Clinical Psychiatric Registered Nurse (O-4 Billet) Non-Supervisory

Summary

Senior Psychiatric Clinical Nurse providing direct, complex behavioral health care to ICE detainees at the Krome Behavioral Health Unit. Develops and implements individualized nursing care plans, performs advanced clinical procedures, and serves as a team leader with clinical and administrative responsibilities. Works under the Nurse Manager in coordination with the SBHU Program Manager. This position is only open to USPHS officers and Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidates.

Duties

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Clinical Care and Support: provides direct care to patients in ICE Custody. Provides nursing care to patients with complex physical, mental, or social needs and develops, coordinates, implements, and evaluates comprehensive nursing plans of care to meet actual and anticipated patient needs. Practices nursing in accordance with national, state, and local laws and regulations, IHSC policies, directives, guidelines, and accreditation standards. Practices in accordance with IHSC Nursing Service Unit (NSU) Clinical Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics, nursing competencies, orientation/training, and nursing post orders. Maintains and expands on clinical professional skills through continuing education and daily practice. Demonstrates advanced proficiency in a wide range of nursing concepts, principles, and practices, including correctional health, mental health, medical-surgical, ambulatory, and emergency nursing care. Conducts nursing assessments, obtains health histories, performs triage, and provides direct nursing care and procedures as ordered, including medication administration, immunizations, laboratory specimen collection, etc.; in accordance with Lippincott Procedure Manual Conducts comprehensive and holistic assessments, synthesizes data using evidence-based techniques, and prioritizes patient needs based on clinical judgment. Refers patients to higher level of care as appropriate. Performs complex nursing tasks, technical skills, and procedures using appropriate equipment and nursing techniques effectively and efficiently. Independently carries out routine tasks and able to solve novel situations using available guidance and minimal supervision. Implements and updates appropriate nursing care plans to meet identified patient care needs. Documents all patient encounters accurately and timely in accordance with IHSC policy, using S.O.A.P.E. format and electronic health records. Facilitates psychiatric patient group sessions for education and support purposes independently and with the health care team. Supports patient peer-led group sessions. Provides care for psychiatric patients as indicated, including assessment and identification of high-risk symptoms and behaviors, including suicidal risk, homicidal risk, and verbally or physically difficult patients. Conducts behavioral health unit specific nursing rounds, acute and triage encounters, psychiatric nursing assessments, medication monitoring, health education, and crisis response, escalating changes in medical or behavioral health status as appropriate. Provides advanced patient health education using appropriate communication resources, utilizing interpretation and translation services as needed Responds to emergency medical calls and provides emergency treatment as required. Program and Administrative Support: participates with the NSU in the development, review, and implementation of nursing policies, procedures, corrective actions, and process improvement activities related to the delivery of nursing care. Provides expert level psychiatric nursing input into these processes. Monitors compliance with IHSC policy, accreditation standards, and documentation requirements. Participates in or leads internal assessments and implements process improvements as needed in collaboration with nursing leadership. Assists with orientation, training, and competency review for nursing staff. Serves as a preceptor to less experienced nursing staff during orientation, training, or assigned clinical development activities. May serve as primary preceptor to staff for a full orientation period. Develops and presents at least one approved education offering with evaluation criteria annually, teaches at least two established training modules, or develops or updates two or more patient education materials. Collaborates with nursing leadership to improve the effectiveness of orientation, training, competency review, and clinical practice support processes. Engages in one or more collateral activities that contribute to the mission. Supports implementation of SBHU local operating procedures, nursing post orders, therapeutic programming needs, documentation standards, quality assurance activities, and staff orientation related to psychiatric nursing care. (continued in the Qualifications section)

Qualifications

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Required to walk unaided at a normal pace for up to 5 minutes and maintain balance. Required to jog/fast walk up to 1⁄4 mile. Required to perform CPR/emergency care standing or kneeling. Must have the ability to assist sick, injured, or aging detainees or staff exiting the building (may require lifting, dragging, wheeling, or carrying someone who weighs significantly more than self). Must be able to see, hear (with aids if necessary), and smell as needed. Must easily alternate between kneeling and standing. Must be able to lift, push, or carry 30 pounds. Must have the ability to sit and/or stand for extended periods of time (6-8 hours). Must perform duties in a stressful and often austere environment without physical limitations. Hazardous duty assignment. (Continued from the Duties and Responsibilities section) Provides specialized psychiatric nursing support within the subacute behavioral health residential program and Modified Therapeutic Community model. Supports the SBHU mission by promoting patient stabilization, medication adherence, therapeutic engagement, continuity of care, and safe participation in structured programming. Contributes nursing assessment findings, behavioral observations, medication response information, chronic care needs, and functional status updates to the interdisciplinary treatment team to support treatment planning, continued stay review, discharge planning, hospital referral, and safe transition to a lower or higher level of care. Collaboration and Communication: Collaborates with site leadership, including the Health Services Administrator (HSA), NM, Clinical Director (CD), and multidisciplinary teams, to establish, support, and maintain processes and procedures that meet applicable medical and operational standards. Provides input into nursing treatment plans, assists with identification of special needs accommodations, and follows up on care as needed. Communicates nursing operational and quality issues impacting efficiency and effectiveness of care to site leadership. Able to solve moderately complex issues with minimal leadership intervention. Maintains collaborative relationships with other healthcare disciplines and outside agencies, such as CDC and state or local health departments, as appropriate to assigned duties. Demonstrates expert-level therapeutic communication skills to build trust, ensure emotional safety, and support patient engagement. Participates in interdisciplinary treatment team activities and communicates nursing observations relevant to treatment progress, safety concerns, special needs, discharge readiness, and continuity of care. Quality Assurance, Data, and Reporting: applying psychiatric nursing expertise, participates in the development and/or review of evidence-based nursing clinical guidelines, protocols, education materials, and/or practice resources with the Nursing Services Unit as assigned. Participates in team, unit, regional, or national quality improvement reviews and activities as assigned. Identifies and suggests process improvement activities at the local or regional level w