Behavioral Health Registered Nurse in Portsmouth, NH

Registered Nurse Behavioral Health

Ready for a role that supports your unique calling in patient care and fits your life? At Portsmouth Regional Hospital, you’ll find clear pathways to advance backed by our unmatched nationwide transfer policy that lets you grow your career when the time is right for you. With mentorship opportunities, clinical education courses, professional certification support, and educational assistance, you will have all the resources you need to build the career of a lifetime.

Job Summary and Qualifications

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Registered Nurse demonstrates critical thinking skills, scientific judgment, and leadership in planning for the care of the patient. The Registered Nurse assumes responsibility for providing and maintaining a therapeutic milieu through fundamental psychiatric nursing techniques and supervising therapeutic activities in accordance with relevant standards and regulations as well as clinical and administrative policies. Within the Emergency Department POD, works closely with Emergency Department and Behavioral Health Unit staff to care for assigned patients and efficiently achieve desired disposition.

SPECIFIC ELEMENTS & ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Completes position responsibilities by following established guidelines and protocols within the appropriate time frame.

2. Demonstrates effective skills in all forms of communication. Works well with others in a spirit of teamwork and cooperation.

3. Maintains education and development appropriate for the position.

4. Adheres to established hospital and department guidelines and protocols. Supports hospital mission, vision, and values.

5. Performs position specific job functions at an acceptable level.

6. Demonstrates working knowledge of BHU admission process as well as discharge and transfer processes.

7. Demonstrates sensitivity and respect to the patient, the patient’s family and/or significant other as an individual and family unit.

8. Demonstrates working understanding of patient rights and confidentiality; adheres to mental health patient bill of rights as posted on the unit.

9. Identifies cultural and religious needs, language barriers, developmental needs, etc., and modifies plan of care as necessary to accommodate those needs.

10. Possesses the ability to assess data reflective of a patient’s status and interprets appropriate information needed to identify each patient’s requirements relative to his/her age-specific needs, and provides age-appropriate care as described in clinical services policies and procedures.

11. Serves as an advocate for patients, family, and significant other(s) in regard to decisions affecting the plan of care.

12. Verbalizes the process for referral when ethical dilemmas arise.

13. Provides for the privacy of patients/family.

14. Performs a thorough assessment in accordance with unit standards and/or patient condition, and follows established protocols for symptom-specific assessments. Notifies and updates psychiatrist, hospitalist, and/or ED provider of relevant changes in patient status.

15. Demonstrates ability to assess for suicidality, risk factors, and protective factors, and appropriately documents findings.

16. Based on assessment, plans and implements care appropriately, including the patient/family/significant other, whenever possible.

17. Reassesses patient in accordance with unit standards and/or patient condition.

18. Utilizes and supervises ancillary services appropriately.

19. Recognizes and reports signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect.

20. Provides nursing care within scope of practice and according to policy, for the psychiatric patient population.

21. Follows established regulations and protocols related to medication administration, including appropriate handling of controlled substances.

22. Demonstrates understanding of admission legal status according to state law and department policies.

23. Develops and implements a comprehensive plan of care based on initial assessments involving the patient and/or family.

24. As necessary, assists other members of the Treatment Team in the implementation of the Recovery Plan, including teaching and orientation of patients to their plan. Updates and maintains Recovery Plan as necessary and according department policy.

25. Performs medication reconciliation; updates and maintains medication list as needed and according to department policy.

26. Anticipates changes in acuity, needs/problems and expectations through continuing evaluation of patient data; implements care as appropriate.

27. Accurately and consistently completes all required shift assessments and documentation in the medical record for assigned patients.

28. Supports and reinforces the therapeutic milieu in a manner consistent with the efforts of other treatment team members.

29. Adheres to appropriate professional boundaries in relation to patients.

30. Understands responsibilities of various levels of patient observation, and demonstrates working knowledge of patient observation-related policies.

31. Maintains safety checks as assigned and documents according to policy.

32. Anticipates and regulates potential environmental hazards. Performs environmental rounds; reports faulty equipment/damage and safety issues to appropriate person. Identifies ligature and other safety risks and helps to identify mitigation strategies.

33. Stays alert to the presence of contraband in the patient environment at all times, and follows procedures for searches according to policy.

