Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

POSITION SUMMARY

The Advanced Psychiatric Nurse (APN) specializes in the care of patients with mental disorders, while maintaining the standard of professional nursing. APN’s work with a variety of healthcare professionals and security officers in a correctional environment to ensure effective patient care delivery and achievement of desired patient outcomes.

Correctional Nurses provide care to inmate patients to promote & improve their overall health utilizing the nursing process in triage, professional training and various resources in accordance with regulatory agencies and established guidelines. The inmate patient population often generally has not had consistent access to healthcare prior to their incarceration. This provides an opportunity for nurses to see and care for an interesting variety of health concerns from minor ailments to major and atypical conditions.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

Minimum Education

• Must possess a Master’s Degree.
• Current, unrestricted license to practice as RN/ APN license for the state in which he/she will provide services.
• Specialize in Psychiatry or Mental Health.
• Must have prescriptive authority with current and valid DEA and CDS.

Minimum Work Experience

• At least one year experience of providing direct patient care as an APN or three years’ experience as a mental health RN in a psychiatric care unit at a hospital, medical center, or intensive treatment facility.

Required Skills

• Excellent critical thinking and assessment skills.
• Ability to make decisions independently.
• Assertive, empathetic and able to provide care objectively.
• Strong interpersonal communication and customer service skills.
• Basic computer skills.
• Ability to function independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to command the respect and confidence of inmates and staff; and philosophically committed to the objectives of the facility.
• Maintains an active Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.

FUNCTIONAL DEMANDS

• Ability to pass all required health and other screening tests.
• May be required to work nights, weekend, and holidays.
• On-call duty may be required (available to work on short notice) as per site requirement.

ORGANIZATIONAL EXPECTATIONS

• Provides a positive and professional representation of CFG Health Systems, LLC.
• Keeps patient information confidential and respects patient’s right to privacy.
• Promotes culture of safety for patients and employees through proper identification, reporting documentation, and prevention.
• Maintains competency and knowledge of current standards of practice, trends, and developments in related scope of job role or practice.
• Adheres to infection control policies and protocols, medication administration and storage procedures, and controlled substance regulations.
• Participates in ongoing quality improvement activities.
• Completes required orientation and trainings as directed by facility.
• Follows facility and OSHA safety rules and procedures while on assignment.
• Follows facility and CFG Health Systems Occurrence Protocol.
• Adheres to PREA regulations.
• Punctual and dependent for assigned/confirmed shifts.
• Maintains security clearance for the assigned facility.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

• Performs and documents psychiatric evaluations on inmate patients of the assigned correctional facility consistent with the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) standards of care, NJ 10-A, American Correctional Association (ACA) and Performance Based National Detention Standards (PBNDS) as appropriate.
• Assesses patients’ mental and physical status based on the presenting symptoms and complaints.
• Conducts individual and/or group psychotherapy for those with acute or chronic mental disorders.
• Construct treatment plans for inmate patients with mental health conditions incorporating ways to address the patients’ problems and enhance patients’ strengths, involve patients in their development, and include relapse prevention risk management strategies.
• Writes prescriptions for psychotropic medications as allowed by allowed by state regulations and under the guidelines of the approved CFG formula