Psychiatric Nurse

Sacramento County

Sacramento, CA

Psychiatric Nurse

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Psychiatric Nurse

Salary

$136,200.24 - $150,148.08 Annually

Location

Sacramento, CA

Job Type

Intermittent - 1560

Job Number

28288-D

Department

DHHS - Health & Human Services

Opening Date

01/20/2026

Closing Date

Continuous

Description
Benefits
Questions

The Position

This is a continuous filing exam. Next filing cut-offs are at 5:00 pm on:

3/16/26, 5/18/26, 7/20/26, 9/14/26, 11/16/26

Note: Vacancies may be permanent or intermittent on-call (per-diem). Shift differential may be available in addition to base salary. PM (swing) shift - 5%. Noc (grave) - 10%. Weekend-$1.00 per hour worked.

Note: For additional nursing opportunities please see Registered Nurse DCF Level I/II ( , Public Health Nurse Level I/II (

Psychiatric Nurse performs professional nursing duties in the care of mentally ill and emotionally disturbed patients; advises and collaborates with other staff and interdisciplinary health treatment teams in diagnosis and treatment planning for such patients; and, assists and participates in various administrative and mental health program activities.

Examples of Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of

Professional nursing principles, procedures, and techniques used in the care and treatment of psychiatric patients
Social, psychological, and physical factors of mental and emotional disorders
Medical and psychiatric terminology
Medications, including narcotics and their effects upon psychiatric patients
Control procedures, preparation, and administration of medications
State of California laws and regulations on nursing practices
Basic laws and regulations pertaining to psychiatric nursing and treatment of the mentally ill
Basic theories, principles, and techniques of group and individual psychotherapy
Basic general procedures and organization of mental health treatment facilities and multidisciplinary treatment teams
Symptoms and behavior patterns of emotionally disturbed and mentally ill patients
Standard professional methods of physically restraining psychiatric patients
Medical and social community resources available to patients
First aid

Ability to

Apply professional psychiatric nursing care principles and practices in the evaluation and treatment of psychiatric patients
Communicate with and gain the cooperation of patients
Keep accurate written charts and records of patient activities and progress
Learn and comply with laws, rules, regulations, protocols, and procedures, including security requirements, applicable to the work unit
Use professional judgment to determine and apply appropriate intervention techniques with patients in crisis
Work cooperatively with other mental health treatment practitioners to provide an integrated treatment plan
Conduct and review reports of interviews of patients to evaluate their condition and determine the circumstances causing them to require mental health treatment services
Conduct and assist in formal and informal individual and group counseling
Assist in and physically subdue resisting patients with a minimum of force necessary to effect a restraint
Communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with patients, their families, facility and clinic personnel, and others
Maintain patient confidentiality

Employment Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

Possession of a current Registered Nurse license issued by the State of California.

Note: If the minimum qualifications include an educational or certificate/license requirement, applicants must submit proof of requirements with the application. Failure to submit proof of requirements may result in disqualification from the examination. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. For guidelines on submitting acceptable proof of educational requirements, please click here ( or speak to someone in our office before the final filing or cut-off date listed in this notice.

General Qualifications

Certificates/licenses: All persons appointed must possess and maintain a current Registered Nurse license issued by the State of California. Failure to maintain such license may be cause for disciplinary action in accordance with Civil Service Commission Rules.

All persons appointed will be required to have, or obtain, and maintain a valid CPR certificate.

Note: Individuals who do not meet these requirements due to a physical disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Special Requirements

Background/Criminal History: The County may access criminal history information on all candidates who have accepted a conditional offer of appointment for the above job class consistent with the provisions of the Board of Supervisors Resolution No. 82-602, Personnel Policies and Procedure and applicable federal and state law. The County shall not consider for employment any candidate who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor that relates to or impacts the candidate's ability to perform the job duties of this class unless it is determined that mitigating circumstances exist. For purposes of accessing criminal history information, the candidate will be fingerprinted. A subsequent arrest notification may be obtained.

The County may also conduct a background check on the candidate prior to appointment to a position within this class. The background check may include personal and professional reference checks, credit history check, Social Security Number verification, professional license/registration verification, military service information and driving history. Information obtained in the course of this background check will be considered by the appointing authority in the selection process. In obtaining such information, the County will comply with applicable consent and disclosure practices in the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the California Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act.

Physical Abilities: All persons appointed must be physically able to restrain and assist in restraining patients. Persons appointed may be required to work evenings, nights, weekends and holidays. Psychiatric health facilities such as the County's Mental Health Treatment Center are licensed and regulated by the California State Department of Mental Health Services; such regulations include staffing and personnel standards which may apply to the class and may supersede the above minimum qualifications.

