Head Nurse Office​/On-site

Position Overview

Head Nurse – Third shift (11:10 pm – 7:10 am) at the Department of Children and Families (DCF) Hospital, Middletown, CT. Full‑time, 40 hours per week. Week 1 day off:
Sunday;
Week 2 days off:
Friday, Saturday, Thursday.

• Lead planning of care and implementation of the nursing process.
• Plan unit workflow and determine priorities.
• Schedule, assign, oversee, and review work of nursing staff.
• Make recommendations for personnel actions such as selection, discipline, and performance.
• Conduct or assist in conducting performance evaluations.
• Lead professional and paraprofessional nursing staff in patient/individual care.
• Maintain and promote standards of nursing practice.
• Ensure controlled drugs are properly stored, administered and ordered.
• Identify staff development needs and provide training.
• Instruct staff regarding policies and procedures.
• Participate in interdisciplinary meetings to promote continuity of care.
• Respond to emergencies promptly.
• Make recommendations on policies and standards of care.
• Prepare reports or correspondence as required.
• Serve as Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional (QIDP) when assigned.
• Perform related duties as required for the position.

• Develop, implement, and evaluate nursing and health‑care plans.
• Provide nursing consultation within the assigned specialty program.
• Conduct assessments and provide admission and discharge nursing assessments.
• Maintain accurate records and prepare necessary reports.
• Ensure compliance with ICF regulations and JCAHO standards for medication and drug use.
• Provide direct patient care and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams.
• Offer counseling, health education, and crisis intervention services as needed.
• Serve as a member of crisis intervention and interdisciplinary teams.

• Minimum two (2) years of experience as a Registered Nurse.
• Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing may substitute for one (1) year of experience.
• Must possess and retain a valid Registered Nurse license in Connecticut or a Multistate/Compact RN license.
• Fluency in a foreign language or proficiency in American Sign Language may be required for certain positions.
• Willingness to travel may be required.

• Experience working in a behavioral health hospital setting.
• Experience serving youth with complex psychiatric profiles.

• Professional growth and paid professional development opportunities.
• Healthy work‑life balance for all employees.
• Eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness after 10 years of service.

The State of Connecticut is an equal‑opportunity/affirmative‑action employer and strongly encourages applications from women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.