Registered Nurse - Inpatient Mental Health

Inpatient Mental Health Nurse RN

The Inpatient Mental Health Nurse RN demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaboration strategies with others to provide comprehensive nursing care to patients assigned to the assigned unit where conditions are usually of a non-critical nature. The inpatient mental Health RN is a competent, organized and efficient nurse who demonstrated the ability to manage a safe therapeutic environment for patients with mental health disorders.

Major duties and responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to the following:

• Providing care to complex patients and demonstrating technical skills in assessing depression, suicidal intent, aggressive/assaultive behavior and unpredictable behavior and providing nursing care for comorbid medical conditions.
• Promotes therapeutic activities in the environment (i.e. individual and group counseling and education).
• Teaches psycho educational groups.
• Self-directed and incorporates the recovery model in the therapeutic activities ensuring that the mental health patients are receiving the highest level of care possible.
• Demonstrates the ability to collaborate with the interdisciplinary team in goal setting and discharge planning for his/her patients.
• Patient advocate for mental health patient's rights and assisting in providing customer service at the highest level.
• Initiates follow-up as needed.
• Provides care in a non-judgmental, non-discriminatory manner that is sensitive to the adult or elderly patient and family's diversity, preserving their autonomy, dignity and rights.
• Focuses on problems, initiates referrals to other disciplines and/or services as appropriate.
• Accurately documents in the medical record patient findings, assessments, and care provided. He/she effectively functions independently as the Charge Nurse in an assignment managing the care of a group of patients and caregivers.
• Assigns staff to provide care based on staff competencies and identifies priorities to ensure safe and effective patients care.
• Demonstrates and/or verbalizes correct responses to emergencies as well as initiates effective action in emergencies.
• Demonstrates understanding of infection control precautions appropriate for the patient population. He/she participates/ leads unit-based shared governance, performance improvement and safety initiatives.
• Pursues an education plan to maintain/improve knowledge in psychiatric and mental health nursing.
• Participates in educational activities to improve and maintain clinical knowledge and skills and enhance role performance.
• Leads others in the application of knowledge/skills in caring for patients.
• Assumes responsibility/accountability for evaluation of all delegated tasks and is self-directed in the identification of learning needs and development of individual performance plans.
• Initiates and utilizes positive, effective communication skills and professional behaviors that promote cooperation, teamwork, and effective interaction with internal and external customers.
• All other duties as assigned, pertaining to this occupation, to meet the needs of the Agency, Department, Facility, and/or Service.

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:

Dayshift, 7:30am - 8:00pm - 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 VHA.ELRSProgram

Support, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

Permanent Change of Station (PCS):
Not Authorized