Psychiatric RN

Behavioral Health Psychiatric Registered Nurse

In general, all registered nurses are prepared by training and experience to hold ultimate responsibility for direct and indirect nursing care, including providing nursing care, health maintenance, teaching, counseling, planning and restoration for optimal functioning and comfort. The scope of practice for the BH Psychiatric Registered Nurse is focused on the indirect assistance of patients and the psychiatric provider team in the management of critically important communication with respect to coordination of the psychiatric care of patients.

In the role, direct care of patients includes psychoeducation and teaching, counseling, especially with respect to medication management, and triage with respect to symptom and crisis management. Excellence in nursing practice also includes clinical skills and capabilities beyond baseline competence. These include the ability to conduct a comprehensive assessment that incorporates an advanced and sophisticated integration of clinical information, and the ability to translate that assessment into a superior plan of care for the patient/family/care team.

The BH Psychiatric Registered Nurse is expected to possess and demonstrate competence in these more advanced clinical skills.

This position is primarily focused on in-basket and care coordination work—triaging messages, managing refills, responding to patient concerns, and supporting psychiatric providers embedded in both standalone psychiatry departments at the South End site and in primary care-integrated settings in East Boston. This position may involve direct patient visits and requires strong clinical judgment, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work efficiently within an EHR system (Epic).

In addition, excellence in this position includes global skills and capabilities beyond baseline competence. These include demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of each BH departmental service line, demonstrated interest in long term growth goals, showing initiative, using critical thinking to problem solve independently, exhibiting leadership qualities, and effectively engaging with the multidisciplinary clinical team in the BHUCS, the Satellite Emergency Facility (SEF), the other clinical departments at EBNHC and affiliated sites, and NSMH.

Assess the health status of individuals and accurately record the related health data:

• Navigate the medical record
• Collect data on medical and behavioral health/symptoms from a patient

Analyze and interpret recorded data, and make informed judgments as to the specific elements of nursing care mandated by a particular situation:

• Correlate new data and symptoms with the existing medical records
• Determine indication for the appropriate response level from the other team members within established guidelines

Plan and implement nursing intervention, including all appropriate elements of nurse care, prescribed medical or other therapeutic regimens mandated by the particular situation:

• Review documentation to assure consistence with current planned regimen
• Communicate with the multidisciplinary team and educate the patient on test results, new care plans and/or other relevant health care information including the use of newly prescribed medications and psychotherapies and/or changes in the current regimen
• Dispense medication by mouth, nebulizer, IM, IV, and SC as ordered by an MD/NP/PA/DO or per protocol

Provide and coordinate health teaching required by individuals and families to maintain the optimal possible level of health:

• Educate on health maintenance, current health status, and changes in health status

Evaluate outcomes of nursing interventions, and initiate change when appropriate:

• Assess and reassess patients as needed
• During data collection and patient interviews, review the current plan of care to determine appropriateness and areas of weakness
• Communicate status of plan of care with other members of the health care team

Collaborate, communicate and cooperate as appropriate with other health care providers to ensure quality and continuity of care:

• Report to the other team members through documentation in the medical record a comprehensive integration of newly acquired information with the patient's history and related changes in the nurse's plan of care
• Report to other caregivers, through the medical record or verbally as needed, the patient's physical and behavioral health status. Incorporate information from other caregivers into the patient's care plan as appropriate

Serve as a patient advocate, within the limits of the law:

• Integrate the vital patient advocacy function into the nursing role in a continuous effort to encourage patient self-determination to the fullest degree possible through patient and family education and facilitation of a process whereby patients are encouraged to give voice to the concerns, questions, and preferences they may have regarding their…