Registered Nurse - Behavioral Health Inpatient

WellSpan Health • Chambersburg, PA

1d

About The Position

The Registered Nurse works in a 26-bed adult inpatient psychiatric unit, consisting of a 16-bed less acute unit and a 10-bed acute care unit. The unit provides 24/7 inpatient psychiatric care, including diagnostic assessments, stabilization, and personalized treatment plans. The nurse works with a multidisciplinary team that includes Psychiatry, Nursing, Licensed and Unlicensed Professional Counselors, Occupational Therapy, RN Care Management, and Social Work.

The Registered Nurse implements, directs, and coordinates patient care using the nursing process of assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. The role includes recognizing and treating physical and psychosocial changes specific to the ages and populations served. The position is part time, 48 hours biweekly, on 12-hour day/evening shifts, with every third weekend required. Shift and weekend differentials are available.

The organization describes a supportive team culture, flexible self-scheduling, nursing leadership pathways, preceptorships, a graduate nurse residency program, educational support for nursing certifications, and mentorship from a Nursing Educator, Clinical Managers, and a Licensed Professional Counselor leader.

Requirements

• Graduate of an accredited School of Nursing.
• Eligible for or currently licensed as a Registered Professional Nurse in Pennsylvania.
• CPR certification.
• Experience applying customer service behaviors and communication skills.
• Evidence of participation in educational programs to maintain current knowledge and clinical skills.
• Willingness and ability to meet the position's behavioral health competencies and responsibilities, including restraint, de-escalation, group therapy, and assessment requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
• Previous nursing experience in the specialty area.
• Certification in the specialty area.
• PMH-BC certification for Behavioral Health Services, inpatient or outpatient.

Responsibilities

• Implement, direct, and coordinate patient care through assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• Recognize and treat physical and psychosocial changes specific to the age and population group served.
• Demonstrate safe medication practices and administer medications as prescribed.
• Complete chart checks for missed orders and accurately transcribe physician orders.
• Use therapeutic communication and assess patient education needs, using available patient education resources.
• Attend at least 50% of staff or committee meetings and area in-services.
• Provide leadership through the nursing process and supervision while maintaining accountability for treatment and patient outcomes.
• Serve as a resource for patient care, the specialty area, orientation, and staff teaching.
• Analyze assessment data, identify priority problems, and document plans of care for patients, families, and significant others.
• Use effective problem-solving skills to plan care and identify and respond appropriately to changes in patient condition.
• Complete and document discharge assessments against plan-of-care goals.
• Initiate and maintain intravenous therapy according to IV standards.
• Respond appropriately to emergencies, including behavioral health emergencies, mock emergencies, medical emergencies, and rapid response events.
• Use proper body mechanics and safely position, transfer, and transport patients.
• Function as a virtual nurse when assigned, including admissions, discharges, education, documentation through a virtual platform, and collaboration with bedside nursing staff.
• Apply physical and mechanical restraints and complete the required RN face-to-face assessment or behavioral health restraint competency.
• Use least-restrictive alternatives to restraints and demonstrate de-escalation techniques; complete de-escalation training and renewals.
• Facilitate group therapy and individual support after completing the group therapy competency, and provide individual and group psychoeducation.
• Follow responsibilities for assessing and reporting physical, emotional, and sexual abuse and neglect across populations.
• Understand unit-level leadership roles and identify the Manager on Call.
• Perform CIWA, AIMS, DAST/AUDIT, and suicide risk assessments.
• Complete accurate physical and psychosocial assessments and participate in developing and reviewing patient safety plans.
• Follow the Level of Care Policy, including responsibilities and handoff processes for every 15-minute safety checks.
• Apply knowledge of growth and development across the lifespan, interpret age-specific patient data, and provide appropriate age-specific treatment and direct care.
• Promote patient, visitor, and staff safety by following safety regulations, reporting actual and potential errors and hazards, supporting error-reduction and process-standardization efforts, participating in safety education and root cause analyses as required, and maintaining quality, environmental, and infection-control standards.

Benefits

• Flexible self-scheduling
• Nursing leadership pathways
• Preceptorships
• Graduate nurse residency program
• Educational support for nursing certifications
• Mentorship from a dedicated Nursing Educator, Clinical Managers, and a Licensed Professional Counselor leader
• Shift and weekend differentials
• Supportive and engaging team culture

What This Job Offers

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