Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant

Job Summary:

Artesia General Hospital is seeking a compassionate and skilled Nurse Practitioner (NP) or Physician Assistant (PA) to provide high-quality outpatient behavioral health services in a collaborative, patient-centered environment. This provider will assess, diagnose, treat, and manage patients with mental health and behavioral health conditions while working closely with physicians, therapists, nursing staff, and interdisciplinary care teams.

The primary practice setting is the Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic; however, the provider may be asked to perform occasional Emergency Department and inpatient behavioral health consultations to assist with patient evaluations, treatment recommendations, and continuity of care.

General Description:

• Hospital employed
• Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Full-time outpatient practice opportunity with occasional inpatient consultation
• Work Week 4.5 days per week with one half day of administrative (charting, patient follow-up, care coordination, etc.).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Perform comprehensive psychiatric evaluations, including history, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning.
• Provide ongoing medication management and follow-up care for behavioral health patients.
• Diagnose and manage common mental health disorders, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, ADHD, and other psychiatric conditions within scope of practice.
• Develop individualized treatment plans and monitor patient progress.
• Provide patient and family education regarding diagnoses, medications, treatment plans, and wellness strategies.
• Collaborate with psychiatrists, primary care providers, counselors, therapists, case managers, and other healthcare professionals to coordinate care.
• Provide occasional behavioral health consultations for patients in the Emergency Department and hospitalized patients, as requested, including assessment, treatment recommendations, and coordination of follow-up care.
• Work collaboratively with Emergency Department physicians, hospitalists, and other consulting providers to facilitate appropriate disposition, admission, discharge planning, and continuity of behavioral health services.
• Maintain timely and accurate documentation in the electronic medical record.
• Participate in quality improvement initiatives and support clinic performance goals.
• Facilitate referrals to higher levels of care or specialty services as appropriate.
• Comply with all hospital policies, regulatory standards, and professional practice guidelines.

Essential Values-Based, Leadership and Management Competencies:

At Artesia General Hospital, our leadership and management practices are grounded in our core values, captured in the acronym S.E.R.V.I.C.E. These values are the foundation of all employee activities and guide us in fulfilling our Mission.

• Servant Leadership - Leading by serving others with compassion and humility.
• Excellence - Striving for the highest quality in all we do.
• Respect - Treating everyone with dignity and kindness.
• Virtuousness - Acting with honesty, integrity, and accountability.
• Innovation - Embracing new ideas to improve care and outcomes.
• Community - Fostering collaboration to meet the needs of those we serve.
• Education - Promoting learning and professional development.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:


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.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES :

• Participate in quality improvement initiatives, clinical protocols, and population health strategies.
• Engage in community education and outreach activities to improve mental health awareness.
• Maintain accurate and thorough documentation in the electronic health record.
• Participate in shared call responsibilities (as applicable).

KNOWLEDGE/SKILL/ABILITIES:

• Strong clinical assessment and diagnostic skills
• Knowledge of psychiatric medications and behavioral health treatment modalities
• Ability to build therapeutic relationships with patients and families
• Strong communication and interdisciplinary collaboration skills
• Ability to manage a patient panel efficiently in an outpatient setting
• Commitment to compassionate, patient-centered care

AGE-RELATED COMPETENCIES: Demonstrates the basic knowledge and skills necessary to identify age-specific patient needs appropriate for this position.

Information Management: Treats all information and data within the scope of the position with appropriate confidentiality and security.

Risk Management/Quality Management/Safety: Cooperates fully in all Risk Management, Quality Management, and Safety Activities and Investigations.

MINIMUM POSITION QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

For Nurse Practitioner Candidates:

• • • Master's or Doctoral degree in Nursing from an accredited program
    • Current licensure as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in New Mexico
    • Board certification as Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP preferred) or relevant behavioral health experience

For Physician Assistant Candidates:

• • • Graduate of an accredited Physician Assistant program
    • Current licensure as a Physician Assistant in New Mexico
    • NCCPA certification required
    • Behavioral health or psychiatry experience preferred

Experience

• • • Experience in outpatient behavioral health, psychiatry, or related mental health setting preferred
    • Experience with psychiatric assessment, psychopharmacology, and treatment planning preferred

Scope of Practice

Provider will practice within the scope defined by licensure, hospital bylaws, credentialing privileges, and applicable state and federal regulations.

ENVIROMENTAL CONDITIONS: Work environment consists of daily patient contact, which may include exposure to blood, or other body fluids.