Position Summary

The Registered Nurse provides nursing care to all patients in the South Unit & ensures appropriateness of care for all age groups in the unit specific population. He / She demonstrates an ability to incorporate knowledge of a patient's age, growth, developmental level in the provision of care.

Essential Job Functions

• Completes Nursing Assessment upon admission and each shift thereafter in accordance with unit standards and hospital policy.

• Enters, reviews, and updates electronic health record information per unit policy. This includes a minimum of one patient care note every shift in addition to other required documentation.

• Includes cultural & gender considerations when assessing appropriate methods for care management.

• Creates / follows a plan of care to meet patient care goals, incorporating the physical, social, and psychological needs in the process.

• Responsible for monitoring patient safety and wellbeing.

• Participate & ensure that patient contraband search is properly conducted.

• Makes purposeful rounds a minimum of 4 times per shift.

• Is observant of changing patient needs and/or environmental conditions impacting the patient & takes appropriate & timely action. Including but not limited to ligature risk assessment.

• Delegates patient care activities to appropriate personnel, including CBHT, MHT, and Unit Secretary, supervises & follows through to assure care completion.

• Effectively addresses & ensures patient safety needs are met & that hospital policies are followed regarding:

  • Fall Risk

  • Aspiration Risk

  • Restraint / Seclusion

  • Wound Care Protocol

  • Elopement Risk

  • Emergency Codes

  • Patient Rights

  • Patient knowledge of Grievance Process

  • Ligature Risk Assessment

• Works & assists collaboratively with all other members of the health care team.

• Administers and documents medications accurately according to established policies & procedures.

• Participates in South Unit / Hospital QAPI activities.

• Follows hospital policy and regulatory requirements regarding use of restraint and/or seclusion.

• Utilizes sound judgment and decision making criteria in observing psychiatric patients, gathering & analyzing information, drawing conclusions, & taking required action. Problem analysis.

• Able to identify & anticipate patient changes and potential problems, & communicate these issues to other relevant members of the healthcare team and / or significant other as appropriate & in a timely manner.

• Recognizes significant changes in patient clinical parameters and immediately reports to physician & charge nurse. Critical Value of lab and radiology reporting.

• Responds promptly in accordance with policy and procedure to all emergency situations that arise on the unit or in the hospital.

• Identifies patient/family/significant other needs for health teaching & utilizes available resources to assist in patient / family / significant other teaching as needed.

• Begins discharge planning upon admission & observes hospital discharge policies.

• Utilizes best practices in hand-off communications to oncoming shifts.

• Participates in Orientation of new personnel.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Other Responsibilities / Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrates appropriate knowledge & skill as a psychiatric nurse.

• Performs in a calm and professional manner during crisis and emergency situations.

• Provides quality nursing care through Nursing Process of Assessment, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation.

• Adheres to department/hospital safety & infection control standards according to established policies and procedures.

• Ability to give instructions and to supervise other staff members when any need arises.

• Ability to work in teams.

• Prioritize & complete tasks in a timely manner.

Physical Demands

Medium work: Exerting up to 20 to 50 pounds of force frequently, up to 1/3 of the time to move objects. Requires walking or standing to a significant degree, or requires sitting most of the time.

Environmental Conditions

Inside: Protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes. Works in an air conditioned, well-lighted environment.

Hazards:

• Subject to exposure of infectious and contagious diseases bearing specimens.

• Subject to exposure to blood borne pathogens.

• Subject to exposure to body fluids, and wastes.

• Subject to varying and unpredictable situations including patient violence.

Reasoning Development

Apply principles of logical thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

Mathematical Development

Add, subtract, multiply and divide all units of measure including measurements utilized in clinical settings.

Language Development

Reading: Read and understand instructions, safety rules, medical terminology and other written materials such as policies, procedures, etc.

Writing: Write letters, correspondence and other reports with proper format, punctuation, spelling and grammar, using all parts of speech.

Speaking: Speak with poise, voice control, and confidence using correct English and well-modulated voice.

Relationships to Data, People and Things

Data: Compiling: Gathering, collating, or classifying information about data, people or things. Reporting and/or carrying out a prescribed action in relation to information are frequently involved.

People: Speaking-Signaling: Talking with and/or signaling people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving assignments, instructions and/or directions to helpers, subordinates or assistants.

Things: Operating-Controlling: Starting, stopping, controlling and adjusting the progress or machines or equipment.

Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited school of Nursing; ASN required, BSN preferred.

• Current licensure as a Professional Registered Nurse in the State of Florida.

• Previous psychiatric nursing / relevant nursing experience preferred.

• Current BLS required; ACLS preferred &/ or required per departmental standard.

• Baker Act Training and Aggression Control Education required upon hire and annually thereafter.