Psychiatric Nurse 1/2 (PCN 20-8721)

Psychiatric Nurse

The Alaska Department of Corrections, Division of Health and Rehabilitation Services, is recruiting for a Psychiatric Nurse 1/2 to join the team at the Hiland Mountain Correctional Center (HMCC) located in Eagle River, Alaska.

What You Will Be Doing:

Under direct supervision, this position will be trained to provide the full range of psychiatric nursing care to mentally ill prisoners housed on the mental health units within the Department of Corrections. Primary responsibilities of this position included, but are not limited to, triage and assess patients, administer prescribed medications and treatments, provide general nursing care to patients housed on the acute and subacute mental health units, monitor physical and mental conditions of the inmates, and maintain patient medical records.

Our Mission, Values, and Culture:

We seek applicants who are interested in furthering the HARS Mission and who will strive to uphold the Division's Core Values of Respect, Integrity, Compassion, Teamwork and Safety. The successful applicant will have the ability to contribute to a stronger team by modeling exceptional clinical and professional skills, balancing patient advocacy with correctional medicine standards and using a solution-focused approach.

Benefits of Joining Our Team:

The Department of Corrections provides for the health and welfare of offenders committed to the custody of AK DOC. Health and Rehabilitation Services HARS provides essential healthcare in secure facilities housing sentenced and unsentenced offenders aged 16 and older. You will be a part of a team and enjoy work/life balance working a schedule of 7 on 7 off work week. HARS offers free online education for CEUs through Relias along with an exceptional benefits package. Come join our team of medical professionals and start a rewarding career as a Psychiatric Nurse!

The Working Environment You Can Expect:

You will be working on an acute mental health unit providing nursing care to inmates with severe mental illness, low cognitive abilities, suicidal ideation, and various medical issues. The unit is in segregation.

Who We Are Looking For:

We are interested in candidates who possess some or all of the following position specific competencies:

• Analytical Thinking/Problem Solving: Uses a logical, systematic, sequential approach to address problems or opportunities or manage a situation by drawing on one's knowledge and experience base and calling on other references and resources as necessary.
• Continual Learning: Assesses and recognizes own strengths and weaknesses; pursues self-development.
• Evidence-Based Practice: Integrates best research practices with clinical and/or subject matter expertise and patient values for optimum care and participates in learning and research activities to the extent feasible.
• Strategic Thinking: Formulates objectives and priorities and implements plans consistent with the long-term interests of the organization in a global environment. Capitalizes on opportunities and manages risks.
• Teamwork: Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals.

Minimum Qualifications:

Psychiatric Nurse 1 Eligibility for licensure to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of Alaska. Special Note: Candidates not currently licensed by the State of Alaska, who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for licensure as a Registered Nurse in the State of Alaska and requisite qualifying experience, may apply for vacancies in this job class. Applicants qualifying under this option may receive a conditional job offer; however, proof of licensure will be required prior to final appointment and reporting for duty. Some positions may require the successful applicant to pass a background investigation, including fingerprinting, as a prerequisite to employment. These requirements will be indicated at the time of recruitment. Some positions may require the successful applicant to provide proof they are free from active pulmonary tuberculosis at the time of hire. Employees are required to be tested annually. These requirements will be indicated at the time of recruitment.

Psychiatric Nurse 2 Eligibility for licensure to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of Alaska; AND EITHER Successful completion of a formal training plan as a Psychiatric Nurse 1 with the State of Alaska; OR One year of entry level experience as a Registered Nurse. Examples of this experience include but are not exclusively limited to prior service as a Psychiatric Nurse 1, Corrections Nurse 1, or Nurse 1 with the State of Alaska or its equivalent with another employer. Substitution: Combinations of prior training and experience in other specializations of nursing care (e.g., Med-Surg, Corrections, Public Health, Critical Care) will be evaluated for comparability on a case-by-case basis. Special Note: Candidates not currently licensed by the State of Alaska, who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for licensure as a Registered Nurse in the State of Alaska and requisite qualifying experience, may apply for vacancies in this job class. Applicants qualifying under this option may receive a conditional job offer; however, proof of licensure will be required prior to final appointment and reporting for duty. Some positions may require the successful applicant to pass a background investigation, including fingerprinting, as a prerequisite to employment. These requirements will be indicated at the time of recruitment. Some positions may require the successful applicant to provide proof they are free from active pulmonary tuberculosis at the time of hire. Employees are required to be tested annually. These requirements will be indicated at the time of recruitment.

Additional Required Information:

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS If selected for an interview, the applicant must provide the following:

• Alaska Registered Nursing License
• List of three professional references

RECRUITMENT DIFFICULTIES Starting salary may be approved up to Step D - $56.93, if criteria are met.

LEGAL EMPLOYMENT The State's online recruitment system, Workplace Alaska, requires applicants to certify that they have a legal right to accept employment in the United States. It is the responsibility of the employee to maintain the appropriate documentation to accept or continue legal employment. The State of Alaska does not function in the role as an employer sponsor.

EDUCATION If post-secondary education is required to meet the minimum qualifications, you must fill in the Education section of the application. If you have not obtained a degree, please indicate the number of units completed. Copies of transcripts are required to verify educational credentials if used to meet the minimum qualifications for a position. Transcripts can be attached at the time of application or provided at the time of interview.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the minimum qualifications listed above. If utilizing this education, you must show that the education credentials have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and that such education has been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs; or an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution reports the other institution as one whose transcript is given full value, or full value is given in subject areas applicable to the curricula at the post-secondary institution. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.

WORK EXPERIENCE If using work experience not already documented in your application, also provide the employer name, your job title, dates of employment, and whether full-or part-time. Applications will be reviewed to determine if the responses are supported and minimum qualifications are clearly met. If they are not, the applicant may not advance to the interview and selection phase of the recruitment.

PREA NOTIFICATION The Department of Corrections follows and maintains federal and state requirements standards including, but not limited to, Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards which apply to all public and private institutions that house adult or juvenile offenders. PREA standards preclude the department from hiring or promoting anyone who has engaged in, or been convicted of any conduct which would violate PREA standards related to sexual assault including:

• Sexual abuse in a prison, jail, lockup, community confinement facility, juvenile facility, or other institutions.
• Convicted of engaging or attempting to engage in sexual activity in the community facilitated by force, overt or implied threats of force, or coercion, or if the victim did not consent or was unable to consent or refuse; or
• Has been civilly or administratively adjudicated to have engaged in the activity described above.

CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECKS/APSIN/ACOMS Please be aware this position requires the use of the Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN). A security clearance issued by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) is necessary to use APSIN. DPS will deny security clearance for any applicant who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor in this state or another jurisdiction, or who may be a fugitive from justice. Additionally, security clearance will be withdrawn if DPS discovers that material information was falsified or omitted at the time of the initial application for security clearance.

FINGERPRINT NOTICE All Department of Corrections employees are required to be fingerprinted. The successful candidate must pass a criminal history check.

FLEXIBLY STAFFED This position is flexibly staffed. This vacancy may be filled at either the 1 or 2 level, depending on the applicant's training and