Psychiatric Staff Nurse

Position Objective:

Provides psychiatric nursing care including intake, assessment and interventions (including crisis interventions). Provides care for psychiatric patients including medication administration and medication management as needed. For the inpatient unit, initiates the interdisciplinary care plan. For the mental health emergency department, collaborates with ED and MH team with final disposition authorized by the Emergency Department MD and Mental Health Clinician. Assists with discharge planning and education. Collaborates with all colleagues and communicates in a professional manner.

 Essential Job Duties:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Clinical Decision Making/Judgment:

• Demonstrates clinical nursing knowledge and skill in the specialization of the unit
• Demonstrates the ability to apply the nursing process effectively in the care of culturally diverse patients and families
• Demonstrates the ability to utilize all applicable laws and regulations, policies, standards, guidelines and evidence-based practice in the provision of patient/family care
• Organizes and reprioritizes patient care activities based on subtle and overt and/or environmental changes
• Consistently and thoroughly assesses patients to collect data and identify learning needs according to established standards and policies
• Utilizes a systematic, continuous and complete analysis of assessment data to develop individualized problem lists for assigned patients
• Develops and individualizes a plan of care for each patient in accordance with established standards, appropriate prioritization of problems/needs, and mutually agreed upon goals;
• Efficiently implements the patient's plan of care in accordance with applicable standards, policies, procedures and guidelines
• Demonstrates proficiency in medication administration, pain management and other unit or initiative specific skills
• Continuously evaluates the effectiveness of the plan(s) of care, making revisions and recommendations based on analysis of patient responses to interventions.

Nurse-Patient Family Relationships:

• Demonstrates the ability to assess the patient/family learning needs, readiness to learn, learning style, and presence of barriers to learning
• Demonstrates the ability to develop, implement and evaluate teaching plans for patient populations in unit specialty in accordance with applicable standards
• Demonstrates the ability to apply knowledge of growth and development across the life span to the care of patients
• Provides direct patient care to patients and families in a culturally, developmentally and ethically appropriate manner
• Plans of care address the physical, psychosocial, spiritual and learning needs of the patient/family.

Clinical Scholarship:

• Participates in QI, CPI and risk management activities at the unit, department or organizational level
•  Demonstrates the ability to effectively perform and improve all processes in order to achieve excellence with regard to AAMC’s quality standards and benchmarks
• Supports the use of evidence based guidelines and organizational policies and procedures to promote safe patient care and a safe practice environment.

Clinical Leadership:

• Participates in unit shared governance according to departmental standards
• Participates in the education and orientation of new staff
• Delegates patient care activities as appropriate; evaluates delegated activities for expected patient care outcomes
• Employs real time computer documentation when completing patient record.
• Performs charge nurse duties as needed and supervises other nursing staff as needed.

Educational/Experience Requirements:

• 1 – 3 years-Psychiatric Nursing.
• Successful completion of approved nursing program. If not BSN, actively working on completion

Required License/Certifications:

• Current licensure as a registered nurse by the Maryland Board of Nursing.
• American Heart Association Healthcare Providers BLS.
• Adherence to credentialing requirements of Luminis Health as stated in the nursing bylaws.

Working Conditions, Equipment, Physical Demands:

There is a reasonable expectation that employees in this position will be exposed to blood-borne pathogens and agitated patients.

Physical Demands – Medium Work.  Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 30 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move object.

The physical demands and work environment that have been described are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The above job description is an overview of the functions and requirements for this position.  This document is not intended to be an exhaustive list encompassing every duty and requirement of this position; your supervisor may assign other duties as deemed necessary.