Refuse Service Operator Ii

Senior Psychiatric Nurse

The Senior Psychiatric Nurse performs professional nursing duties in the care of mentally ill and emotionally disturbed patients; advises and collaborates with other staff and interdisciplinary health treatment teams in diagnosis and treatment planning for such patients; and assists and participates in various administrative and mental health program activities.

• Principles and techniques of establishing and assuring standards for quality of patient care
• Principles and techniques of training, including needs assessment, employee development methods, and training evaluation methods
• Methods and procedures used to organize, assign, and review the work of employees
• Professional nursing principles, procedures and techniques used in the care and treatment of psychiatric patients
• Social, psychological, and physical factors of mental and emotional disorders
• Medical and psychiatric terminology
• Medications, including narcotics, and their effects upon psychiatric patients
• Control procedures, preparation and administration of medication
• State of California laws and regulations on nursing practices
• Laws and regulations pertaining to psychiatric nursing and treatment of the mentally ill
• Theories, principles, and techniques of group and individual psychotherapy
• Procedures and organization of mental health treatment facilities and multi-disciplinary treatment teams
• Symptoms and behavior patterns of emotionally disturbed and mentally ill patients
• Standard professional methods of physically restraining psychiatric patients
• Medical and social community resources available to patients
• First aid

• Distribute, direct, and review the work of subordinates according to supervisor's instructions
• Ensure staff compliance with quality assurance standards
• Participate in, plan, and carry out training and in-service education
• Instruct other staff in specific tasks and job techniques
• Develop and implement job procedures for nursing staff in accordance with management goals, policies and procedures
• Participate in and recommend employee selections, promotions, status changes and other personnel actions
  
  Follow established rules in resolving informal complaints of employees
• Apply professional psychiatric nursing care principles and practices in the evaluation and treatment of psychiatric patients
• Communicate with and gain the cooperation of patients
• Keep accurate written charts and records of patient activities and progress
• Use professional judgment to determine, direct, and apply appropriate intervention techniques with patients in crisis
• Work cooperatively with other mental health treatment practitioners to provide an integrated treatment plan
• Conduct interviews of patients to evaluate their condition and determine the circumstances causing them to seek or require mental health treatment services
• Conduct and assist in formal and informal individual and group counseling
• Assist in and physically subdue resisting patients with a minimum of force necessary to effect a restraint
• Communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with patients, their families, facility and clinic personnel, and others
• Maintain patient confidentiality

Either:

• One year experience in the class of, and performing the full scope of work of, a Psychiatric Nurse in Sacramento County service.
• Two years of experience as a registered nurse performing psychiatric nursing and/or mental health counseling in an acute care or out‑patient setting. A master's degree from an accredited college or university in psychiatric nursing or a related mental health field may be substituted for one year of this experience.

• All persons appointed must possess and maintain a current Registered Nurse license issued by the State of California. Failure to maintain such license may be cause for disciplinary action in accordance with Civil Service Commission Rules.
• All persons appointed will be required to have, or obtain, and maintain a valid CPR certificate.

• Must be physically able to restrain and assist in restraining patients.
• May be required to work evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.
• County must access criminal history information on all candidates who have accepted a conditional offer of appointment for the above job class in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
• County may conduct a background check on the candidate prior to appointment, including personal and professional reference checks, credit history, Social Security Number verification, professional license/registration verification, military service information, and driving history.
• Persons selected must sign a statement agreeing to comply with child and elder abuse reporting requirements of California law.