CHILD AND ELDER ABUSE REPORTING: Persons selected for employment must, as a condition of employment, sign a statement agreeing to comply with Section 11166 and 11160 of the California Penal Code relating to child and elder abuse reporting.

Probationary Period

The probationary period for this classification is six (6) months.

Application and Testing Information

APPLICATION

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. All applicants must complete and submit an online County of Sacramento employment application by 5:00 PM on the posted cut-off date. Click here ( to apply.

County of Sacramento

Department of Personnel Services

Employment Services Division

700 H Street, Room 4667

Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone View phone number on click.appcast.io; 7-1-1 California Relay Service

Email View email address on click.appcast.io

Inter-Office Mail Code: 09-4667

Employment applications and all documentation requested in this announcement must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
Your application should highlight all relevant education, training, and experience, and clearly indicate how you meet the minimum qualifications for the position as of the cut-off date.
Application information must be current, concise and related to the requirements in this job announcement. You may only apply for this recruitment once. Duplicate and incomplete applications will be disqualified.
A resume may be included with your application, however it will not substitute for the information requested on the application.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE

Applicants are required to provide a full and complete response to each supplemental question. The Supplemental Questionnaire is located in the tab marked "Supplemental Questions". Please be descriptive in your response.

Note: Responses of "See Resume" or "See Application", or copy and paste of work experience are not qualifying responses and will not be considered.

Supplemental Questionnaires must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date. Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
The supplemental questions are designed to elicit specific information regarding a candidate's experience, education, and training. Responses should be consistent with the information on your application and are subject to verification.
Please provide place of employment, pertinent dates, and concise, descriptive and detailed information for each question.
If a job included responsibilities applicable to several questions, separate the different functions of the job to answer all the questions completely.
Resumes or referral to the application or other questionnaire responses will not be accepted in lieu of completing each question.
If you have no experience, write "no experience" for the appropriate question.
For many individuals, it is more efficient to develop responses to the supplemental questions in a word processing document and then paste them into the final document to be submitted. Changes or corrections to your Supplemental Questionnaire cannot be made once your application packet has been submitted.
If the Supplemental Questionnaire is used in the Formula Rate exam, failure to complete all of the questions or incomplete responses will result in a lower score. While scoring the Supplemental Questionnaire, the candidate's application and/or attachments will not be reviewed, therefore, a candidate's responses to the questions should be accurate, thorough, detailed, and complete.

FORMULA RATE EXAMINATION (Weighted 100%)

All candidates meeting the minimum qualifications by the cut-off date will have their Supplemental Questionnaire scored in the Formula Rate Examination.

This examination will evaluate the relevance, level, recency, progression and quality of candidate's education, training and experience. The candidate's application or other materials will not be included in this examination. Therefore, the candidate's responses to the supplemental questionnaire should be thorough, detailed and complete. The score from the Formula Rate Examination will determine the ranking on the eligible/employment list for this job.

All candidates competing in the testing process will receive written notice of their examination results by email. Notices can also be accessed in their governmentjobs.com inbox. Applicants achieving a passing score will be placed on the eligible list in rank order. The rank is determined by the test score attained from the examination.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Click here ( for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

For information regarding County jobs:

Sacramento County is about enriching communities to thrive. We strive to create inclusive workplaces that reflect the communities we serve. We value and celebrate the unique perspectives, backgrounds, abilities, and diverse dimensions of our employees and residents. Through transparency, courage, innovation, and trust we are committed to advance equity and transformational change.

We are a proud equal opportunity employer. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability for any phase of the hiring process, please contact our Disability Compliance Office at View email address on click.appcast.io or View phone number on click.appcast.io, CA Relay 711. For more information, visit: Job Applicant Accommodations (

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

At Sacramento County, we strive to provide benefit programs designed to meet our employees’ current and future needs and help them as they balance their careers and personal life. County of Sacramento employees have a variety of benefits available. These benefits include:

Dental Insurance
Vision Benefits
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
Health Insurance
Health Savings Account (HSA)
Life Insurance
Critical Illness
Retiree Health Savings Plan (RHSP)
Deferred Compensation

More information can be found on the Benefits website (

TEMPORARY POSITIONS:

Most benefits do not apply to temporary positions.

VACATION:

Generally, vacation with pay begins at 10 days annually. With increase over a period of years, the maximum annual vacation with pay is 25 days.

HOLIDAYS:

14.5 holidays per year as recognized by the Board of Supervisors.

SICK LEAVE:

Equivalent to 15 days annually, unlimited accumulation.

TUITION REIMBURSEMENT:

Regular County employees may be eligible to receive Tuition Reimbursement. The costs for course tuition/registration fees and required books/supplies may be eligible for reimbursement. Tuition reimbursement amounts may vary depending upon union agreement.

