RN or LPN, Child & Youth Emergency Psychiatric Services (Day Shift)

Mental Health Cooperative•Nashville, TN

About The Position

The Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) supports a licensed physician or Advanced Practice Nurse and the broader health-care team in providing psychiatric care to consumers in Emergency Psychiatric Services (EPS). The nurse collaborates with the team to evaluate each consumer’s plan of care and progress toward treatment goals. The role includes psychiatric assessments, medication management and education, ongoing observation, safety monitoring, and coordination of referrals and dispositions. The position serves children and youth in an EPS setting and requires collaboration across disciplines and EPS units. It also involves maintaining a safe, therapeutic environment; documenting care in the electronic health record; completing medication audits; and communicating relevant updates to the care team. The listed schedule is 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, or Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (swing shift).

Requirements

Valid Tennessee RN or LPN license.
Valid Tennessee driver’s license.
Acceptable Motor Vehicle Report (MVR).
Acceptable criminal background investigation.
Effective verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to work collaboratively with other departments and communicate with consumers and coworkers at different levels.
Clinical skills including hand hygiene, critical thinking, CLIA-waived testing, vital signs, nursing assessment, medication administration and education, and health promotion and education.
Ability to remain calm in crisis situations and use therapeutic options and de-escalation techniques.
Ability to organize and prioritize work, meet deadlines, and enter progress notes in a timely manner.
Flexibility to adapt to different clinical settings and changing needs.
Ability to occasionally stand, walk, sit, use hands to handle objects or controls, reach, talk, and hear; occasionally lift or move up to 15 pounds.
Vision abilities including close, distance, color, and peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Responsibilities

Perform psychiatric nursing assessments and medication management for consumers in the EPS setting.
Interpret and process provider medication orders.
Provide medication teaching and education to consumers.
Conduct ongoing assessments and monitor consumers’ behavior, cooperation, and ability to remain safe while in EPS.
Observe and record consumers’ use of medication as prescribed.
Provide referrals to hospitalization, diversion services, or other recommended dispositions; arrange disposition to home, hospital, or other services as necessary.
Collaborate with all disciplines within the EPS team and maintain communication about consumer care with relevant staff.
Provide active listening, problem solving, general guidance, and health education to consumers.
Perform medical clearances as needed.
Screen for substance toxicity, intoxication, withdrawal symptoms, and danger to self or others.
Formulate mutually agreed-upon, measurable treatment goals and objectives with consumers.
Prioritize customer service for internal and external customers.
Assist consumers in other EPS units as needed and cross-train in other EPS areas.
Attend scheduled nursing and MHC staff meetings.
Use the electronic health record proficiently and enter progress notes in a timely manner.
Maintain a safe, therapeutic environment free of sharps and other potentially harmful objects.
Complete medication audits as outlined by the agency.
Use clinical safety practices and interventions, including de-escalation techniques, universal precautions, injection administration, Narcan administration and education, and proper hazardous medication and sharps disposal.
Seek improvements in efficiency and care, and suggest innovative ways to meet consumer needs.
Demonstrate a professional demeanor in all settings and situations.