34. Demonstrates calm and efficient demeanor while intervening during emergency situations.

35. Adheres to protocols and effectively demonstrates principles of Crisis Prevention and Intervention (CPI) training when dealing with potentially aggressive patients. Assures protection of patient’s safety, rights, and dignity.

36. Utilizes seclusion and restraint appropriately and in accordance with hospital policy. Performs necessary assessments and oversees monitoring of patients during seclusion and restraint.

37. Assesses patient educational needs and provides appropriate follow-up, including instruction in specific knowledge and/or skills needed to meet ongoing psychiatric and healthcare needs, and documents appropriately in the medical record.

38. Implements discharge plan in timely manner, in collaboration with other health team members.

39. Successfully assumes resource nurse responsibility. Designates work assignment considering individual staff abilities and patient needs, including changes in acuity level. Coordinates unit activities. Anticipates staffing requirements.

40. Adheres to unit/hospital standards for documenting patient care.

41. Completes annual competencies within appropriate time frame.

42. Performs all other duties as assigned.

What qualifications you will need:

• • Basic Cardiac Life Support must be obtained within 30 days of employment start date
  • CPI within 30 days of hire
  • (RN) Registered Nurse state of New Hampshire or compact state licensure 
  • Associate Degree in Nursing
  • Competence with Adolescent, Adult and Geriatric patient population

Benefits

Portsmouth Regional Hospital, offers a total rewards package that supports the health, life, career and retirement of our colleagues. The available plans and programs include:

• Comprehensive benefits for medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, behavioral health and telemedicine services
• Wellbeing support, including free counseling and referral services
• Time away from work programs for paid time off, paid family leave, long- and short-term disability coverage and leaves of absence
• Savings and retirement resources, including a 401(k) Plan with a 100% match on 3% to 9% of pay (based on years of service), Employee Stock Purchase Plan, flexible spending accounts, preferred banking partnerships, retirement readiness tools, rollover support and financial wellbeing counseling
• Education support through tuition assistance, student loan assistance, certification support, dependent scholarships and a partnership with Galen College of Nursing
• Additional benefits for fertility and family building, adoption assistance, life insurance, supplemental health protection plans, auto and home insurance, legal counseling, identity theft protection and consumer discounts

Learn more about Employee Benefits

Note: Eligibility for benefits may vary by location.

At Portsmouth Regional Hospital, you're not just joining a hospital—you’re becoming part of a mission-driven team that’s redefining healthcare excellence across the Seacoast region. As a 240-bed acute care facility in Portsmouth, NH, we proudly serve communities throughout New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. We’re the only hospital in the area to be recognized as an ACS Verified Level II Trauma Center and a Comprehensive Stroke Center, and we offer a robust heart and vascular program—giving our team the opportunity to work at the forefront of life-saving care.

As part of the HCA Healthcare family, you’ll be supported by one of the nation’s leading healthcare systems, with a strong presence in New Hampshire that includes four hospitals, three freestanding emergency rooms, and over 70 care sites. Here, nearly 5,000 colleagues—including 1,500 nurses and 1,000 affiliated physicians—collaborate to deliver exceptional care and innovation every day. Whether you're at Portsmouth, Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, Parkland Medical Center in Derry, Frisbie Memorial Hospital in Rochester, or one of our emergency facilities in Seabrook, Dover, or Plaistow, you’ll find a culture that values your expertise, supports your growth, and empowers you to make a real difference.

HCA Healthcare has been recognized as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies® by the Ethisphere Institute more than ten times. In recent years, HCA Healthcare spent an estimated $3.7 billion in cost for the delivery of charitable care, uninsured discounts, and other uncompensated expenses.

"Nurses are essential to the delivery of healthcare and serve as its foundation. At HCA Healthcare, we are committed to equipping nurses with the tools and resources they need to deliver exceptional patient care, championing the profession, and supporting the advancement of nursing’s future."

Erica Rossitto, MBA/HCM, BSN, RN, NEA-BC

Senior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive

HCA Healthcaret

Join a family that cares about every stage in your career! We are interviewing candidates for our Registered Nurse Behavioral Health opening. Apply today and a member of our Talent Acquisition team will reach out.

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.