RETIREMENT:

The County’s defined-benefit pension plan is provided by the County Employees’ Retirement Law of 1937 and is managed by the Sacramento County Employees' Retirement System (SCERS) Board of Retirement. For more information, visit the SCERS website,

DENTAL INSURANCE:

For more information, visit the Benefits website (

LIFE INSURANCE:

The County of Sacramento provides a basic life insurance benefit to all eligible employees at no cost. Additional coverage may be purchased through payroll deduction.

For more information, visit the Benefits website (

DEFERRED COMPENSATION:

A deferred compensation program is available through the County 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan. For more information, visit the Benefits website (

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM:

The County of Sacramento provides an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for employees and their eligible dependents. The EAP offers confidential, professional counseling services in areas such as:

Legal Advice/Difficult Decisions
Marriage or Family Relationships
Financial or Credit Worries/Elder Care
Alcohol and Drug Abuse

More information can be found on the Benefits website (

WELLNESS INCENTIVE PROGRAM:

The County will recognize and award time off to eligible employees who maintain an excellent attendance record.

FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT:

The County offers regular employees two separate Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA's). These accounts allow employees to set money aside, on a pre-tax basis via payroll deduction, to pay for medical, dental or dependent care expenses.

DEPENDENT CARE REIMBURSEMENT ACCOUNT:

Employees may set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for qualified childcare or dependent care expenses that are necessary for the employee and/or spouse to continue working.

MEDICAL REIMBURSEMENT ACCOUNT:

The Medical Reimbursement Account allows pre-tax dollars to be set aside to pay for out-of-pocket expenses that are not paid by insurance or reimbursed by any other benefit plan.

WORKERS' COMPENSATION:

In case of injury while on the job, each employee is protected under the Workers' Compensation laws of California.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT OUR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: FAQs (

VETERAN'S PREFERENCE:

Military veterans who have served during wartime shall be given preference in initial appointment to County service. Such preference shall apply, provided the veteran has first achieved a minimum passing score in the examination. The passing score of a veteran shall be annotated to indicate the veteran's score shall be regarded as 5 points or higher, OR 10 points higher for disabled veterans, only for the purpose of determining the three ranks along with which the veteran's name shall be certified. No score shall actually be changed and no new rank shall be created as a result of application of veteran's preference for certification purposes.

"Disabled Veteran" means any veteran who has served during wartime and, who, as of the final filing date for an examination is declared by the United States Veterans Administration or military service department to be 10% or more disabled as a result of his/her military service. Persons claiming eligibility for disabled veteran's preference must submit to the employment office, on or before the application deadline date, a certification from the United States Veterans Administration or a military service department, dated within 1 year, which certifies the present existence of a service related disability of 10% or more, or other acceptable proof of such disability as a result of his/her military service.

Persons claiming eligibility for veterans preference must submit a copy of Form DD 214 or other acceptable proof of veteran's status on or before the final filing date for the examination. For purpose of this rule "reserve" status does not constitute active duty.

SPECIAL SKILL QUALIFICATIONS (WHEN SPECIFIED ON THE JOB ANNOUNCEMENT):

Persons who have special skills required by some (but not all) positions in a class may be certified ahead of others provided that:

Such special skills are based on the duties and requirements of the positions and are in conformance with merit system and equal opportunity principles, and

The certification of eligibles who possess special skills have been approved by the Civil Service Commission.

The following Supplemental Questionnaire is the Civil Service Exam for this position and will be used to determine your exam score. All experience, education, and/or training used to answer the supplemental questions must be included on your application.

In order to receive every consideration in the selection process, you must complete all questions with concise but detailed answers and provide all requested information. Each answer will be scored separately. References such as 'See Resume' as a response will not be scored.

By continuing in the exam process, you are certifying that all information provided in the Supplemental Questionnaire is true to the best of your knowledge.

I have read and understood the above instructions.

LICENSE AND CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS:

All persons appointed must possess and maintain a current Registered Nurse license issued by the State of California. Failure to maintain such license may be cause for disciplinary action in accordance with Civil Service Commission Rules.
All persons appointed will be required to have, or obtain, and maintain a valid CPR certificate.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

All persons appointed must be physically able to restrain and assist in restraining patients.
Persons appointed may be required to work evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.
Psychiatric health facilities such as the County's Mental Health Treatment Center are licensed and regulated by the California State Department of Mental Health Services; such regulations include staffing and personnel standards which may apply to the class and may supersede the above minimum qualifications.

I have read and understood the above requirements.

Select the one box that best describes your Registered Nurse license issued by the state of California.

I have a current valid Registered Nurse license issued by the state of California.
I do not have a current valid Registered Nurse license.
I have a current valid Registered Nurse license from a state other than California.

State your current valid Registered Nurse license number and expiration date. You must provide a copy of your Registered Nurse license. If you do not possess a current valid Registered Nurse license, write N/A.

