Days

Children's Hospital & Medical Center•Omaha, NE

16h

About The Position

The RN Behavioral Health nurse functions as a member of the interdisciplinary team and provides comprehensive, developmentally appropriate care to patients with behavioral health needs and their families. The role uses the nursing process to assess patients, develop and update individualized plans of care, implement and evaluate nursing interventions, coordinate education and discharge planning, and document care in accordance with hospital policies and established timeframes. The nurse also serves as a psychiatric resource for the care team, supporting compliance with policies, guidelines, documentation, and regulatory standards. Responsibilities include helping maintain a safe environment for patients with high-risk behaviors, responding to behavioral emergencies, supporting de-escalation and physical intervention when needed, and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team to promote patient and staff safety. The position works Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., for 36 hours, with a $10-per-hour weekend incentive.

Requirements

Associate's degree from an accredited school of nursing or bachelor's degree from an accredited school of nursing.
Registered Nurse state licensure and/or compact state licensure in Nebraska upon hire.
Basic Life Support certification through the American Heart Association upon hire.
Ability to move between different tasks without loss of efficiency or composure and to perform under stressful conditions while prioritizing multiple requests.

Nice To Haves

Two years of psychiatric nursing experience.
Experience with pediatric patients.
Previous experience with EPIC.
Certification as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse (PMH-BC) after two years and/or 2,000 mental health care hours.

Responsibilities

Conduct individualized, age-specific patient and family assessments, including admission assessments and reassessments based on unit standards, protocols, and changes in patient condition.
Identify nursing diagnoses, collaborative problems, and protocols based on assessment findings.
Develop, implement, evaluate, and revise individualized patient and family plans of care in collaboration with the Behavioral Health Team and other disciplines.
Prioritize patient interventions and use clinical judgment and evidence-based guidelines to evaluate patient responses to orders, tests, labs, medications, and treatments.
Coordinate patient and family education based on identified needs and readiness to learn.
Document assessments, interventions, patient responses, education, medication administration, care plans, and other required information accurately and within established timeframes.
Coordinate interdisciplinary care and identify the need for additional disciplines or outside resources.
Support staff in maintaining a safe environment for patients with high-risk behaviors by inspecting rooms, identifying hazards, and removing at-risk items.
Provide behavioral health expertise, education, and just-in-time support to nursing staff, administrative supervisors, and physicians caring for high-risk behavioral patients.
Review EPIC documentation and orders with staff to ensure appropriate observation levels and complete, accurate documentation.
Identify patient care concerns in real time and collaborate or escalate as needed.
Educate the patient care team on constant visual observation guidelines, therapeutic interactions, and patient safety.
Assist with consistent application of behavioral health guidelines and policies across the hospital.
Identify and present opportunities for performance and quality improvement.
Assist with patient de-escalation and provide physical intervention if needed; document the event and participate in the subsequent debriefing.
Audit physical intervention documentation and assist with collecting, entering, and sharing data in real time.
Advocate for patients and families and assist in resolving their concerns.
Protect and secure patient health information and follow infection prevention initiatives.