Head Nurse - Psychiatric Unit jobs in Lancaster, PA

Full time (72 hours biweekly)

7 pm to 7 am

Every other weekend and rotating holidays

General Summary

Provides professional nursing care at the beginner practitioner level in accordance with the principles of patient and family-centered care based on the nursing process and according to the clinical standards of the hospital. Acts as a primary nurse for patients on the unit. Coordinates care planning with other disciplines. May require specialized skills depending on unit assignment.

Essential Functions:

• Provides and coordinates direct care in accordance with the principles of patient and family-centered care based on the nursing process and according to the clinical standards of the hospital. Acts as a primary nurse for patients on the unit. Synthesizes patient data to develop outcome-driven plans.
• Safely and independently administers prescribed treatments, medications, and nursing interventions based on assessment and plan of care.
• Appropriately organizes and prioritizes time based on patient condition and expected workload. Identifies changes in patients' status and acts accordingly. Knows and can activate resources to achieve outcomes for patients.
• Seeks mentoring and coaching from the CN II & III.
• Identifies and communicates individualized patient needs for safe handoffs during transitions of care. Collaborates with patient/family in care planning with all disciplines.
• Appropriately and correctly documents the patient response to interventions and progress toward outcomes. Identifies and documents variances. Appropriately utilizes flow sheets, progress notes, and/or electronic medical record for documentation. Is able to identify system and unit-based nursing sensitive indicators; i.e. falls, pressure ulcers.
• Identifies own areas of professional growth and development in performance improvement efforts. Recognizes the value of evidence based research as it applies to best practice.
• Promotes a professional practice environment that supports patient safety and quality through interdisciplinary collaboration, Shared Decision Making activities including peer review. Integrate Shared Decision Making by unit committee membership or by supporting and helping fellow co-workers attend committee meetings and/or work on SDM projects. Serves as positive role model.
• Delegates aspects of care to other nursing personnel in order to meet patient needs. Helps assistive personnel organize and set priorities for work. Monitors completion of tasks that are assigned or delegated to the patient care team.
• Promotes collaboration and cooperation among physicians, nursing staff, and other members of the interdisciplinary team. Contributes to effective communications among all team members. Begins to display conflict resolution and negotiation skills to maximize team performance.
• Variation of duties may result based on the assigned customer care unit(s). This may include differences in the specific clinical skills required of the RN. Unit based skill lists outline expectations beyond the house wide RN requirements. SYS-NURS-L Nursing Education Requirements Policy outlines current certification(s) required for specific areas of nursing practice and is considered to be part of the job description.

Minimum Education:

• Diploma Program Required or
• Associates Degree Required
• Bachelors Degree Nursing (BSN) Preferred

Work Experience:

• No experience. Required

Licenses:

• Licensed Registered Nurse Upon Hire Required or
• Registered Nurse Multi State License Upon Hire Required and
• Basic Life Support Upon Hire Required