Charge Nurse RN II - Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Fort Logan (Denver)

Job Title

We are seeking an exceptional individual interested in joining our nursing team! Our ideal candidate is a caring leader who will provide professional skilled nursing activities in a mental health setting that include: acute care, chronic support, assessment, and interventions.

Job Description

Our ideal candidate is a caring leader who will provide professional skilled nursing activities in a mental health setting that include: acute care, chronic support, assessment, and interventions. Although this position will be assigned to a specific shift and unit, you occasionally may be required to work any unit.

Patient Care:

• Assesses, plans, coordinates, provides and evaluates nursing care of patients with psychiatric and medical conditions, documenting all pertinent data.
• Utilizes nursing theory and concepts to develop nursing plans of care and therapeutic interventions to support patients' recovery, such as individual counseling, psychoeducational and teaching groups, and milieu management.
• Communicates the nursing plan of care to the interdisciplinary team.
• Assures that appropriate documentation is completed.
• Assures that essential information is shared from shift to shift and makes rounds to assess patients' psychiatric and medical statuses.
• Notifies medical staff (physicians and licensed independent practitioners) of changes in patient condition and need for evaluations and orders.
• Reports patient care concerns to supervisor and physicians, as indicated.
• Directs, coordinates and implements medical and psychiatric crisis intervention in clinical emergencies assuring compliance with nursing standards and policies/procedures. (e.g., de-escalation, seclusion/restraint, cardiopulmonary resuscitation.)

Milieu Management:

• Assures a safe, therapeutic environment for patients using nursing theory and judgment by planning and implementing milieu management techniques such as pro-actively anticipating problems, planning interventions strategies and assigning responsibilities.
• Provides clinical and administrative supervision of nursing staff on duty.
• Assures that interventions are implemented and assures that the care provided meets or exceeds community and professional standards.
• Coordinates provision of replacement staff and extra staff for high acuity, as indicated

Medication Administration:

• Administers and/or provides back up to the nurse assigned to administer medication, including transcription and clarification of orders.
• Assures that medications are administered in terms of need, effectiveness, side effects and drug interactions using nursing judgment, standards of care and policy and procedure.
• Follows all policies and procedures for medical order transcription and medication administration documentation.

Supervision and Delegation to Licensed and Unlicensed Assistive Personnel:

• Accountable for the work of nursing staff, mental health clinicians, nursing students, orientees and others through delegation of work assignments, assuring timely completion of work, providing clinical leadership and teaching clinical interventions.
• Provides clinical and administrative supervision of 2-5 nursing staff on a continuous basis as well as supervision of all nursing staff on duty during specific shift.
• Orients new staff and serves as preceptor for students

Patient Teaching:

• Assesses and teaches preventative health care, illness management, coping skills, social skills, living skills, and indications/side effects of medications to patient and family.
• Supports patient in building skills and improving their sense of self-efficacy.

Interdisciplinary treatment planning and treatment implementation:

• Provides nursing input, as a member of the inter-disciplinary team, into treatment planning and unit programming.
• Serves as a liaison/communication link between patient, family, doctor, other health professionals, ancillary staff, and supervisors exchanging information and clarifying rationales for plans and interventions.

Other Duties as Assigned:

• Other duties as assigned

Work environment: Sometimes difficult customers/patients, locked units, interactive, fast-paced, dynamic, team-oriented, requirement to make immediate and critical decisions, and a high level of accountability for patient care. High level of professional responsibility for the employee to maintain updated skills, knowledge, abilities and competencies necessary to the position through continuing education, clinical supervision, literature review and participating in discipline and team development. This entry level position offers great opportunity for advancement! Ask us how!

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

Minimum Qualifications:

Education/Licensure/Certification/Experience: Current, valid licensure as a Registered Nurse from the Colorado Board of Nursing or any state participating in the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) and Two (2) years of professional experience in an occupational field related to the work assigned to the position

Substitutions: Appropriate education will substitute for up to two (2) years of the required experience on a year-for-year basis

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated ability to understand and apply the nursing process to provide adequate patient care.
• Demonstrated ability to understand treatment plans and provide appropriate interventions.
• Demonstrated ability to direct the shift through training, mentorship and development.
• A strong work ethic based on a foundation of self-motivation, loyalty, honesty, and integrity.
• Dependable, responsible, and adaptable.

Essential Attributes:

• Must be able to see and hear to observe, address, and respond to potential breaches in safety and security Work in situations involving assaultive behavior, physical control of another person, and/or restraint situations.
• Must be able to lift to 50+ pounds on occasion.

Supplemental Information

How to apply to the State of Colorado

The Assessment Process

About Us & Benefits:

• Strong, secure, yet flexible retirement benefits including a PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan plus 401(k) and 457 plans
• Medical and dental health plans
• Employer supplemented Health Savings Account
• Paid life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability coverage
• 11 paid holidays per year plus vacation and sick leave
• State of Colorado Employee BenefitHub Resource Center
• Employee Wellness program
• Excellent work-life programs, such as flexible schedules, training and more
• Remote work arrangements for eligible positions
• *Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program .

Our Values:

• We believe in a people-first approach: We prioritize the needs, well-being, and dignity of the individuals, families and communities we serve. We commit to respect, fairness and access in every decision, policy and interaction. We engage client voices and experiences in the development and implementation of the services we provide.
• Balance creates quality of life: We want our team to be resilient through a supportive workplace that values flexibility, health and wellness, and employee engagement.
• We hold ourselves accountable: We take responsibility through our actions, programs, and results for the state of health and human services in Colorado.
• Transparency matters: We are open and honest with employees, our partners, the Coloradans we serve, and the public.
• We are ethical: We abide by what is best for those we serve by doing what is right, not what is easy.
• Collaboration helps us rise together: We work together with all partners, employees, and clients to achieve the best outcomes for Coloradans.

ADA Accommodations:

CDHS is committed to a Colorado for ALL qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment.

This includes completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or performing essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to View email address on click.appcast.io.

EEO Statement:

The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer

We are committed to increasing a "Colorado for ALL" of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we encourage responses from people of all backgrounds and abilities. The State of Colorado