Psychiatric Registered Nurse - 7 South

Currently recruiting for a Registered Nurse Substance Abuse/Psychiatric to provide care for active-duty American heroes, their families and retirees at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia . The normal hours of work are Monday through Sunday, between the hours of 6: 45am to 7: 15pm and 6: 45pm to 7: 15am, including Federal Holidays (services performed on Federal Holiday shall result in alternate day off within the same pay period). RNs will normally work six (6) twelve (12) hour shifts and one (1) eight (8) hour shift in a two week period. The contractors are requires to report to work in the event of adverse weather conditions or Mass Casualty Scenarios. The hours of performance are subject to change by the MTF.

DUTIES OF THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE/PSYCHIATRIC REGISTERED NURSE (RN-PSYCH):

• Provide nursing intake assessments, participation in the detoxification an management of addiction medicine ambulatory patients.
• Maintain positive professional interpersonal relationships and maintain composure and react appropriately while relating to patients, families, and other staff members;to manage distraught, irritable, unreasonable or angry individuals;and maintain possible rapport with all individuals involved in patient care.
• React with alertness and skill in any emergency situation, i.E. Cardiac or respiratory arrest, seizures, hemorrhage, shock, severe physical trauma, and psychiatric reaction. Be able to initiate lifesaving measures in the absence of a physician.
• Possess knowledge of the pharmacology of most commonly used emergency drugs, anticipated results, usual dosages, and their location in the crash cart.
• Operate AES and EKG machine when appropriate.
• Assess patient's condition for potential or life -threatening crises. Distinguish between normal and abnormal physical findings (from physical assessment and vital sign assessment). Plan and implement appropriate nursing care.
• Obtain patient medical and psychosocial history and pertinent family history and documents on the appropriate form.
• Implement prescribed physician orders and nursing care and documents in patient medical record.
• Assess patient/family knowledge level and learning needs (prescribed medications/therapies, pre and post detoxification and recovery care, surgical/diagnosis procedures, disease process, preventions), develop and implement a plan of instruction for the patient and family, then document the demonstrated level of understanding. Assessment plans will be individualized to target age-specific learning needs, barriers to learning and cultural needs.
• Participate in group and milieu therapy as well as individual therapies. Conduct psychoeducation groups and individual psychoeducation sessions.
• Administer medications with the knowledge of actions and usual dosages of commonly used drugs in addictions medicine, to include long-acting injectable medications.
• Provide vitals and ongoing patient assessment of the cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal and neurologic systems.
• Manage and ensure procedures are followed with detoxification protocols for alcohol, benzodiazepines and opioids.
• Interpret pertinent lab values, notify physician of abnormalities.
• Transcribe or verify transcription of physician orders.
• Communicate pertinent patient data to charge nurse and/or physician as appropriate.
• Identify impending or existing emotional or psychiatric crisis and provide appropriate intervention.
• Safely use electronic thermometers, and other medical equipment. Immediately pull from service any equipment with frayed electrical cords or malfunctions and report to first line supervisor.
• Participate in discharge planning as appropriate and convenes multidisciplinary patient care conferences to address complex medical nursing needs.
• Respond to telephone inquiries regarding clinic and hospital services and/or follow-up ancillary reports. Triage patients over the phone.
• Perform, assist and set up the patient for procedures i.E. IV dressing changes, suctioning, blood draw, EKG, wound care, and obtain vital signs within scope of practice.
• Successfully complete cognitive and didactic testing through written examinations and skills checklists. Testing requirements may vary and may include but not limited to the following tasks: application and use of restraints, performing mental status exams, completing an addictions medicine nursing assessment on admission, conducting community meetings, facilitating task and education groups, co-facilitating group therapy, and performing special watch procedures. Prefer a certificate from the ANCC Psychiatric Medication Test with verification placed in the Joint Training Record (JTR) folder.
• Recognize and respond appropriately to signs/symptoms of extra-pyramidal side effects (EPS) and Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS).
• Conduct interdisciplinary team rounds, complete admission and discharge process per unit protocol;establish, maintain and report on therapeutic relationships with patients (i.E. 1: 1 therapy, line of sight monitoring, reality orientation, involving patient in planning his/her care).
• Take appropriate emergency action, to include administering medications and take down procedures, as warranted by situation and established protocols.
• Contribute/develop nursing and/or multidisciplinary treatment plans.
• Maintain required unit-specific clinical competency and increase knowledge by attending unit-level in services as appropriate and update JTR folder as information becomes available.
• Prepare all records and reports as may be required in support of services rendered and as required by MTF Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Federal Law, or Service regulation. All written reports and documentation shall be legible and/or entered correctly in Essentris, AHLTA, and CHCS and shall be considered property of the government. Assist in data collection and data analysis, as appropriate.
• Must be able to work all shifts as the Unit is a 24/7/365 operation. May be required to work in other Behavioral Health areas to include the Inpatient Psychiatry, Co-Occurring and the Adult Behavioral Health clinics.
• Take part in unit Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement programs as required for meeting the Joint Commission standards.
• Supports the Culture of Excellence initiative and adheres to the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital professional standards.
• May be assigned to other clinics in the SBH FBCH footprint on a temporary basis as needed.
• The contract nurse shall attend and participate in: patient nursing reports, patient care conferences, team/unit/clinic conferences, discharge planning, and staff conferences as deemed appropriate by unit, department and the MTF.
• Maintain positive professional interpersonal relationships.
• Demonstrates competence in child and adolescent psychiatric conditions. Conduct nursing intake assessment, and participate in the management of patients. The nursing process includes assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. RN will make assessments and implement the care plan and document the care provided with results. Perform head-to-toe physical and biopsychosocial assessment. Assess patient/family knowledge level and learning needs, develop and implement a plan of instruction or the patient and family, documenting the demonstrated level of understanding. Assessment plans will be individualized to target age specific learning needs, barriers to learning and cultural needs. Implement the care plan and document the care provided with results. Perform head-to-toe physical and biopsychosocial assessment. Assess patient/family knowledge level and learning needs, develop and implement a plan of instruction or the patient and family, documenting the demonstrated level of understanding. Assessment plans will be individualized to target age specific learning needs, barriers to learning and cultural needs.
• Obtain patient medical and psychosocial history and pertinent family history and documents on the appropriate forms.
• Formulate a plan of care for the patient based on the patient assessment. The plan will include age appropriate evidence based nursing interventions and expected patient outcomes. The plan will be discussed with the patient and recorded in the electronic health record. The plan will include involvement of the family maintaining open communication with those individuals keeping them informed throughout the hospitalization.
• Communicate pertinent patient data to the charge nurse and/or physician as appropriate.
• Use age specific language that the patient and family will understand
• Possess the knowledge of interpersonal relationships and the ability to maintain composure and react appropriately while relating to patients, families and other staff members;to manage distraught, irritable, unreasonable or angry individuals;and to maintain positive rapport with all individuals involved in patient care.
• Assess patients'condition for decompensation and potential or life-threatening crises. Distinguish between normal and abnormal physical findings (from physical assessment and vital sign assessment). Plan and implement appropriate nursing care.
• Demonstrate the ability to react with alertness and skill in any emergency situation. Be able to initiate lifesaving measures in the absence of a physician.
• Functions as an integral part of the multi-disciplinary team, facilitating and monitoring the patient s plan for care to ensure the best possible outcome.
• Identify impending or existing emotional or psychiatric crisis and provide appropriate intervention (de-escalation).
• Possess knowledge of the pharmacology of most commonly used emergency drugs, anticipated results, usual dosages, and their location on crash cart.
• Administer medications with the knowledge of actions and usual dosages of commonly used psychiatric drugs.
• Interpret pertinent lab values, notify physician of abnormalities.
• Transcribe or verify transcription of physician orders.
• Implement prescribed physician orders and nursing care and documents in patient medical record.19. Assume charge nurse duties as assigned.
• Respond to telephone inquiries regarding clinic services and/or follow-up ancillary reports.
• Perform nursing education groups and support therapeutic groups within scope of practice.
• Any and all documentation is considered property of the government.
• Take part in unit Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement initiatives as required for meeting The Joint Commission standards.
• Supports the Culture of Excellence initiative and adheres to the Fort Belvoir Hospital Professional Standards.
• Identify and monitor patients for the signs and symptoms associated with withdrawal and relapse.
• Teaches and reinforces health promotion and safety patterns of living. Assist patients to integrate Health coping behaviors into life-style choices.
• Utilizes appropriate interview skills and describes, in writing, the patient s appearance, and emotional status, interaction with staff, family and/or command, and knowledge level of disease process.

