Charge Nurse

Position Summary

The Charge Nurse is responsible for providing direct nursing care and shift-level supervision within the facility, ensuring a safe and therapeutic environment for clients. This role coordinates daily nursing assignments, oversees client care, and provides leadership and support to nursing staff during scheduled shifts. The Lead Staff Nurse actively participates in treatment activities, client assessments, and emergency responses, while ensuring effective communication across the multidisciplinary treatment team.

Relationships and Contacts

Within the organization:  Maintains frequent and close working relationships with the Director of Nursing, facility Executive Director, Vice President of Nursing Services, Assistant VP of Admissions, Nursing team, Milieu Supervisor, facility leadership, peers and vendors. 

Outside the organization: May initiate and maintain working relationships with clinical providers, referral partners, clients and vendors as needed and directed.

Position Responsibilities

Essential Responsibilities

1. Provides daily leadership during assigned shifts, coordinating nursing schedules, assignments, and client care.

2. Supervises nursing staff on shift, providing guidance, oversight, and support.

3. Performs and documents client assessments as ordered, reporting findings as appropriate.

4. Oversees medical issues during shift and communicates with the on-call Nurse Practitioner as needed.

5. Performs blood draws, documents results, and communicates values to the on-call Nurse Practitioner.

6. Leads emergency response during medical events in accordance with policy.

7. Completes all required nursing duties, ensuring care is consistent with client treatment plans.

8. Ensures all nursing duties are completed for the shift and communicates critical information to the next shift nurse.

9. Facilitates communication between nursing staff, treatment team members, labs, couriers, and medical offices.

10. Documents all relevant client information in the communication log.

11. Attends and actively participates in required trainings and meetings.

12. Works 2–3 major and minor holidays annually.

13. Collaborates with the treatment team to ensure a unified and consistent approach to client care.

14. Maintains compliance with company policies, procedures, HIPAA, and privacy regulations.

Additional Responsibilities

1. Maintains continuing education requirements and participates in ongoing professional development.
2. Assists with inventory management of nursing supplies and equipment.
3. Builds rapport and trust with clients while maintaining professional boundaries.
4. Performs all other duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

Education and Experience

Associate degree or bachelor’s degree from an accredited school of nursing or higher. Must hold current RN licensure within the state of Tennessee. Position requires a minimum of 1 year experience in a behavioral healthcare setting. Psychiatric nursing experience is strongly preferred.

Physical Requirements

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to communicate with peers/general public, clients and/or vendors.
• Tolerant to various noise levels: noise level in the work environment varies – may be very quiet to moderate.
• Job performance will require the ability to move throughout the building as well as sit or remain stationary for extended periods of time.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to talk or hear, sit, stand, walk, reach, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, taste or smell.
• Ability to move up to 25 pounds.

Additional Requirements

• Position requires incumbent to have a valid driver’s license, vehicle insurance and acceptable driving record.
• Clearance of criminal background, TB test, and any other mandatory state/federal requirements.
• Current CPR and First Aid certification

Skill Competencies

• Demonstrates a high level of customer service.
• Demonstrates a high attention to detail and organizational and prioritizing skills.
• Demonstrates proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Demonstrates the ability to welcome and integrate feedback from team.
• Demonstrates ability to assess suicide risk and create clinically appropriate interventions.
• Demonstrates the ability to identify and report abuse/neglect in client population.
• Demonstrates the ability to chart vitals, daily assessments, group notes, shift notes, and enters physician orders. 
• Demonstrates the ability to perform physical assessments including vital signs and to recognize symptoms and distress of clients in treatment. 
• Completes comprehensive nursing assessments and aids in the development of a treatment plan.
• Demonstrates the ability to perform an EKG and sends to the appropriate medical team.
• Demonstrates the ability to perform venipuncture and maintain universal precautions while collecting blood.
• Demonstrates proper management of biohazards.
• Demonstrates strong problem solving and analytical skills and the ability to use sound judgement.
• Demonstrates excellent verbal and written communication skills, while building and maintaining professional relationships.
• Demonstrates a strong belief in and commitment to the values, goals and mission of the Company.
• Demonstrates clinical knowledge of specialized treatment; including established behavioral patterns (including age-related issues), therapeutic treatment methods and dietary/nutritional needs.