Psychiatric Medicine and Emergency Department Registered Nurse

Psychiatric Nurse

Under general supervision, provides direct patient care to assigned psychiatric and/or Emergency Department (Adult and Pediatric) patients. The RN collaborates with other members of the health team, delegates appropriately to support staff and directs care to assure the patient's care needs are met. The RN's actions and attitudes will promote and support the hospital's mission and core values. The RN must stay current with standards of practice through ongoing education relevant to nursing, such as the Nurse Practice Act.

Education:

Associate Degree from an accredited School of Nursing required; BSN preferred. RN with National Certification as a Psychiatric Nurse encouraged to apply.

Licensures/

Certifications:

• Current registration with the Maryland State Board of Examiners of Nurses as a Registered Nurse.
• Completion of "Healthcare Provider" CPR course, bi-annually.
• ACLS and PALS preferred, but can be obtained within probationary period.

Experience:

• Two to three years of psychiatric nursing experience
• Ability to care for low emergent medical acuity, and comprehensive psychiatric patients in an Emergency Department setting.

Skills:

• Interpersonal communication (oral and written) skills required in order to educate and comfort patients and their families, maintain effective contacts with a variety of hospital personnel, and maintain appropriate documentation records.
• Proficiency in developing nursing plan of care, implementing effective nursing care, and evaluating outcome of nursing intervention.
• Professional nursing principles, procedures, and techniques used in the care and treatment of psychiatric patients.
• Apply professional nursing care principles and procedures in the evaluation and treatment of psychiatric, and/or low acuity emergent medical patients.
• Develop interpersonal therapeutic relationships with psychiatric patients.
• Keep accurate written charts and records of patient activities and progress.
• Comply with laws, rules, regulations, protocols, and procedures.
• Use professional judgment to ascertain and to apply appropriate intervention techniques with patients in crisis. To include de-escalation techniques.
• Communicate effectively with a variety of individuals and function calmly in situations, which require a high degree of sensitivity, tact, and diplomacy.
• Provide prompt, efficient, and responsive service.
• Exercise appropriate judgment in answering questions and releasing information; analyze and project consequences of decisions and/or recommendations.
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Professional nursing principles, procedures, and techniques used in the care and treatment of psychiatric and/or low acuity emergent medical patients.
• Social, psychological, and physical factors of mental and emotional disorders.
• Medical and psychological terminology.
• Medications, including psychotropic drugs, and effects on psychiatric patients.
• Control, preparation and administration of medications.
• State of Maryland laws and regulations for the nursing profession.
• Regulations pertaining to psychiatric nursing and the treatment of the mentally and emotionally disturbed patients.
• Theories, principles, and techniques of group and individual psychotherapy.
• Symptoms and behavior patterns of emotionally disturbed mentally ill patients to include substance abuse, withdrawal, detoxification.
• Medical and psychiatric emergency procedures.
• Basic computer programs.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

Utilization of Nursing Process

• Assessment
  - Conducts intake assessments through interviews with patients and relatives to gather case history.
• Utilizes physical assessment and interviewing techniques.
• Makes nursing diagnosis of the medical and emotional status of patients and recommends treatment options.
• Anticipates need for intervention by other disciplines.
• Determines priorities for patient care needs or problems.
• Reassesses the patient as indicated by changes in condition and/ or response to treatment(s).

Planning

• Initiates and updates a written nursing plan of care for patients by incorporating scientific and psychosocial principles that support the nursing diagnosis.
• Incorporates information obtained from nursing care planning conferences into written nursing plan of care.
• Coordinates patient, family, significant other, and health team members in the planning of hospital and post-discharge care.

Implementation

• Performs clinical nursing skills independently.
• Maintains patient confidentiality.
• Obtains vital signs, point-of-care glucose readings, and provide appropriate care.
• Administers medications, and treatments appropriately and accurately.
• Administers and notes reactions to psychotropic drugs and other medications.
• Assists the client in understanding the nature of emotional disturbances and accepting the need for treatment.
• Initiates appropriate emergency procedures as necessary.
• Appropriately delegates and coordinates the duties of ancillary personnel.
• Communicates the patient's status and plan of care through written documentation in the…