Mental Health Charge Nurse (#RH1505)
$60.17-$73.13 Hourly / $10,429.47-$12,675.87 Monthly / $125,153.60-$152,110.40 Yearly

Under general supervision, assists in management of a psychiatric nursing service unit; performs general counseling and professional nursing care and treatment of the mentally and emotionally ill; and does related or other work as required in accordance with Rule 3, Section 3 of the Civil Service Rules.

An employee in this class is responsible for assisting administrative staff and the professional psychiatric staff in assessing total patient need and staff capabilities; developing treatment plans; and assuming full responsibility as charge nurse for an assigned shift.

• Serves as charge nurse for an assigned shift; plans psychiatric nursing assignments to utilize skills of personnel; schedules and assigns personnel.
• Supervises and participates in preliminary psychiatric assessments; evaluates, coordinates and supervises implementation of multi-disciplinary treatment plans; reviews patient progress and success of plans.
• Directs and participates in skilled medical nursing care; supervises and administers prescribed treatments and medications; charts response and progress; maintains a safe therapeutic environment for patients.
• Supervises and participates in therapy groups, individual counseling and family conferences as necessary; may provide crisis intervention, crisis stabilization and follow-up therapy; may make crisis referrals as required.
• Interprets and implements policies, procedures and standards of care in conformity with State law and State Department of Mental Health regulations.
• Participates in orienting, teaching, directing and evaluating assigned personnel; plans and participates in patient education and rehabilitation.
• Controls the use and requisitioning of supplies on an assigned shift; supervises accurate recording of medications and treatments.

Experience: Two years of experience as a registered nurse in an acute Mental Health care facility.

Substitution: (1) Possession of a Bachelor's degree in nursing with a psychiatric specialization may be substituted for one year of nursing experience.

Substitution: (2) Possession of a Master's Degree in psychiatric nursing may be substituted for 18 months of nursing experience.

Licenses & Certificates: Current registration as a nurse in the State of California.

Theory, techniques and practices of psychiatric nursing; current mental health treatment approaches; mental health laws as diagnostic categories of mental illness; psychopharmacology; principles of individual and group therapy.

Supervise, teach, assist and evaluate members of a psychiatric nursing service unit; prepare and maintain records, charts and reports; maintain a high standard of psychiatric and general nursing care; deal with patients sympathetically and empathetically while performing treatments prescribed; instruct patients in health care; maintain a safe facility environment; follow oral and written instructions of technical and professional nature in exact detail; establish and maintain effective working relationships; restrain overactive patients.