Description

American Traveler is hiring an experienced Psychiatric RN for an Adolescent CPEP unit in an acute care hospital setting, requiring at least 1 year of psych experience and NY licensure.

Details

• Position is located in the Adolescent Psychiatric Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) unit of an acute care hospital
• Unit consists of 40 beds divided into sections: 30 Adult beds and 20 Child/Adolescent beds; nurses will work both areas
• One section is designated to triage and fast-track patients
• Patient population includes individuals with severe mental illnesses and behavioral issues such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, anxiety, depression, and trauma; patients typically have multiple comorbidities but are medically stable
• Volume averages 15–45 patients per day
• Nurse-to-patient ratio is 1:6–12 depending on acuity; typical staffing includes 2 triage RNs, 4 adult RNs, 1 pediatric/adolescent RN, and 1 charge RN
• Travelers are not typically assigned charge responsibilities
• Medication administration includes IM injections and PO medications; psychotropics such as Haldol, Zyprexa, and Ativan; no IV administration
• Charting is performed using Allscripts EMR
• 12-hour night shifts
• Every other weekend required
• May be included in holiday rotation
• No on-call or standby requirement
• Travelers are first to float; float destinations include adolescent and adult psych units with orientation shifts in inpatient, LRC, CPEP, and Detox
• 13-week contract

Requirements

• Active NY RN license required
• Current certifications required: BLS (AHA), ACLS, and PALS
• One of the following behavioral management certifications required prior to start: Handle with Care, TRUST Training, CPI (Crisis Prevention Institute), PMCS (Preventing and Managing Crisis Situations), or MOAB (Management of Aggressive Behavior)
• Minimum 1 year of psychiatric nursing experience required
• Medical/surgical experience (MS, MS-Tele, PCU, or ICU) preferred
• De-escalation experience and restraint use experience preferred
• Ability to identify major cardiac rhythms, life-threatening rhythms, and rhythm changes
• First-time travelers will not be considered for this position

Additional Information

• Nurses are responsible for assessing and managing patients in psychiatric crisis, administering psychotropic medications, and engaging in early intervention and de-escalation
• PCTs on the unit handle phlebotomy, 12-lead EKGs, 1:1 monitoring, transport, ADLs, contraband searches, and property inventory
• Respiratory therapy is available 24/7 for breathing treatments and respiratory escalation; unit is equipped to intubate prior to patient transfer
• Portable cardiac monitoring is available; telemetry is used for code situations and for patients sedated during transport
• X-ray and CT imaging are available in the main ER; transport is handled by PCTs
• In-house security is available 24/7
• Psychiatric physician coverage: 3 physicians on days, 1 physician and 1 resident on nights; 1 medical physician per shift
• Several days of unit-specific orientation are provided
• Royal blue scrubs required
• Candidates must be comfortable working with a complex psychiatric patient population and demonstrate patience, compassion, situational awareness, and the ability to recognize crisis early
• This position is expected to be the candidate's primary job; part-time or secondary employment (including per diem) must be disclosed and will not be accommodated around the scheduling needs of this role
• All RTO requests must be submitted prior to contract start; requests made after start will not be considered
• Scheduling is based on unit needs to fill gaps in permanent staff coverage; block scheduling is not permitted