prevention, and basic living skills.
Complete comprehensive nursing assessments, treatment, tests, and psychiatric metric measures.
Maintain organized, clear, complete, current, timely, legible, and accessible medical records, including properly dated, timed, and authenticated entries.
Ensure medical records contain required orders, notes, care plans, treatment reports, medication records, diagnostic results, vital signs, and other information needed to monitor patient condition.
Maintain patient rights, anonymity, confidentiality, informed consent, and advance directives.
Observe and evaluate patients’ signs, symptoms, and therapy progress; identify changes requiring attention or notification of other professional staff.
Maintain a safe, clean, therapeutic, and sanitized work environment and promote a drug- and violence-free workplace.
Maintain accurate medication inventory and secure medication storage.
Investigate and document complaints and incidents involving patients, staff, visitors, or family members in accordance with applicable requirements.
Follow and monitor compliance with patient-rights, abuse and neglect, seclusion and restraint, infection-control, professional ethics, cultural competency, and advance-directive requirements.
Prevent and control infection, identify potentially exposed or infected individuals, use appropriate personal protective equipment and isolation procedures, promote hand hygiene, educate others, and comply with reportable-disease requirements.
Develop and reassess discharge plans before discharge and arrange appropriate post-hospital care to avoid unnecessary delays.
Transfer or refer patients with necessary medical information to appropriate facilities, agencies, or outpatient services for follow-up or ancillary care.
Provide emergency care within safe and appropriate timeframes.
Meet continuing-education and basic qualification standards.
Use standard office equipment and Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook, and learn HRIS or scheduling systems as needed.
Follow safety rules, report unsafe conditions and behaviors, and take reasonable steps to prevent unsafe practices.