REGISTERED NURSE - PIR/PIRM

Registered Nurse

Under general supervision of the Program Director, provides professional nursing care to justice-involved mentally ill and emotionally disturbed clients as they prepare to exit detention facilities in a post-release reentry setting; and performs related duties as assigned.

Examples of essential duties:

• Evaluates nursing implementation of treatment plans and daily work performance;
• Coordinates necessary in-service training for professional nursing staff;
• Assists Program Director in implementing and improving program Nursing processes /procedures;
• Provides professional nursing care to justice-involved mentally ill clients;
• Performs general medical services post-release;
• Assists clients in identifying specialty care needs (dental, vision, etc.) and initiates linkage to appropriate services;
• Ensures clients connect with the primary care provider of their choice;
• Provides education on health-related matters that tend to concern homeless, formerly incarcerated, substance using, mentally ill individuals, including tobacco cessation and related resources;
• Performs various testing (COVID-19, illicit substances, etc.);
• Assesses clients for psychiatric concerns and initiates linkage to psychiatric outpatient services;
• Consults with outside psychiatric staff and other mental health staff on client concerns and treatment plan progress;
• Billable services at 60%
• Monitors clients' health on ongoing basis;
• Performs bimonthly check ins with all clients;
• Ensures that necessary lab tests are completed, administers, monitors the use of and notes reactions to psychotropic drugs and other medications;
• Assesses clients in crisis situations and facilitates prompt resolution;
• Collaborates with pharmaceutical staff at various locations to ensure refills are completed;
• Collaborates with other service team members on ensuring referrals and linkage to requested services (e.g., housing, clothing, food, etc.) as needed;
• Informs and/or instructs the client and/or family members about the nature of the illness, any preventive measures, the medications prescribed and the possible side effects, etc.;
• Collaborates with nursing staff and program team members, family members, and, in some cases, hospitals, board and care facilities, pharmacists, conservators, etc.;
• Attends, participates in and provides information about clients during weekly care coordination meetings and ad hoc case consultations;
• Works with clients and family members, conservators, etc. to ensure medication compliance;
• Performs various administrative functions involved in client care and program management, updates appropriate components of client charts, completes admittance and other necessary paperwork, enters necessary data and information, obtains and reviews medical records, and prepares necessary program reports;
• Other duties as assigned.

Desired minimum qualifications:

• Knowledge of professional nursing principles, procedures, application, and techniques used in the care and treatment of psychiatric patients;
• Social, psychological and physical factors of mental and emotional disorders;
• Criminal justice system and criminal subcultures;
• Medical and psychological terminology;
• Control, preparation and administration of medications;
• California laws and regulations for the nursing profession and pertaining to psychiatric nursing and the treatment of mentally and emotionally disturbed patients;
• Theories, principles and techniques of group and individual psychotherapy;
• Organization and procedures of mental health treatment facilities and the use of multi-disciplinary treatment teams;
• Symptoms and behavior patterns of emotionally disturbed and mentally ill patients;
• Medical and psychiatric emergency procedures;
• Community resources.

• Ability to anticipate and plan necessary in-service training and education;
• Develop interpersonal therapeutic relationships with psychiatric patients;
• Keep accurate written charts and records of patient activities and progress;
• Comply with laws, rules, regulations, protocols and procedures, including security requirements, applicable to psychiatric facilities;
• Use professional judgment to ascertain and apply appropriate intervention techniques with patients in crisis;
• Work cooperatively with medical and mental health professionals in a multi-disciplinary treatment setting;
• Assist in formal and informal individual and group counseling;
• Communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with patients, their families and fellow staff members.

Experience and training:

A typical way to obtain the knowledge, skills and abilities outlined above is at least three years of full-time registered nursing experience in a psychiatric facility or an equivalent combination of training and experience. A BSN will substitute for one year of the stated experience. An MSN will substitute for two years of the stated experience.

Licenses, certifications, & special requirements:

A current, valid Registered Nurse license issued by the state of California. Failure to maintain such license will be cause for termination; Current CPR certification; TB test required upon hire and must be maintained every four years. Must have active CPR certification and maintain certification ongoingly. On occasion may require transportation of clients in personal vehicle. Bilingual preferred. Bilingual candidates will be required to pass a bilingual competency test prior to their hire date.

Physical and mental demands:

The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical demands:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, walk or stand for long periods of time; talk or hear, both in person and by telephone; use hands to finger, handle, feel or operate standard office equipment; reach with hands and arms; walk and lift up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Mental demands:

While performing the duties of this job, employees are regularly required to use written and oral communication skills; read and interpret data, information and documents; analyze and solve complex problems; observe and interpret complex situations; learn and apply new information or skills; perform work on multiple, concurrent tasks; and interact with program management, staff, clients, clients' family members and others encountered in the course of work. The employee may have occasional contact with abusive and physically violent patients.

Work environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The employee works under typical office conditions; the noise level is moderately quiet.