Responsibilities:

1. Customer Relations
   • Plays a key leadership role in the RTC to promote a therapeutic milieu.
   • Actively seeks to provide quality services that meet the needs of residents as well as other customers - families/guardians, school systems, and staff.
   • Works with other disciplines to maintain effective communication between R.N.s, students, and their families/caregivers regarding medication compliance and health issues.
   • In concert with other RTC leadership, communicates with the hospital leadership team to coordinate care and oversight of the RTC in all nursing-related matters.
2. Health Services Administration
   • Provides a work environment conducive to the delivery of optimal health care. Serves as the general health information provider for general health care issues or concerns.
   • Reviews immunization records of prospective residents and ensures compliance with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and Department of Human Resources (DHR) immunization requirements.
   • Serves as nursing representative/liaison for questions regarding nursing practices and related issues. Confers with CNO or designee as needed and communicates outcomes.
   • Coordinates with the school nursing staff to ensure the completion of vision and hearing screenings with the Baltimore County Health Department.
   • Communicates and administers the residential quality assurance programs and ensures residential program compliance with system-wide risk management and infection control programs.
   • Obtains at admission the required patient/resident information regarding allergies and medical conditions, e.g., asthma, seizure disorder, requiring special treatment.
   • Develops and communicates an appropriate response plan regarding special treatments prior to resident's arrival.
   • Liaisons with the infection control team and oversees infection control issues within the RTC.
   • Attends Route Cause Analysis (RCA) and other post-incident reviews and discussions as they arise.
   • Acts as a main point of contact with the pharmacy services to ensure timely and accurate medication dispensation for the residents.
3. Staff Supervision & Training
   • Collaborates with the Director in the selection of nursing staff.
   • Orients new nurses to the unit; follows up on progress and training needs.
   • Ensures that staff demonstrate competency in specified clinical skills and that duties are assigned on that basis.
   • Works with the Program Director to supervise, direct, evaluate the performance, and as necessary, participate in the discipline and discharge of nurses in the residential program.
   • Trains, orients, and ensures the ongoing competency of nurses.
   • Conducts and attends departmental meetings. Involves staff in department issues and processes.
   • Works with the Program Director to provide annual appraisals of nursing staff.
4. Provision of Direct Nursing Care - Provides professional nursing care to residents based on an understanding of the special needs of the child and adolescent psychiatric population. Applies knowledge of normal growth and development for children and adolescents by utilizing accepted conceptual principles, e.g., Erikson. Administers all types of medications and performs medical treatments as prescribed by a physician or as indicated by resident's condition. Demonstrates knowledge of appropriate dosages, frequently prescribed medications, and adverse drug reactions for child and adolescent patient population. Recognizes common alterations in student physiological and psychological status; initiates action as indicated to provide for safe and therapeutic treatment.
5. Documentation/Reporting - Maintains residential patient health records and completes written documentation of nursing care in compliance with hospital and program standards. Reports pertinent patient observations to treatment team. Actively participates in all meetings relevant to compliance and documentation requirements. Assists with audits of medical records.
6. Participation in Improving Program Effectiveness and Efficiency - Participates in the evaluation of program effectiveness and efficiency and works to ensure continuous improvements in the quality of services. Maintains knowledge of current issues and trends in health care, infection control and pediatric medicine.

Requirements:

1. Work requires written and oral communication skills and comprehensive knowledge of standards of nursing practice - Acquired through completion of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited nursing program or through completion of a Diploma/AA nursing program plus an additional one to two years’ experience in addition to the experience requirement listed below.
2. Must possess current license to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of Maryland at the time of appointment and continuously during tenure in position.
3. Work requires clinical and supervisory skills, knowledge of psychiatric nursing, and nursing competency with the child and adolescent population - acquired through two to three years of related experience.
4. Work requires interpersonal skills sufficient to interact effectively with children and adolescent psychiatrically ill students based on an understanding of their age-specific needs to gain their cooperation, to interact effectively with families/guardians, school systems, treatment teams, and a variety of internal and external contacts (51 - 80% of work time).
5. Work requires analytical and problem-solving abilities necessary to plan, evaluate, and administer nursing services program resources, to formulate special treatment care plans for identified residents, and to provide appropriate nursing care.
6. Work very frequently (51-80% of work time) requires adaption to multiple demands for the individual's time and energy and produces a high level of stress and mental fatigue.

#IND123