Registered Nurse I - Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Fort Logan (Denver)

Job Title

This position is open only to Colorado state residents.

The Colorado Mental Health Hospital at Fort Logan (CMHHIFL) is one of two state hospitals serving our community. The vision of CMHHIFL is to provide the highest quality mental health services to persons with complex, serious, and persistent mental illness within the resources available. Our mission is to support those individuals in achieving their recovery goals and reaching their full potential. CMHHIFL provides inpatient treatment to adult patients, generally between the ages of 18-59. The hospital currently has 138 adult inpatient beds, over six treatment milieus serving civil and forensic individuals. Medical services, occupational therapy, neuropsychological-rehabilitation services, and trauma-informed care services are available for all patients throughout the hospital.

Through our core values listed below, CMHHIFL staff is committed to:

• Individual dignity and respect.
• Person-centered, evidence-based care.
• Trauma informed recovery.
• Multidisciplinary collaboration.
• Diversity and inclusion.
• Strong family and community partnerships

Description of Job

About the position:

Location: 3520 W Oxford Avenue, Denver, CO 80236 Full-Time, On-Site Please note: This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies and shifts. This position provides nursing leadership and direction for staff and provide therapeutic work in the psychiatric care of mentally ill patients hospitalized at CMHHIFL. Primary responsibilities are applications of knowledge, expertise and experience in providing safe and effective nursing care to patients. Duties in this position include:

• 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 and 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)
• May escort patients to activities and appointments on grounds and in the community, including driving patients to appointments
• Assumes responsibility for paperwork, assuring confidentiality
• Determines whether the needs of a patient returning from a general hospital can be safely met by the nursing staff in terms of staff competency, appropriate equipment and level of staffing during own shift and proximal shifts
• Collaboration with Nurse Manager and treatment team, recommends a change in program scheduling to benefit patients

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
• During specific shifts, functions in the role of Charge Nurse and provides clinical and administrative supervision of nursing staff on duty. 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:

• Evaluates and administers medication 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
• Functions as the Charge Nurse, when assigned, and provides clinical and administrative supervision of nursing staff on duty during specific shift

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 patients in building skills and improving their sense of self-efficacy through patient teaching

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

Maintains Skills/Competence:

• Maintains updated skills, knowledge, abilities and competencies necessary to the position through continuing education, clinical supervision, literature review, and participating in discipline and team development

Other Duties as Assigned:

• Other duties as assigned

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)

No Substitutions

Special Qualifications:

• Due to the juvenile population served at the MHI facilities, incumbents of this position must be at least 21 years of age.

Conditions of employment:

• Full Background check and reference check required
• Shift Work may work days, evenings, or nights
• Essential Services Designation Required to report without delay or interruption to provide essential or emergency services to ensure health, safety, and welfare
• must possess a valid, unrestricted CO Driver's License
• must be at least 21 years of age or older
• may be exposed to bodily fluids or caustic chemicals
• Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must disclose the information on the application and provide an explanation why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify the applicant from the current position. Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination, or resignation in lieu of termination will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with CDHS.

Conditions of Employment:

1. Disclose that information on the application.
2. Explain why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify you from the current position.
3. Provide your employee number from your prior State employment. Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination and failure to provide this information will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with CDHS.

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