RN Behavioral Health

RN Behavioral Health

Registered Nurse - Behavioral Health (Psych Unit)

As our Behavioral Health (Psych) Unit Registered Nurse, you will help patients experiencing a wide range of mental health conditions receive compassionate, evidence-based care in a supportive and therapeutic environment. Every day you will assess, plan, implement, and evaluate individual patient care, focusing on their mental, emotional, and physical well-being, while maintaining a safe and structured setting. You will be expected to supervise care according to policies, procedures, and the State Nurse Practice Act. To be successful in this role, you must be an empathetic and skilled caregiver, adept at therapeutic communication, crisis intervention, and promoting a healing milieu while adhering to established standards.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive nursing care for adult patients with acute and chronic mental health disorders, conducting thorough mental status examinations, risk assessments (e.g., suicide, self-harm, aggression), and identifying behavioral patterns.
• Implement and manage individualized care plans, focusing on medication administration for psychotropic agents, managing side effects, facilitating therapeutic groups, and providing psychoeducation to patients and families.
• Perform ongoing assessments of emotional, behavioral, and cognitive status, recognizing subtle changes, de-escalating crises, and intervening appropriately to ensure patient and staff safety.
• Collaborate effectively with psychiatrists, social workers, therapists, case managers, and other behavioral health specialists to ensure an integrated and holistic approach to patient treatment and discharge planning.
• Engage patients in therapeutic communication techniques, motivational interviewing, and crisis intervention strategies to build rapport, encourage self-expression, and empower patients in their recovery journey.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of all patient assessments, behaviors, interventions, medications, and responses, ensuring compliance with hospital policies and regulatory requirements specific to mental health care.

Required Qualifications

• Nursing Degree from an approved school of nursing
• No previous experience required
• Active Registered Nurse license in good standing with the North Dakota Board of Nursing or Active Registered Nurse license in a compact state
• Working knowledge of clinical skills in delivery of patient care for behavioral health patients
• Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification within the orientation period and meets re-certification as required
• Good communication skills necessary for constant communication, both oral and written, with patients, families, visitors, and medical center staff
• Accountable for own conduct and promotes and supports positive working relationships among staff, between other disciplines, departments, families, visitors, and patients
• Maintains confidentiality