QUALIFICATIONS OF THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE/PSYCHIATRIC REGISTERED NURSE (RN-PSYCH):

• Degree/Education: Possess an associate, diploma, baccalaureate and master s degree in nursing from a school of nursing accredited in at least one state or territory of the United States. Possess a current active unrestricted nursing license (RN) from at least one state or territory of the United States.
• Certifications: Must have current and maintain certification in Basic Life Support Training (BLS).
• Experience: Contractor Psychiatric Nurse shall meet the qualifications for that specialty and perform essentially the same functions, within the scope of acceptable for their technical professional discipline and standard, as those required by military and/or government service technical professionals of similar experience and in similar duty assignments. Contractor personnel practices/productivity will be compared to that of other contractor personnel, civil servants and military assigned to the same medical center. The nurse will be caring for child and adolescent psychiatric patients and following skill sets will ensure safe and quality care.
• Licensure/Registration: Shall possess a valid, unrestricted license (with no limitations, stipulations or pending adverse actions) in at least one state or territory (Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam or the Virgin Islands) in the United States. All licenses must remain current, valid and unrestricted during contract employment.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

• Competitive pay
• 10 days paid time off per year plus 7 sick days per year
• 11 paid Federal holidays
• Health & Welfare allowance covers the cost of health insurance, long and short-term disability, and life insurance
• Dental and vision plans offered, 401(k)

ABOUT THE ARORA GROUP:

The Arora Group is an award-winning, Joint Commission-certified healthcare services and workforce solutions company that has provided medical care for the men and women who serve our country since 1989. Arora is one of the nation s top employers of physicians, nurses, allied health, dental, and other professionals in government contract jobs. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

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