Psychiatric Nurse

The Nevada Department of Corrections is recruiting for a Psychiatric Nurse 2 to be located at Northern Nevada Correctional Center in Carson City. This position actively participates with the medical and mental health team in providing nursing care and treatment to inmates in a correctional setting. Work responsibilities include providing professional nursing care to inmates, medication management and administering medications as prescribed by the agency psychiatrist and/or psychiatric provider, and monitoring for side effects, maintaining client safety, assist in physically restraining inmates who are a threat to themselves or others, triage and assess inmate's physical and mental health status and recommend admission for inpatient or outpatient services, develop/implement nursing discharge plans, and educate patients and families on medications and special care requirements.

Work Shift:

Sunday-Tuesday 6pm-6am & every other Wednesday (Extended hours may be required on short notice in cases of emergency).

• Under general supervision of a higher level nurse, Psychiatric Nurses provide professional nursing care to individuals with developmental delays, developmental disabilities, intellectual disabilities or social, emotional and/or behavioral disorders, in an institution or out-patient setting in accordance with the authorized scope of practice specified in the Nurse Practice Act.
• Current license to practice as a Registered Nurse and two years of professional nursing experience, one of which included working in a facility or institution with individuals with mental illness, developmental disabilities or intellectual disabilities; OR one year of experience as a Psychiatric Nurse I in Nevada State service; OR an equivalent combination of education and experience as described above.
• Identify patient health care needs utilizing physical and behavioral professional nursing assessment skills; make comprehensive clinical observations and evaluations of health needs including subtle abnormalities and changes in condition; record and report indicative signs and symptoms of physical and mental condition.
• Prepare nursing care plans by assessing patient’s psychological and physical condition and conferring with other health care professionals; evaluate needs and develop nursing diagnoses, plans for treatment, services and health education based on the present and predicted needs of the patient; identify immediate and long-term care goals; review and revise care plans as needed.
• Participate in multi-disciplinary treatment teams by coordinating health services and treatment; collaborate with professional and paraprofessional staff to ensure optimum health care.
• Administer medications intravenously, subcutaneously, intramuscularly, topically and orally as prescribed by a physician or designee as allowed in the practice setting; ensure correct time, dosage and appropriate route of administration; count controlled medications to ensure security; monitor patient for medication side effects and/or allergic reaction; observe patient to determine if medication is effective for prescribed treatment and document; if necessary, notify appropriate personnel of action taken.
• Maintain safety, health and wellbeing of individuals in the therapeutic environment as allowed in the practice setting; may assist in physically restraining patients who are a threat to themselves or others and may be hostile and combative; follow facility procedures regarding techniques and duration of confinement; notify appropriate personnel of action taken and document as required.
• Triage and assess patient’s physical and mental health status and recommend admission for inpatient or outpatient services according to established policies and criteria.
• May serve as a community liaison nurse, assisting patients in making the transition from institution to the community or assisting patients which are community based, by providing a broad range of nursing services.
• Assist in physical examinations and diagnostic testing; obtain samples for laboratory tests as ordered by a physician or designee; perform assigned laboratory tests.
• Develop/implement nursing…