Registered Nurse (RN) - Inpatient Mental Health (MH)

Veterans Health Administration • Tomah, WI

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Inpatient Mental Health Registered Nurse provides patient-centered, recovery-oriented care and milieu management to patients living with mental health conditions. The nurse independently performs and is accountable for all elements of the nursing process while providing or supervising direct patient care, coordinating care focused on patient education, self-management, and customer satisfaction throughout the continuum of care, and administering medications and procedures according to established policies and guidelines.

The role includes facilitating shift reports, warm hand-offs, and nurse-led psychoeducational groups; using therapeutic communication, de-escalation techniques, and recovery-oriented language; participating in interdisciplinary treatment teams and Environment of Care rounds; and serving as team lead during psychiatric emergencies. The nurse reports and helps resolve safety concerns, documents assessments and plans of care, patient safety observations, and environmental safety rounds according to facility policy, and maintains professional boundaries. The position may include oversight of licensed vocational nurses and nursing assistants, as appropriate, and assistance with nursing education, orientation, competencies, quality improvement, and outcomes utilization consultation.

This is a full-time VA position. The listed tour is 0730–2000 and may change according to facility needs. Telework and virtual work are not available. The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program subject to program eligibility and approval; former participants are ineligible to apply.

Requirements

• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• Graduation from an appropriately accredited school of professional nursing, or an applicable qualifying nursing education pathway described in the announcement.
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia, subject to the stated Graduate Nurse Technician exception.
• Meet the education, experience, and applicable grade-determination criteria for the assigned Nurse grade and level.
• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when recruitment of qualified citizens is not possible under VA policy.
• Pass a pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Complete required pre-employment screening, background/security investigation, onboarding, and application requirements.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.

Nice To Haves

• Mental health experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide patient-centered, recovery-oriented care and manage the inpatient mental health milieu.
• Perform and remain accountable for all elements of the nursing process while providing or supervising direct patient care.
• Coordinate care focused on patient education, self-management, and customer satisfaction across the continuum of care.
• Administer medications and procedures according to established policies and guidelines.
• Facilitate shift reports, warm hand-offs, and nurse-led psychoeducational groups.
• Use therapeutic communication, de-escalation techniques, and recovery-oriented language.
• Participate in mental health interdisciplinary treatment teams and Environment of Care rounds.
• Assume team lead responsibilities during psychiatric emergencies.
• Report and assist in resolving safety concerns; document nursing assessments, plans of care, patient safety observations, and environmental safety rounds according to facility policy.
• Maintain professional boundaries and act in the patient's best interest.
• Provide oversight of licensed vocational nurses and nursing assistants as appropriate to the setting.
• Assist with nursing education, orientation, and competencies, and provide quality improvement and outcomes utilization consultation.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and approval, with an award of up to $200,000 and an eligibility period of one to five years.
• Competitive salary, regular salary increases, and potential performance awards.
• Up to 50 days of paid time off per year, including 26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: Associate degree