Registered Nurse

Registered Nurse

Registered nurses report directly to the nurse supervisor they work collaboratively with the health care team to provide holistic care to the acute or transitional mental health patient and their families. Responsibilities include maintenance of the therapeutic environment through proper use of the Teaching-Family model of care and implementation of the treatment plan. Maintains a therapeutic milieu and a safe environment by continual assessment. Engages the patient in therapeutic communications (one-on-one). Completes the bio-psychosocial physical assessment, develops an age specific and developmentally appropriate plan of care at admission. Assesses patient/family education and discharge needs, with the interdisciplinary team. Develops and leads interdisciplinary care conferences in collaboration with the health care team. Communicates plan of care to other members of the health care team. Documents assessments, interventions and responses to care. Utilizes leadership skills through mentoring, preempting, teaching, delegating and coaching members of the health care team. Develops, organizes and facilitates group sessions. Utilizes positive interpersonal skills, conflict management, problem solving and crisis management critical thinking to promote development of the health care team. Participates in quality improvement processes. Attends regularly scheduled in-services to total 12 per year. Responsible for keeping all employment requirements current (i.e. TB, CPR, CPI, etc.). Attends mandatory nursing meetings. Verifies and interprets pathology reports and consults etc. and alerts the physician as to changes in the patient's condition, and activates the plan of care. Carries out physician orders regarding diet, medication and treatment. Obtains physician orders and authorizes implementation of seclusion/restraints according to hospital policy. Critically evaluates the clinical status of patients using the nursing process. Can demonstrate, supervise, and assess competency for waived testing or for phlebotomy. Demonstrates knowledge and care of the mental health patient: Utilizes Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) techniques. Care of the patient related to the DSMV behavior diagnoses. Knowledge of all psychotropic medications. Provide education to patients/families based on their identified needs and limitations, such as, communication, interpersonal and social skills, as well as, the basic principles of physical health. Provide opportunities for patients and families to question, discuss and explore their feelings about prescribed therapies/interventions/diagnoses. Documents in progress notes accurate and detailed descriptions of patients' behaviors relative to treatment plan and diagnoses.

Qualifications include Arkansas Licensed Graduate of an Accredited School of Nursing. Current Arkansas Registered Nurse license. Experience with adolescents and children in a psychiatric setting preferred. Lift and hold at least 50 pounds for one minute. Requires the strength and stamina to perform clinical duties. Must be physically capable to receive verbal and written directions. Must be physically capable of sitting and standing for several hours at a time. Must have good auditory, visual and olfactory ability. Ability to use hands and fingers to handle or feel objects, tools or controls. Must be able to maintain effective audio, visual discrimination and perception needed for making observations, communicating with others, reading and writing, and operating office equipment and other treatment equipment. Must be able to use a telephone to communicate verbally and a computer to communicate through written means, to review information and enter/retrieve data, to see and read characters on a computer screen, chart or other treatment items. Flu shot is mandatory and required for all positions (subject only to qualified exemptions).