Mental Health Registered Nurse - Oregon State Hospital Salem Campus

Position Title:

Mental Health Registered Nurse - Oregon State Hospital Salem Campus

Initial Posting Date: 08/04/2026

Final date to receive applications: 08/18/2026

Agency:
Oregon Health Authority

Salary Range: 8,443.

Position Type:
Employee

Job Description

Mental Health Registered Nurses (MHRNs) utilize a holistic, biopsychosocial approach and therapeutic relationships to address complex mental health needs. Operating within a collaborative, interdisciplinary team, MHRNs practice in strict accordance with the Oregon Nurse Practice Act, ANA standards, and hospital regulations.

• Care Delivery:
  Utilize the nursing process (assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation) to foster a safe, healing environment for patients.
• Clinical Leadership:
  Provide direct, on-shift oversight of clinical work performed by LPNs, and Mental Health Techs (MHTs).
• Staff Mentorship:
  Supervise care in a way that actively supports the professional growth and development of the nursing support team.

Program:
Hospital Wide High Acuity Float Pool (Salem)

Thursday – Sunday working NOC 10pm-8am

Thursday – Sunday working day 6:30am-5pm

This position provides care to patients who may present a danger to themselves or others. Work may involve exposure to infectious disease, noise, bodily fluids, hazardous medications, behavioral interventions, and manual or mechanical restraints. Employees must be able to frequently move up to 20 pounds, occasionally move up to 60 pounds vertically, and perform prolonged standing, bending, twisting, and squatting. Schedules may change with little notice and may include overtime or double shifts.

Occasional driving or accompanying patients in vehicles may also be required.

At the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), we value diversity and encourage applicants from all backgrounds and experiences to help us build a stronger, more equitable future for all.

Minimum Qualifications: These qualifications must be reflected in your application for consideration.

• Must possess and maintain a valid and unencumbered Oregon Professional Registered Nurse license during the entire length of their employment.

These positions in the Hospital Wide High Acuity Float Pool will care for our highest acuity patient population and require additional experience and qualifications beyond the minimum requirements. Applicants should demonstrate the following in their application:

2+ years of RN experience providing direct patient care in a high-acuity, in-patient psychiatric setting (including complex psychiatric disorders, behavioral challenges, and acute mental health crises).

The following are desired attributes that we have identified as key to success for this role se are the attributes we are looking for in our top candidate. If you have any of these, please let us know in your application.

• Care Planning:
  Experience completing admission and periodic nursing assessments to develop individualized care plans that integrate with the patient’s overall treatment.
• Emergency Response:
  Proven ability to take responsibility, initiate, and coordinate appropriate actions during actual or potential medical and psychiatric emergencies.

• Team Coordination:
  Experience directing patient care, including safely delegating and supervising tasks to ancillary nursing staff within their scope of practice.
• Crisis & Milieu Management:
  Strong background in managing therapeutic environments (milieu management), conflict resolution, and crisis de-escalation.
• Operational Leadership:
  Strong general leadership skills with the ability to successfully juggle multiple job responsibilities in a fast-paced environment.

• If you are offered employment, the offer will be contingent upon the outcome of an abuse check, criminal records check and driving records check, and the information shall be shared with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Office of Human Resources (OHR). Any criminal or founded abuse history will be reviewed and could result in…