RN Casual - Adult Inpatient Behavioral Health

Independence Health System Careers•Latrobe, PA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The RN assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates care for assigned psychiatric patients and coordinates, directs, and participates as an effective member of the interdisciplinary team. The role provides direct and indirect patient care in accordance with the Pennsylvania Nurse Practice Act, hospital policies and procedures, and other professional standards of care. The RN promotes patient safety, supports patients and families, administers and monitors psychiatric medications, and facilitates therapeutic and educational groups. The RN may process psychiatric emergencies and is expected to work on both Adult and Adolescent Units. Scheduling is based on operational needs and may involve rotating shifts, standby, and on-call work. Local travel between system locations may be expected. The role requires maintaining professional knowledge, documenting and communicating care, protecting confidential information, and working collaboratively with patients, families, and healthcare teams. The RN also helps maintain equipment and supply inventories and may serve as a coach or mentor, though the position has no direct supervisory responsibilities. The work environment may require goggles, a face shield, and a mask in accordance with CDC guidelines during a pandemic. For lifts exceeding 50 pounds, assistance from a second person and/or a transfer device is required. The physical demands include patient care and activities such as walking, standing, bending, lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling, and using a keyboard or computer.

Requirements

Graduate of an accredited nursing program.
Strong leadership ability and good organizational skills.
Independent and critical-thinking skills and sound judgment.
Knowledge of the legal aspects and liability of nursing practice.
Ability to communicate complex and/or controversial topics and concepts to a wide and diverse audience.
Current licensure to practice as a Registered Nurse in Pennsylvania.
Current Basic Life Support certification through an American Heart Association-approved CPR and AED curriculum.
Act 33 clearance with renewal.
Act 34 clearance with renewal.
Act 73 FBI clearance with renewal.
A nursing refresher course may be required if the employee has not worked in an acute-care setting during their most recent three consecutive years of professional employment.
Availability for scheduling based on operational need, including rotating shifts, standby, and on-call work.
Ability to work on both Adult and Adolescent Units.
For lifts exceeding 50 pounds, use assistance from a second person and/or a transfer device.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing.
One to two years of relevant experience.

Responsibilities

Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate care for assigned psychiatric patients.
Coordinate, direct, and participate as an effective interdisciplinary team member.
Maintain professional and technical knowledge through education, publications, professional networks, and societies.
Provide quality care in accordance with therapeutic standards, patient-care goals, nursing standards, and applicable laws and regulations.
Follow infection-control, medication administration and storage, and controlled-substance procedures.
Document patient care and communicate actions, irregularities, and continuing needs to nursing teams using Nurse Knowledge Exchange techniques.
Maintain patient confidentiality and protect operational information.
Establish rapport with patients and others to identify care requirements, and provide emotional, psychological, and spiritual support.
Promote patient independence by setting care goals, teaching patients and families about conditions, medications, and self-care, and answering questions.
Maintain a safe and clean work environment and request assistance from support personnel when needed.
Resolve patient problems through multidisciplinary teamwork and contribute to team quality improvement and problem-solving.
Maintain cooperative relationships with healthcare teams through communication, responsiveness, and rapport-building.
Ensure equipment operation by performing or coordinating preventive maintenance, troubleshooting malfunctions, requesting repairs, maintaining inventories, and evaluating equipment and techniques.
Maintain nursing supply inventories, anticipate needs, order and expedite supplies, verify receipt, and use supplies appropriately.
Assess patients and deliver direct and indirect care according to the Pennsylvania Nurse Practice Act, hospital policies, procedures, protocols, and professional standards.
Process psychiatric emergencies as assigned by assessing patient condition, collaborating with a psychiatrist, supporting crisis resolution, processing commitments, and referring patients to treatment facilities.
Provide for patient safety in accordance with hospital and nursing department policies.
Coordinate management of agitated patients with staff, including handling, restraint, or seclusion as appropriate.
Recognize escalating patient behavior and take action; update crisis-intervention skills annually.
Ensure patient belongings are searched for potentially harmful items.
Maintain working knowledge of psychotropic medications and follow department protocols for identified psychiatric medications.
Administer, monitor, and document medication efficacy, side effects, and patient compliance; educate patients and families about prescribed medications.
Conduct and facilitate medication, support, and educational groups; provide information and referrals to families and individualized educational materials to patients.
Perform other related duties as assigned.
Be available to work on both Adult and Adolescent Units and travel locally between system locations when expected.
Serve as a coach or mentor for other department positions as appropriate.