Select the one box that best describes your paid psychiatric registered nursing experience.

I have no paid psychiatric registered nursing experience.
I have less than 1 year of paid psychiatric registered nursing experience.
I have more than 1 year but less than 3 years of paid psychiatric registered nursing experience.
I have more than 3 years of paid psychiatric registered nursing experience.

Describe in detail your psychiatric registered nursing experience including the types of settings in which you gained the paid experience. If you selected no paid experience, write N/A. State employer(s), dates of employment, your job title(s) and supervisor's contact information.

Select the one box that best describes your paid experience in an inpatient psychiatric setting.

I have no paid experience in an inpatient setting.
I have less than 1 year of paid experience in this area.
I have more than 1 year but less than 3 years of paid experience in this area.
I have more than 3 years of paid experience in this area.

Describe your paid experience in an inpatient psychiatric setting. Provide an example of an interaction with a challenging patient. Include the communication and conflict resolution skills you utilized to resolve the issue. If you selected no paid experience, write N/A. State employer(s), dates of employment, your job title(s) and supervisor's contact information.

Select the one box that best describes your paid experience working with patients experiencing substance abuse withdrawal.

I have no paid experience working with patients experiencing substance abuse withdrawal.
I have less than 1 year of paid experience in this area.
I have more than 1 year but less than 3 years of paid experience in this area.
I have more than 3 years of paid experience in this area.

Describe in detail your paid experience working with patients experiencing substance abuse withdrawal. Include your assessment process and intervention methods. If you selected no paid experience, write N/A. State employer(s), dates of employment, your job title(s) and supervisor's contact information.

Select the one box that best describes your paid experience conducting intake assessments by interviewing patient, relatives and others to gather case history data.

I have no paid experience in this area.
I have less than 1 year of paid experience in this area.
I have more than 1 year but less than 3 years of paid experience in this area.
I have more than 3 years of paid experience in this area.

Select the one box that best describes your paid experience formulating nursing diagnoses regarding patient medical and emotional status.

I have no paid experience in this area.
I have less than 1 year of paid experience in this area.
I have more than 1 year but less than 3 years of paid experience in this area.
I have more than 3 years of paid experience in this area.

Select the one box that best describes your paid experience completing nursing care plans and recommended treatment options.

I have no paid experience in this area.
I have less than 1 year of paid experience in this area.
I have more than 1 year but less than 3 years of paid experience in this area.
I have more than 3 years of paid experience in this area.

Describe your paid experience with regards to the selections you made in numbers 11-13. Include your specific role and level of responsibility in each area where you have paid experience. If you selected no paid experience to all three questions above (#11-13), write N/A. State employer(s), dates of employment, your job title(s) and supervisor's contact information.

Select the one box that best describes your paid experience preparing and dispensing medication, and observing the results and reactions in the patient.

I have no paid experience in this area.
I have less than 1 year of paid experience in this area.
I have more than 1 year but less than 3 years of paid experience in this area.
I have more than 3 years of paid experience in this area.

Describe your paid experience preparing and dispensing medication, and observing the results and reactions in the patient. Also describe your successful techniques when working with a patient who refuses to take his/her medication. If you selected no paid experience, write N/A. State employer(s), dates of employment, your job title(s) and supervisor's contact information.

Mark all boxes that describe electronic medical record software and/or programs/systems with which you have paid experience utilizing.

I have no paid experience in this area.
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Other electronic medical record software and/or programs/systems not mentioned above.

Describe your paid experience utilizing the medical record software and/or programs/systems you selected above. If you selected no paid experience, write N/A. State employer(s), dates of employment, your job title(s) and supervisor's contact information.

Do you possess a current California driver's license or the ability to maintain one?

Most vacancies in this job class are filled with on-call employees. Are you willing to work as an on-call employee?

Select all boxes that describe hours, days and/or shifts you are willing to work.

Part-time hours
Full-time hours
Days
Evenings (swing)
Nights (graveyard)
Weekends
Holidays

The County of Sacramento is committed to maintaining a drug and alcohol free workplace. All persons selected for appointment must pass a drug test administered by the County and at no cost to the applicant.

I understand, if offered conditional employment, I will be subject to a drug test administered by the County as described in Sacramento County Personnel Ordinance Section 2.78.030.

Select the one box that best describes whether you have attended a career fair and/or job event where you have interacted with representatives from Sacramento County.

Attended in the last one (1) – three (3) months.
Attended in the last four (4) – six (6) months.
Attended in the last seven (7) months – one (1) year.
Attended an event more than one (1) year ago.
Have attended a career fair and/or job event but did not interact with Sacramento County representatives.
Have not attended a career fair and/or job event.

List the following for the career fair and/or job event you attended: