Registered Nurse; Inpatient Mental Health

Position: Registered Nurse (Inpatient Mental Health)
This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application.

Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

The Inpatient Mental Health (MH) Registered Nurse (RN) executes their position duties to improve patient and organizational outcomes by providing patient-centered and recovery-oriented care, maintaining self-awareness while caring for patients living with MH conditions, and managing the milieu. The nurse collects comprehensive data including but not limited to psychiatric, substance, physical, functional, psychosocial, emotional, cognitive, sexual, cultural, age-related, environmental, spiritual/transpersonal and economic assessments in a systematic and ongoing process while focusing on the uniqueness of the person.

Elicits the patient's values, preferences, knowledge of the health care situation, expressed needs and recovery-oriented goals. Derives the nursing diagnosis, problems, or areas in need of care and treatment from the assessment data to in the patient's words using person-centered, recovery-oriented terminology. Includes strategies in the plan that address each of the identified problems or issues, including strategies for promotion of recovery, restoration of health and prevention of illness, injury and disease.

Additional duties include, but are not limited to:

* Facilitates shift reports, warm hand-offs, and develops content as well as facilitates nurse-led psycho educational groups.

* Uses therapeutic communication techniques, practice de-escalation techniques, and utilize recovery-oriented language.

* Participates in MH interdisciplinary treatment team, MH Environment of Care rounds, directs team response to psychiatric emergencies, reports safety concerns, and assists in safety concern resolution.

* Documents nursing assessments, nursing plan of care, patient safety observations, and environmental safety rounds according to facility policy.

* Provides health teaching in individual and group settings related to patient's needs, recovery goal and situations that may include but is not limited to mental health problems, psychiatric and substance use disorders, treatment regimens and self-management of those regimens, coping skills, relapse prevention, self-care activities, resources, conflict management, problem solving skills, stress management, relaxation techniques and crisis management.

* Uses health promotion and health teaching methods appropriate to the situation and the patient's values, beliefs, health practices, developmental level, learning needs, readiness and ability to learn, language preference, spirituality, culture and socioeconomic status.

* Provides peers with formal or informal constructive feedback for improvement.

* Responsible for the documented MH outcomes at the program or service level.

* Documents counseling interventions. Seeks ways to advance nursing autonomy and accountability.

* Serves in the charge nurse role.

* Competent in restraints and seclusion and all levels of PMDB.

* Performs other duties as assigned.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards

Pay:
Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards

Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)

Retirement:
Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

Insurance:
Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory

Work Schedule:

Days 7:30 am - 4pm rotating shifts weekends and Holidays

Telework:
Not Available

Virtual:
This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment

Incentives:

Not Authorized

EDRP Authorized:
Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

Permanent Change of Station (PCS):
Not Authorized