Description

American Traveler is hiring a travel RN for a Pediatric Psychiatric Unit position at a freestanding acute inpatient behavioral health facility in Bangor, ME, requiring at least 1 year of behavioral health nursing experience and an active ME or compact RN license.

Details

• Evening shift: 2:00 PM – 11:30 PM, 36 hours per week
• 13-week contract
• Freestanding acute inpatient psychiatric facility with a contracted ER located 5 minutes away
• Pediatric psychiatric unit serving patients ages 5–18; floating to the adult unit (ages 18+/geriatric) is required as needed
• Pediatric patient diagnoses include eating disorders, depression, suicidal ideation, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and gender dysphoria
• Adult patient diagnoses include schizophrenia, MDD, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, suicidal ideation, anxiety, and occasional substance use disorder/CIWA patients (medically cleared)
• Both voluntary and involuntary admissions; no forensic patients or inmates
• Patients are medically cleared prior to admission — lines, drains, and tubes are not typical
• RN patient ratios: 1:5–6 on days, 1:13 on nights with nursing resource support
• Psych Tech support: Peds — 6 techs on days, 2 on nights; Adult — 2 techs on days, 2 on nights
• Charting via Cerner; Pyxis used for medication management
• Every other weekend rotation (Saturday and Sunday)
• No on-call requirements
• Holidays worked on a rotation basis

Requirements

• Active RN license — ME state license or compact license required
• BLS certification required
• Minimum 1 year of behavioral health (BH) nursing experience required
• Pediatric BH experience preferred; candidates without pediatric experience may be considered with manager approval
• Experience with de-escalation techniques and physical restraints (chemical restraints are not used)
• Proficiency in medication administration and psychiatric documentation
• Comfort running therapeutic groups
• Permanent address must be 100+ miles south/southwest of the facility to qualify for the travel position
• Candidates must not have previously worked at any Northern Light Health Hospital in a permanent capacity
• Full SSN required for consideration
• Driver's license required for consideration
• Two references within the past year required, at least one from a supervisor, manager, or director (charge nurse acceptable; peer references not accepted)
• Copies of all current certifications required for consideration
• Flu vaccination required for employment clearance (medical exemptions accepted on a case-by-case basis)

Additional Information

• First-time travelers are welcome to apply
• MOAB (Management of Aggressive Behavior) certification is obtained on-site during orientation and does not need to be held prior to starting
• Orientation: first week (Monday–Friday) on day shift; second week on contracted evening shift with 12-hour shifts
• In the event of a patient escalation, a 'code leader' verbally de-escalates while assigning roles to other staff — travelers may serve in this role; debriefing documentation is completed after each incident
• Scenario-based de-escalation training is offered every other week; a MOAB Educator/Trainer is on site for additional support
• Facility offers specialized therapeutic programming including pet therapy, group sessions, and community gardens
• Seclusion rooms are available and used when clinically necessary
• On-unit support includes a nurse supervisor (evenings/weekends), nurse manager (days), house administrator (overnight/weekends), charge nurse, psych techs, contracted phlebotomist, NP (on-site until 4:00 PM, on-call overnight), psychiatrist (daily rounds and on-call 12:00–6:00 AM), and occupational therapist (8:00 AM–4:30 PM, 7 days/week)
• Security is on site but does not respond to patient escalations — all unit staff (techs and nurses) respond to escalations
• Scrubs must be any solid color and professional in appearance
• Free parking is available on site
• Heavy snow conditions should be anticipated during winter months
• Up to 7 days of RTO may be requested; contract may need to be extended if shifts cannot be completed within a given week