Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatry (NPP)

Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatry

The Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatry, also known as a mental health nurse practitioner, works under the direction of Psychiatrist to provide medical and psychiatric care; provides psychiatric assessment, diagnosis and treatment for mental health patients; Helps develop treatment plans; Must be proficient in psychotropic medications and dosage; Performs a wide range of mental health services, including medical histories, medication management and managing ongoing care. This position requires advanced training and education in psychiatric care pending approval from the Office of Mental Health. The Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatry can choose one of three patient care tracks: Mental Health, Substance Use Disorder or Co-Occurring.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide psychiatric care through diagnosis, clinical judgment, and management to restore, maintain, and improve mental health status in accordance with practice policies and scope of practice, including:
• Assessment of physical, emotional, and developmental status of the individual and family;
• Analysis of health behavior related to personality, life style, and culture;
• Prescriptive treatment of health problems as defined by nurse practitioner act;
• Counseling and client advocacy;
• Provides health education to clients, clinic staff, and community organizations;
• Performs assessment of the environmental status of the community and its impact on health.
• Obtains patient histories and develops patient care charts, ensuring completeness and accuracy.
• Initiates medical or nursing orders; interprets nursing and clinical assessments; implements advancements in patient care.
• Supervises and/or coordinates the activities of patient care and/or support staff as assigned.
• Reviews, evaluates and documents client response to care; assesses client's medical/nursing educational needs and provides both formal and informal teaching; effectively involves client, family and significant others in plan of care.
• Works in collaboration and/or coordination with other health-care providers within community agencies to provide comprehensive client care.
• Supports the efforts of staff to assess and triage patients for levels of psychological functioning and risk, determines need for referral to Psychiatrist or another agency, and assists with psychological diagnosis and management.
• Participates in Quality Improvement and Utilization Management programs and activities.
• Participates in program planning, development, implementation and evaluation relating to specific job, agency, and program functions.
• Participates in a continuing education program designed by the Psychiatrist/Medical Director.
• Participates in staff meetings, conferences, and in-service training and continuing education.
• Participates in recruitment, interviewing and performance evaluations of clinical personnel.
• Performs administrative duties, including: community outreach and education, staffing, attending behavioral health meetings, acting as intermediary between other agencies, and goal setting/monitoring of progress.
• Participates in peer review.
• Maintains standards of care as described in Principles of Practice, protocols, and Scope of Practice as approved by the State of New York Board of Nursing and the American Medical Association.
• May participate in planning programs and in developing specific health policies and procedures.
• Practices safety, environmental, and/or infection control methods.
• Performs other related functions as required for agency operations.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required: Graduate of an accredited School of Nursing, successful completion of an accredited Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) program with emphasis in psychiatric care and Licensure as an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) and registered by the New York State Board of Nursing.

Preferred: experience working with clients age 13+