Nurse - ACT New Mexico ALB

The Psychiatric RN is responsible for conducting physical health assessments, assessing physical health needs, making appropriate referrals to community physicians, providing management and administration of psychiatric medication in conjunction with the Nurse Practitioner/Psychiatrist, providing a range of treatment, rehabilitation and support services, and sharing shift-management responsibility with other staff.

Essential Functions:

• Medications and Medication Room: Oversees and medication room operations and compliance and properly administers client medication as evidenced by:

• Properly maintains, disposes of, and orders medications.

• Maintains the medication room, ensuring that it remains up to licensing/pharmacy standards
• Creates and maintains, appropriate medication tracking, as well as security and tracking of controlled substances.
• Receives and disseminates medication in accordance with agency and pharmacy requirements.
• Participates in providing medication administration and medical services as appropriate including injection administration.
• Assures that all needed medical supplies are appropriately stocked and medication orders/changes are noted and ordered in a timely fashion.
• Completes and coordinates medication room compliance activities including Contract Pharmacy Audits, Board of Pharmacy Audits, and Board of Pharmacy License Renewal.

• Nursing Client Care Activities: Conducts person-centered client care services to support health, wellness, and increased independence for individuals served as evidenced by:

• Participates in and conducts parts of client centered comprehensive assessment to determine medical stability and level of care. Assessment may include psychiatric history, mental status, and diagnosis; physical and dental health; use of drugs or alcohol; education and employment; social development and functioning and activities of daily living.

• Schedules, and administers medical assessments of client physical health, making referrals to community physicians as appropriate and coordinates psychiatric treatment with medical treatment as appropriate.
• Provides direct clinical services to clients and/or groups related to topics that may include, but are not limited to, symptom management/education, daily living skills, hygiene, physical health, nutrition/food education, social skills, and community resources.
• Conducts Travel / Transportation as appropriate related to client needs including, home visits, client appointments, hospital visits, pharmacy visits.
• Provides symptom education to clients and staff as appropriate on topics including but not limited to psychopharmacology, mental health conditions/symptoms, physical health conditions/symptoms, wellness, and safety.
• Provides on-call services and intervention as required.
• Demonstrates ability to respond to crisis situations

• Prescriber Support: Assists medication prescriber as evidenced by:

• Arranges for required lab work as appropriate.

• Process refill request, includes review of client chart, assessment of appropriateness of request, and consult with prescriber as required.
• Completes prior authorization for medication processing (includes review of client chart, assessment of med need & potential alternatives, consult with prescriber)
• Completes in-person assessment including physical assessment of symptoms, presentation, vitals, etc. and communicates information to prescriber.

• Service Team Approach: Participates as an active treatment team member serving individuals with mental health and substance use issues as evidenced by:

• Demonstrating the ability to recognize and identify symptoms of mental illness and substance use.

• Participating as a member of a multi-disciplinary team approach to treatment and recovery.
• Consults and coordinates with internal and external providers and relevant treatment team members to maintain coordination in the treatment process.

• Outreach, Engagement, Follow-Up: Provides comprehensive outreach, engagement, and follow up to assigned individuals as evidenced by:

• Providing comprehensive outreach and follow up to all assigned individuals including contact attempts over the phone, in-person, in the home etc.

• Demonstrating the ability to engage and develop rapport with individuals presenting with a variety of symptoms/presentations.

• Cultural Competence and Diversity: Provides culturally appropriate services to diverse populations as evidenced by:

• Providing services that are person-centered.

• Providing services that are culturally relevant.
• Providing a non-judgmental, open, and welcoming approach to diverse populations.

• Documentation: Completed documentation that meets identified expectations as evidenced by:

• Documenting all services provided within expected time frames.

• Documenting all services provided in a manner that meets service definitions, regulatory standards, and agency expectations.
• Documenting all services provided in a manner that is person-centered and meets quality improvement goals.

• Efficiency and Productivity: Consistently meeting established productivity standards as evidenced by:

• Demonstrating excellent organizational skills.

• Demonstrating effective use of time management techniques.
• Demonstrating the use of effective engagement skills.
• Consistently meeting established productivity standards.

• Staff Development Activities: Participates in staff development activities to increase skills and professional development as evidenced by:

• Participating in and completing all required trainings in an accurate and timely manner.

• Identifying and requesting training or skill enhancement opportunities.
• Engaging in cross-training activities with other team members.
• Attending and participating in required meetings and supervision sessions.
• Demonstrates the ability to apply supervisory recommendations to work performance.

• Other: Completes other administrative support duties and special projects as developed and assigned including but not limited to:

• Participates in ongoing quality improvement process to ensure consistency and safety for nursing related services across programs as appropriate.

• Participates in nurse shift scheduling as appropriate across agency programs to ensure adequate nursing coverage.

Education and Experience:

• Associate's, Bachelor's or Master's level nursing degree.
• Current NM RN license
• At least 1 year relevant experience working with the severely mentally ill in an inpatient or outpatient psychiatric setting.
• Knowledge of psychotic and mood disorders, their related medications and potential side effects, required.
• Having Charge Nurse or other related leadership experience, strongly preferred.
• Valid drivers' license and meets the driving privileges guidelines established in HR Policy 12.6 "Vehicle Safety and Client Transportation."

Knowledge and Skills:

• Demonstrated success in the following areas:

• Must demonstrate specific additional training or experience in psychological therapies, building a therapeutic alliance, dealing with challenging behavior and the administration of psychiatric medication.

• Must be knowledgeable of psychotropic side effects and how evaluate for them (i.e. AIMS, observation).