Job Summary
This position provides direct care to psychiatric patients working under the direction of a registered nurse.
Essential Functions
Provides basic nursing care to patients including technical monitoring, taking vital signs and physical care. Orients patients to treatment setting and assists with activities of daily living as needed. Reviews and participates in implementation of the patient treatment plan. Makes rounds and monitors patients activities, physical and mental status and reports to nursing staff. Checks patient belongings for contraband. Conducts a variety of patient safety monitoring activities such as observational checks. Documents observations, interventions, and group activities in the patient medical record while maintaining confidentiality of all health information.
Assists in maintaining a safe, orderly & therapeutic environment. Maintains patient safety and protects patient rights through observation and reporting patient behaviors, communications, interactions and physical status. Recognizes patients who are behaving aggressively, acting as a danger to themselves or others, or are in a crisis or medical emergency situation. Provides intervention including, but not limited to, redirecting of patient and/or participating in restraint or seclusion as needed.
Assesses and interacts therapeutically with patients and families. Provides treatment that promotes patient dignity, independence, individuality, strengths, privacy, and choice. Demonstrates respect for cultural diversity and patient boundaries. Plans and facilitates social and didactic group activities. May participate in other rehabilitation and treatment programs.
Provides quality patient care by maintaining knowledge and skill level related to the symptoms and treatment of behavioral disorders relevant to position responsibilities and in accordance with state agency regulations. Maintains knowledge to identify types of medications commonly prescribed for patient group and the common side effects and adverse reactions of the medications.
Assists in the admission, discharge and transfer process of patients and completes required documentation in the patient medical record.
Minimum Qualifications
Requires a Bachelors Degree in a behavioral health related field ORHigh School diploma or equivalent with 1 year of direct patient care in an inpatient behavioral health setting. This should include but is not limited to experience in an inpatient psychiatric facility; assisting with personal grooming and other activities of daily living; conducting educational, recreational and skills groups appropriate to current patient population; creating, maintaining, and encouraging an inpatient therapeutic milieu; maintaining observation precautions and applying non-violent de-escalation interventions in crisis situations; recognizing the common symptoms of mental illness such as depression, psychosis, mood dysregulation, substance abuse, maladaptive behavior, and anxiety; understanding how symptoms are related the patients mental illness diagnosis and providing ordered treatment interventions appropriate to the diagnosis. Such experience is commonly achieved in care of patients in psychiatric acute care hospitals, inpatient psychiatric facilities and State hospital programs. Some outpatient programs, therapeutic group home and residential programs may meet the experience criteria. Concentration on skills and experiences demonstrating competence in building therapeutic rapport, developing collaborative relationships with the multidisciplinary team, de-escalation techniques and limit setting.
Basic Life Support (BLS) certification is also required.
Meets age requirement as specified by state agency.
Preferred Qualifications
Additional related education and/or experience preferred.
