Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner - United Regional Health Care

JOB DESCRIPTION

Summary of Essential Functions

• Provides comprehensive quality psychiatric care in the acute care and ambulatory clinic setting through diagnosis, treatment, and management of psychiatric disorders, as well as a variety of co-morbid chronic medical illnesses.
• Responsible for providing psychiatric services to clients in a variety of clinical settings during scheduled hours. Scope of service includes inpatient psychiatric evaluations/follow-up, code white response team member, ambulatory psychiatric evaluations/follow-up, and medical management services.
• Screens patients for substance use disorders, provides appropriate level interventions, and makes referrals for treatment as necessary.
• Assess, diagnose, and treat adults, adolescents and children experiencing symptoms of a behavioral health disorder.
• Prescribe, recommend, or discontinue drugs and treatments to treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders in accordance with the Collaborative Practice Agreement and the state's Nurse Practice Act.
• Assess patient health status and determine appropriate diagnostic/therapeutic needs.
• Document patient information using various formats in the medical record.

Responsible for timely and accurate completion of the medical record, including assessment, treatment plan, progress notes, outcome measures and billing entries.

• Collaborate with guardians, relatives and significant others on client's conditions and treatment plan when clinically appropriate.
• Provide counseling and care coordination during patient interactions as appropriate and necessary.
• Ensures continuity of patient care to include patient confidentiality.
• Collaborate with physicians, psychiatrists, social workers, or other treatment team members to coordinate patient care.
• Act as a positive liaison for the physicians, hospital, office, and community at large.

Educational Requirements

• Current Texas Department of Nurse Practitioner License.
• Must be able to communicate effectively in English, both verbally and in writing.

Licenses and Certifications

• Meets the licensing and certification requirements set forth by the Texas Board of Medical Examiners for Advance Practice Nurse's.
• Current prescriptive authority authorization from the BME and BNE (DPS/DEA as applicable).
• Certification to practice as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner as outlined by certification programs and state law.
• ACLS and PALS strongly desired.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Two years of applicable clinical experience preferred.
• Preferential consideration is given to APN with strong Critical Care Experience.
• Good critical thinking skills.
• Satisfactory completion of all required hospital orientation processes.

Physical Requirements

• Requires full range body motions, good eye to hand coordination, manual dexterity, able to stand for prolonged periods, utilize hands and arms in steady position for extended periods, and the ability to handle and lift patients.
• Lifting and carrying items weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Requires ability to work and adapt to stressful situations and ability to do multiple tasks in tense situations in a professional manner.
• Requires high exposure to blood, body fluids and communicable diseases.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Performs physical examination and compiles patient medical data, including health history and results of physical examination. Utilizes established protocols for the evaluation and treatment of patients. Performs focused history and physical examinations of patients as per protocol. Compiles data from history and physical examination to determine a plan of care.
• Administers or orders diagnostic test, such as X-ray, laboratory tests, EKG, and interprets test results for deviations from normal. Orders appropriate radiology and laboratory tests to assist in the correct diagnosis. Interprets laboratory and radiology findings appropriately. Notes deviations from normal. Consults with the physician on those findings that may require referral. Responsible for the appropriate follow-up of radiology interpretations and laboratory results.
• Examine or order laboratory or diagnostic tests for clients to provide information on general physical condition and mental disorders.
• Responsible for making independent decisions based on protocols developed utilizing national guidelines for treatment interventions.
• Consults and refers patients to primary health care providers, specialty health care providers, and emergency room physici