Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse

The APRN position provides quality psychiatric nursing services to agency clients and their families, in support of clients maintaining compliance with prescribed medications, learning and applying self-care tools for better health, and preventing or reducing hospitalizations.

Essential Functions

• Provides direct advance practice professional nursing services to child and adult clients, in an effort to maintain medication compliance and mental and physical health stability.
• Prescribes psychotropic medications to agency clients under the supervision of Center psychiatrist and provides medication management services as needed to monitor health stability and medication compliance.
• Communicates and coordinates necessary referrals and delivery of services among hospitals, schools, and within the department and organization to ensure that client is receiving necessary services.
• Designs and delivers effective teaching strategies and presentations in an effort to orient and teach clients and their families to assume responsibility for their daily functioning skills related to self-care and medication compliance.
• Works in partnership with clients and other vested individuals to design and implement a comprehensive and individualized plan of care based on a strengths assessment.
• Maintains accurate and complete records of all client services, as defined by state licensing agencies, funding agencies, and Mental Health Center standards and requirements. Submits daily appointment sheets, progress notes, treatment plans, timesheets, and all work-related paperwork in a timely manner and in acceptable format as determined by agency requirements.
• Collaborates with the Medical Director to establish and maintain updates to advance practice registered nurse protocols as defined in the Kansas Nurse Practice Act.
• Observes and actively supports Center policies.
• Establishes and maintains a positive working relationship and professional demeanor with clients and families, external community partners, Center staff members, and visitors.
• Demonstrates a high level of initiative.
• Attends professional workshops and seminars in order to maintain and improve professional skills and meet licensure/certification requirements.
• Attends applicable staff meetings conducted by CrossWinds.

Work Environment

This job operates in a community setting, as well as in a professional office setting. This role uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and filing cabinets.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. This list is not exhaustive and may be supplemented as necessary.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; handle objects; grasp and reach for items with hands and arms; manipulate hands and fingers; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, or crouch; and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Language skills are required, including the ability to read, write, comprehend, and speak the English language. This position also requires the ability to interpret written materials, write reports and business correspondence, and effectively present and respond to questions.

Important Information

This job description has been examined for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The agency has reviewed this job description to ensure that essential functions and basic duties have been included. It is intended to provide guidelines for job expectations and the employee's ability to perform the position described. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills, and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate. This document does not represent a contract of employment, and the agency reserves the right to change this job description and/or assign tasks for the employee to perform, as the agency may deem appropriate.

Requirements

Skills & Abilities

Education & Experience

Master's Degree in Nursing from an accredited school of nursing is required.

Certifications & Licenses

Licensure as an advanced practice registered nurse with the Kansas State Board of Nursing and practitioner certification with the Drug Enforcement Administration is required. ANCC Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner board certification is required.

Computer Skills

Computer experience in Microsoft Office programs and basic computer fluency.

Additional Qualifications

Ability to work independently and as a member of a therapeutic team; ability to work with persons with serious emotional disturbance and/or severe and persistent mental illness; possess demonstrated interpersonal skills and ability to react effectively in a variety of human service situations.