Psychiatric Nurses provides professional psychiatric nursing care to acutely and chronically ill patients; and performs related duties as required. Psychiatric Nurses perform the range of psychiatric nursing duties required to care for primarily high risk, mentally ill patients in a locked institutional setting. Psychiatric Nurses must have thorough knowledge of mental health practices and procedures, laws and regulations, and the ability to work independently.

Job Responsibilities:

• Observes assigned patients on a daily basis to identify, interpret, and document physical and emotional status and/or patterns, such as assaultive or suicidal behavior, and response to treatment or medication; as part of a multi-disciplinary team, assists in formulating a diagnosis and developing and implementing individualized patient treatment plans based on observations; provides crisis intervention to those individuals experiencing acute episodes.
• Participates in or leads individual or group counseling sessions, family conferences, and recreational and social therapy sessions to assist patients in understanding the nature of emotional and physical problems, to accept the need for treatment, and to address issues such as communicable disease and family planning; participates in departmental and team meetings to discuss patient care and progress, shift activity, and program policies and procedures.
• Administers psychotropic medications to patients, monitors use, and documents reactions; instructs patients on the purpose, dosage, and side effects of medication, and explains the legal process related to the patient's refusal to take prescribed medication.
• Obtains medical, psychiatric, social, and family histories of new admissions; takes and records vital signs; obtains lab specimens; assists physicians with exams; schedules and arranges for special tests; develops discharge plans; maintains charts and logs; monitors supplies; performs catheterizations and enemas; and draws blood.
• Aids patients in obtaining proper medical care, after release or during hospitalization, by identifying community agencies and resources to assist patients with stabilization while living in the community; interacts with private medical facilities, courts, and county and State agencies to express concerns of the patient and to discuss treatment; testifies in court as to the patient's mental and physical condition.
• At the II level, acts as a team leader, on a rotational basis, for an assigned shift; plans, assigns, and reviews the work of other regular nursing staff, student nurses, and mental health technicians.