Psychiatric Nurse

About This Role

This Psychiatric Nurse position at the Northern Nevada Correctional Facility in Carson City involves actively participating with the medical and mental health team to provide nursing care and treatment to inmates in a correctional setting. The role focuses on professional nursing care, medication management, and maintaining client safety for individuals with developmental delays, developmental disabilities, intellectual disabilities, or social, emotional, and/or behavioral disorders.

Responsibilities

• Actively participate with the medical and mental health team in providing nursing care and treatment to inmates
• Provide professional nursing care to inmates
• Manage and administer medications as prescribed by the agency psychiatrist and monitor for side effects
• Maintain client safety
• Assist in physically restraining inmates who are a threat to themselves or others
• Triage and assess inmate's physical and mental health status and recommend admission for inpatient or outpatient services
• Develop and implement nursing discharge plans
• Educate patients and families on medications and special care requirements
• Identify patient health care needs utilizing physical and behavioral professional nursing assessment skills
• Make comprehensive clinical observations and evaluations of health needs including subtle abnormalities and changes in condition
• Record and report indicative signs and symptoms of physical and mental condition
• Prepare nursing care plans by assessing patient’s psychological and physical condition and conferring with other health care professionals
• Evaluate needs and develop nursing diagnoses, plans for treatment, services and health education based on the present and predicted needs of the patient
• Identify immediate and long-term care goals
• Review and revise care plans as needed
• Participate in multi-disciplinary treatment teams by coordinating health services and treatment
• Collaborate with professional and paraprofessional staff to ensure optimum health care
• Administer medications intravenously, subcutaneously, intramuscularly, topically and orally as prescribed by a physician or designee as allowed in the practice setting
• Ensure correct time, dosage and appropriate route of administration
• Count controlled medications to ensure security
• Monitor patient for medication side effects and/or allergic reaction
• Observe patient to determine if medication is effective for prescribed treatment and document
• Notify appropriate personnel of action taken if necessary
• Maintain safety, health and wellbeing of individuals in the therapeutic environment as allowed in the practice setting
• Follow facility procedures regarding techniques and duration of confinement
• Notify appropriate personnel of action taken and document as required

Requirements

• Current license to practice as a Registered Nurse
• Two years of professional nursing experience, one of which included working in a facility or institution with individuals with mental illness, developmental disabilities or intellectual disabilities
• OR one year of experience as a Psychiatric Nurse I in Nevada State service
• OR an equivalent combination of education and experience as described above

Important Details

• Schedule: Extended hours may be required on short notice in cases of emergency; incumbent must be available to work any shift assignment

About the Company

The Nevada Department of Corrections is seeking to fill this position at the Northern Nevada Correctional Facility in Carson City.