Behavioral Health Urgent Care Coordinator

Job Description

Job Description

Available Schedules:

• Position 1 – Weekend: Friday–Sunday, 11:00 AM–11:00 PM

• Position 2 – Evening: Monday–Thursday, 1:00 PM–11:00 PM

Summary of Position

The BHUC RN Coordinator provides direct nursing care, clinical and operational coordination within a fast-paced adult behavioral health crisis setting. This position supports the safe, efficient, and high-quality delivery of assessment, stabilization, observation, medication management, and disposition services while promoting trauma-informed, person-centered, and culturally responsive care.

Position serves as the designated shift leader and primary onsite escalation point during assigned after-hours operations. Responsibilities include staffing coordination, delegated supervisory authority, competency oversight, quality monitoring, and operational decision-making. Direct-care assignments are based on census, acuity, staffing, and program needs.

Direct Nursing Care

• Conduct comprehensive nursing assessments, medical screenings, and ongoing reassessments from admission through disposition, including evaluation of vital signs, physical health concerns, withdrawal symptoms, medication and allergy history, and overall medical stability.

• Identify clinical deterioration or needs beyond the BHUC’s capabilities, initiate the appropriate emergency response, and coordinate timely provider evaluation or transfer to emergency medical services or an emergency department.

• Provide behavioral health crisis intervention, short-term stabilization, observation, safety planning, discharge education, and continuity-of-care support.

• Administer medications in accordance with authorized orders and nursing standards, including medication reconciliation, monitoring for therapeutic and adverse effects, and education for individuals and families.

• Support involuntary commitment, custody, and transfer processes while recognizing functions that require separate examiner, clinician, or practitioner authority.

• Serve as a clinical resource for nursing, support, and interdisciplinary staff while ensuring timely electronic health record documentation, shift reports, and clinical handoffs.

Shift Leadership and Operations

• Serve as the designated onsite operational supervisor when routine BHUC leadership is not present, escalating significant clinical, staffing, safety, or operational concerns to the BHUC Director or administrator on call according to established protocols.

• Coordinate patient flow, clinical priorities, staff assignments, observation coverage, breaks, and workload based on census, acuity, and staff competency.

• Support staffing operations by maintaining schedules, addressing callouts and coverage gaps, and monitoring staffing trends in collaboration with the BHUC Director.

• Coordinate operational communication with prescribers, licensed clinicians, emergency medical services, emergency departments, law enforcement, pharmacies, and community partners.

• Direct the interdisciplinary shift in response to medical or behavioral emergencies, medication events, safety concerns, and other incidents, ensuring required notifications, incident documentation, and leadership handoffs are completed.

• Support approved workflows, process-improvement initiatives, emergency preparedness activities, and overall program goals.

Documentation, Quality, and Compliance

• Promote timely and complete nursing documentation and adherence to applicable payer, service, regulatory, accreditation, and organizational requirements.

• Conduct or support chart audits, medication reviews, quality-assurance activities, incident reviews, and corrective-action follow-through.

• Track nursing and operational quality indicators, including assessment of timeliness, medication events, transfers, documentation completion, and identified follow-up needs.

• Support readiness for audits, credentialing, privileging, inspections, and accreditation reviews in collaboration with program, nursing, medical, and quality leaders.

• Review medication storage, controlled substance processes, emergency medications and equipment, clinical supplies, infection prevention practices, and environment-of-care readiness.

• Participate in committees, interdisciplinary team meetings, emergency drills, and organizational improvement initiatives as assigned.

Required Education and Experience

• Associate Degree in Nursing from an accredited nursing program.

• Current, unrestricted Registered Nurse license or multistate licensure privilege authorizing practice in North Carolina.

• Current Basic Life Support certification before independent assignment.

• At least two years of nursing experience, including at least one year in behavioral health, psychiatric nursing, crisis services, emergency care, urgent care, substance use treatment, or a comparable high-acuity setting.

• Demonstrated clinical judgment, medication-safety skills, de-escalation ability, and readiness to lead during rapidly changing situations.

• Ability to work on the assigned nontraditional schedule, including evenings, nights, weekends, holidays, and designated on-call or administrative escalation coverage.

Preferred Qualifications

• At least one year of charge nurse, lead nurse, supervisory, or management experience.

• Experience working in Behavioral Health Urgent Care, facility-based crisis, mobile crisis, or another crisis-stabilization program preferred

• Experience with North Carolina behavioral health services, Medicaid documentation requirements, and accreditation or regulatory readiness.

• Experience with staff scheduling, workforce management systems, chart audits, competency validation, and quality-improvement activities.

Salary & Benefits:

• Competitive salary based on experience

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance

• Educational loan repayment programs & Career growth

• Retirement savings plan/401K

• Paid time off programs, rollover hours, 14 paid holidays

• Employee engagement activities, resource groups, and d