Registered Nurse

Registered Nurse  52RN1

Schedule: 15 hours per week in Gileads' Old Saybrook location. Flexible 1st and 2nd shift hours with the exception of Thursday mandatory for Afternoon staff meeting.

Summary

Responsible for performing psychiatric and medical care to individuals within a residential support program(s). The primary role is to ensure and advocate for the medical, psychiatric well being and stability of individuals through the support of non-medical staff members and to oversee health related medical care and pharmacological issues.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Receives clinical supervision from the Nurse Supervisor and administrative oversight by the Program Director.  
• Functions as a liaison between the Program(s) and Psychiatrist to facilitate communication of ongoing changes in client mental health status and medication compliance as well as identifying medication effectiveness and side effects.
• Provides clinical knowledge regarding severe and prolonged mental health and substance abuse disorders as well as medical knowledge related to heath and well being.
• Supports the Program Director in leading an effective program by implementing clinical services, best practice models of care and daily functions as required by contractual and regulatory bodies.
• Conducts Health Histories, Health Assessments and medical evaluations of emergent medical issues of clients as needed identifying potential issues and trends.  Makes the appropriate community referrals to insure clients have basic health needs met.
• Provides ongoing medical education to case managers both informally and in training formats.
• Insures proper orientation, training and management of the medication administration system and of medication supplies and monitors medication errors. Assists the Director(s) in determining appropriate action to correct medication errors.
• Identifies potential systemic issues that may negatively impact the implementation of the medication administration and makes recommendations for change.
• Supports the processes for all contractual agreements, certifications or licensing regulations including but not limited to the Department of Children and Families (DCF).
• Maintains and implements the Recovery philosophies with direct implications to staff, clients, family, and community development.
• Assists in ongoing development and evaluation of medical policies and procedures.
• Maintains communication in conjunction with Case Managers with other agencies or persons involved in the care and support of clients particularly in regards to medical and psychiatric issues. 
• Maintains contact with MD’s (i.e., psychiatrists, PCP’s, specialists, etc.) to coordinate medical and psychiatric care of individuals and works closely with the pharmacies to facilitate proper pharmaceutical care.
• Participates in program meetings, clinical meetings and ad hoc work groups in an effort to carry out the mission of the program within and outside of the organization.
• Supports and provides monitoring of positive outcome measures as defined by the license regulations and agency quality assurance processes. Insures program compliance through the timely and accurate reporting of data both internally and externally as needed. 
• Documents all required encounters. Completes contacts and progress notes within 72 hours of encounter.
• Consults with the Program Director regarding medical and mental health needs regarding risk management.
• Works in coordination with the agency Administrative Support Staff for proficient service delivery.
• Other duties as assigned

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Position does not have direct supervisory responsibilities; however the Nurse’s role is to be a leader within their respective program(s).  In the absence of Management Staff Members the Nurse is a principle person in the program, providing guidance and peer support to other members of the team. Completes daily responsibilities with attentiveness to individual client needs and with willingness that supports effective team functioning.

Skills

Oral Communication Skills                    Professionalism            Psychopharmacology Knowledge

Written Communication Skills                Diplomacy                    Crisis Intervention

Technical Communication Skills             Organization                

Client-Customer Relational Skills           Time Management                   

Education and Years of Experience

• Degree:  RN with a BA/BS preferred from an accredited program to practice as a Registered Nurse.  Connecticut licensure for Registered Nurse required. Preferred certification by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Clinical Specialist in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing.
• Number of Years of Experience: 5

 
Requirements

• Prior medical and clinical experience in the field of mental health and addictions.
• Demonstrate competence in and current knowledge of Community Treatment, Psychopharmacology, Crisis Intervention, and supervision of staff.
•  Must maintain and provide proof of valid driver’s license and automobile insurance in good standing.
• Ability to provide leadership under stressful or crisis situations.  Ability to problem-solve.  Ability to meet deadlines and establish and prioritize multiple tasks.
• Ability to travel to various agencies and businesses if needed.
• Must meet and maintain all required trainings, certifications etc. as needed.
• Demonstration of ethical behavior and sound judgment that supports the NASW standards of care.
• Uphold confidentiality by following the HIPAA regulations.

Working Conditions

• Working conditions are based both in office and community settings. 
• Local travel.
• Possibility of exposure to outdoor weather conditions, unsanitary environments, bodily fluids.
• Possibility of exposure to use of substances, vulgar statements, or hostile/dangerous situations.

Physical Demands

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Requires the ability to coordinate hands and feet in performing simple movements, such as bending, reaching and grasping; to exert a small amount of physical effort in sedentary to light work involving moving from location  to another. 
• Requires sufficient hand-eye coordination to perform skilled movements as well as semi-skilled repetitive movements.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and the ability to adjust focus.

THIS JOB DESCRIPTION IS NOT INTENDED TO BE AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS AN ALL INCLUSIVE LIST OF ALL THE RESPONSIBILITIES, SKILLS OR WORKING CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE POSITION.  WHILE IT IS INTENDED TO ACCURATELY REFLECT THE POSITION ACTIVITIES AND REQUIREMENTS, MANAGEMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY, ADD OR REMOVE DUTIES AND ASSIGN OTHER DUTIES AS NECESSARY.  REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS MAY BE MADE TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES IN MEETING THE EXPECTATIONS OF THIS POSITION.