STAFF NURSE I

Staff Nurse I

The Staff Nurse is a professional caregiver who assumes responsibility and accountability for the assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation of care for patients and their families in compliance with the standards for care at AHMC Seton Medical Center, American Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice, and American Nurse Practice Act. Staff Nurse 1 is capable of independently performing the full range of clinical nursing services involving patient care. May supervise the work of professional and paraprofessional staff of the assigned unit.

Duties and Essential Job Functions

The following are the duties performed by employees in this classification, however, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level. Not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual in the classification.

• Ability to communicate emphatically, respectfully and effectively with mentally ill patients and their families.
• Exemplary interpersonal skills and works effectively as a member of a multidisciplinary team.
• A thorough understanding of client rights, thorough understanding of psychiatric nursing processes.
• Knowledge of DSM/ICD and basic medical and psychiatric terminology.
• Familiarity with behavioral health resources in the community.
• Able to understand and follow all policies, procedures, guidelines, rules and regulations of Nursing Service, Seton Medical Center, American Nurses Code of Ethics, and American Psychiatric Nurses Standards of Practice
• Knowledge of legal terminologies and practices associated with psychiatry
• Accurately provide care with respect to medication administration, skin and wound care, ADL's and other essential patient care related activities
• Develops, implements, evaluates and makes modifications in the nursing care plan; prepares required records and reports.
• Gather and assess information about patients to meet nursing needs; assists and consults with physicians in the performance of procedures and diagnostic tests; contracts physicians and/or other departments to obtain or provide patient information.
• Organizes, supervises, makes adjustments and accepts responsibility for the quality of care provided patients by co-workers for a given work period; at the level II assumes responsibility as a charge nurse when assigned.
• Participates in promoting a healthful, safe, and therapeutic environment for patients and families; set up and controls the environment essential for infection control.
• Participates in the implementation of patient care standards, infection control standards and quality assurance criteria; assists with conducting studies; participates in unit and other meetings.
• Provides and evaluates patient care established standards and criteria in conformity with the nursing care plan. Will adhere to the No Pass Zone.
• Monitors patients for significant and critical changes and initiates procedures as required; documents are given according to set standards and at required intervals.
• Interprets and explains procedures, regimens, and services to patients and families; teaches patients and family member's health care and disease prevention techniques.
• Utilizes evidenced based best practice by hourly rounding on all assigned patients.
• Shift report will be done at the bedside with the patient involved to the best of their ability.
• Participates in every shift huddle report to communicate any red flags and ensure efficient patient hand-off.
• Clean and organize work stations, aware and practice safety protocols of the department at all times.
• AIDET (Acknowledge, Introduce, Duration, Explanation, and Thank you) will be used in patient and family interactions when appropriate.
• Actively engages with all department and hospital improvement projects.
• Demonstrates knowledge of management of assaultive behavior techniques
• Provides education/training to other team members as necessary.

Qualifications/Job Requirements

Education:

• Graduate of an accredited School of Nursing required
• BSN degree preferred

Experience:

• Training and experience in psychiatric nursing, geriatics or dementia care preferred

Certifications/Licensure:

• Current California RN licenses required
• Current American Heart Association Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certification required
• Completion of a validated crisis prevention and intervention training such as:
• Crisis Prevention Institute - Nonviolent Crisis Intervention- CPI
• Management of Assaultive Behavior - MAB
• Pro-Act
• AB-508