Registered Nurse - RN Intake Coordinator - Psychiatric Medical Unit

Trinity Health•Grand Rapids, MI

7d•Remote

About The Position

The RN Intake Coordinator serves as the clinical gatekeeper for admissions to the Inpatient Psychiatric Medical Unit (PMU). The role coordinates patient intake and admission, conducts clinical assessments, reviews referrals, determines admission appropriateness, facilitates communication between referral sources and providers, and supports timely placement of patients requiring psychiatric hospitalization. The RN Intake Coordinator collaborates with emergency departments, medical units, crisis services, community providers, physicians, social workers, and behavioral health teams to help ensure patients receive the appropriate level of psychiatric care. The position requires clinical judgment, knowledge of psychiatric and medical conditions, effective communication, and care-coordination skills in a fast-paced environment. This is a full-time, remote night-shift role, scheduled for 40 hours per week from 11:00 PM to 7:30 AM.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
Current State of Michigan Registered Nurse license.
Current BLS certification from the American Heart Association.
Three years of acute-care experience as a registered nurse.
Ability to work autonomously with little direction and be accountable for outcomes.

Nice To Haves

Two years of recent acute-care utilization management experience.
Experience in facility audits, appeals, and processes.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary contact for inpatient psychiatric admission referrals.
Receive, review, and process referrals from emergency departments, medical units, transfer centers, community agencies, outpatient providers, and external hospitals.
Evaluate referrals for admission criteria, medical stability, psychiatric acuity, and unit appropriateness.
Coordinate admission decisions with psychiatrists, advanced practice providers, and interdisciplinary team members.
Facilitate timely acceptance, denial, or redirection of referrals based on clinical criteria and available resources.
Monitor census, bed availability, staffing, and unit capabilities.
Conduct comprehensive psychiatric and nursing assessments to determine level-of-care needs.
Review patient records, laboratory results, diagnostic findings, medication histories, and risk assessments.
Assess suicide risk, homicidal risk, aggression, elopement risk, substance use concerns, and medical comorbidities.
Identify patients requiring medical clearance or additional evaluation before psychiatric admission.
Ensure compliance with applicable admission criteria and regulatory requirements.
Collaborate with psychiatrists, nursing leadership, social work, case management, emergency department staff, and referring providers.
Communicate admission decisions and bed-status updates to referral sources.
Coordinate patient transfers from referring facilities and internal departments.
Participate in multidisciplinary discussions about patient placement and continuity of care.
Provide consultation regarding behavioral health level-of-care determinations.
Participate in quality improvement initiatives related to patient access, admissions, and throughput.
Monitor trends related to referrals, denials, transfers, and patient placement.
Assist with policy development and process improvement efforts.
Participate in audits, regulatory surveys, and performance improvement activities.