RN, Baylor

The Psychiatric/Mental Health RN is responsible for managing the care of patients ages 4-18 y/o experiencing psychiatric/mental health disorders. Care management for these patients requires psychosocial, physical, and behavioral assessments related to specific conditions and requires providing individualized interventions based on these assessments. The Psychiatric/Mental Health RN is responsible to assess, plan, implement, evaluate, and supervise nursing care of patients within the area of assignment pursuant to the policies and procedures of Prairie Care. Requires knowledge of nursing practices, which can be gained only through an accredited school of nursing.  Oriented and educated in gender, cultural, and age appropriate care for the assigned unit.

Responsibilities:

• Assesses and monitors child and adolescent patients’ daily functioning and assist in mental health symptom management
• Demonstrates purposeful, informed, results-oriented critical thinking, resulting in safe, quality care and good nursing judgment
• Monitors own level of expertise continuously using ongoing self-assessments
• Collaborates with team, seeks timely advice, and gives and always accepts feedback to ensure safe patient care.
• Effectively uses therapeutic approaches to manage milieus with a focus on reducing the use of restraint and seclusion when possible.
• Plans and facilitates nursing groups with patients when scheduled during shift
• Responsible for nursing assessment upon admission and the necessary discharge planning required in the hospital program.
• Tracks and communicates pertinent medical and psychiatric information both verbally and through written documentation in EHR. Documents patient assessment findings, behavioral and psychosocial responses to nursing interventions, and progress towards problem resolution.
• Administers medications in an accurate manner consistent with policy and good nursing practice including verifying allergies and/or contraindications and monitoring for side effects. Educates patients and families about medications
• Performs appropriate interventions as ordered by physician in an accurate and timely manner including needed testing such as lab draws, EKG, UDS, Genesight, and HcG testing. Documents results and provides safe handoffs to providers about the results
• Knowledgeable of and performs safe infection control practices including good hand hygiene, standard precautions, cleaning equipment and the environment, reporting and managing of suspected infectious/contagious diseases, and teaching patients’ practices such as washing their hands and covering their cough.
• Provides care in a non-judgmental, non-discriminatory manner that is sensitive to the patient’s developmental age and to the patient’s and family’s diversity, preserving their autonomy, dignity, and rights.
• Maintains confidentiality in matters related to patients and families.
• Maintains current competency in child and adolescent psychiatric/mental health nursing including the safe use of restraints and seclusion and effective de-escalation of patients using collaborative problem solving, therapeutic self, relationship-based care, and trauma informed practice
• Ability to intervene in pre-crisis or crisis situations by utilizing de-escalation techniques, limit setting, and the use of least restrictive interventions
• Knowledgeable of the Joint Commission standards for restraint/seclusion use and documentation requirements.
• Leads and delegates tasks to Psychiatric Technicians that are within their scope of practice

Requirements:

• Graduate of an accredited nursing school with a Nursing Degree.  BSN preferred.  Current licensure as an RN with the Minnesota State Board of Nursing is required.
• Current licensure in state of Minnesota required 
• Evidence of 1 year of psychiatric/mental health nursing experience within the past two years preferred
• Additionally, the RN may have professional certifications, including but not limited to an RN ANCC Certification in Mental Health Nursing, Pediatric Nursing, and/or Holistic Health
• Must have critical thinking skills and ability to problem solve
• Ability to communicate and make safe judgment calls in stressful situations
• Ability to multi-task, use time efficiently, and prioritize appropriately
• Ability to communicate in a professional manner in both verbal and written format, and models a positive teamwork attitude
• Must have basic computer skills using Microsoft Office products and EHR
• Ability to react quickly and calmly as part of a team to handle volatile and potentially emergent situations
• Quality Management- the individual looks for ways to improve and promote quality and demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness
• After training, be able to manage disruptive and explosive patients.

Driven by our values and commitment to safety and quality care, PrairieCare will be joining every major health system in Minnesota with our plans to require a COVID-19 vaccine for all team members, or an approved exemption limited to medical or religious accommodations.

PrairieCare is a psychiatric healthcare system experiencing rapid growth in the Twin Cities. With multiple sites across the metro, including locations in Rochester and Mankato.  PrairieCare has quickly grown to become one of the State’s largest providers of mental health services to children, adolescents, and their families.

PrairieCare does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability or age in admissions, treatment or participation in its programs, services and activities or employment. PrairieCare is an Affirmative Action Employer/Equal Opportunity Employer supporting Veterans, Disabled and other protected individuals and is committed to a diverse workforce. Offers of employment from PrairieCare are conditional and contingent upon successful clearance of all background studies.