Head Nurse (40 Hour)

Are you interested in a career where you can make a difference, do what you are passionate about and receive personal fulfillment? If you are that candidate, then the Albert J. Solnit Children’s Center is looking for you to be a part of their team!  

The State of Connecticut, Department of Children and Families’ (DCF) mission is partnering with communities and empowering families to raise resilient children who thrive.  We are proud of our diverse and dedicated workforce who strive every day to meet the needs of those we encounter.  

We are seeking qualified individuals for a Head Nurse position (PCN 114117). This position is full - time, 40 hours, 2nd Shift, 3:00pm -11:30pm, Week 1: Monday Off, Week 2: Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday off.  

The Albert J. Solnit Children's Center – North Campus serves as a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility, providing treatment to adolescent males between the ages of 13 and 17 with complex psychiatric needs.  The program is designed to be the bridge from hospital to home and community or as a diversionary placement to avoid the need for a hospital stay.  

The facility provides an educational program, work experience opportunities and rehabilitation including therapeutic recreation and occupational and music therapies. The Solnit Children's Center utilizes a strength based, family centered relational approach based on youth -adult partnership. The program model has been designed to focus treatment strategies which are trauma informed and gender responsive.   

You will discover the opportunity to:  

• Engage in rewarding work;
• Showcase your talents in a meaningful role;
• Thrive in an exciting environment;
• Make a difference in the public sector;
• Work together in a collaborative team environment.  

We offer competitive benefits including health and dental insurance, a retirement plan, group life insurance, and other supplemental benefits. Paid time off is also offered, including 13 paid holidays per calendar year, in addition to vacation, sick and personal leave accruals. We encourage a healthy work/life balance to all employees.  

Salary effective 7/1/22 and commensurate with education and experience. For second and third shift positions, you may be approved for an additional compensation bonus: Each Registered Nurse who is permanently assigned to the second or third shift shall receive a “recruitment and retention” yearly bonus of three thousand dollars ($3,000.00). This bonus shall be pro-rated for part-time Registered Nurses. In order to be eligible for this bonus, the Employee must have completed one year of service in the registered nurse classification.  

We hope you take this opportunity to make an impact by serving your state!

These positions will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules.  

This position may be subject to Federal requirements for COVID 19 Vaccination Immunization.  

In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.

Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening and must specify their qualifications on their application. The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified. 

Please note you will be unable to make revisions once you submit your application for this posting to the JobAps system. Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position. 

The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.

Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process. 

Due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process. Updates will be available through your JobAps portal account.   

Note:  At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position.  These documents may include:  a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.  Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications as indicated to apply for this position. 

This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the question's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Julie Barker at Julie.Barker@ct.gov.

All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period.  It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception.  Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.

#INDHP

In a state agency this class is accountable for administrative and clinical supervision of professional nurses, paraprofessionals and other staff involving direct nursing care of patients/individuals or performing specialized professional nursing work in the areas of community or therapeutic nursing. At the State Universities or State Vocational Technical Schools this class is accountable for providing primary nursing care for students and facility staff.

WORKING LEAD: Leads the planning of care and implementation of the nursing process; plans unit workflow and determines priorities; schedules, assigns, oversees and reviews work; makes recommendations for personnel actions such as selection, discipline and performance; conducts or assist in conducting performance evaluations; leads professional and paraprofessional nursing staff in provision of patient/individual care; maintains and promotes standards of nursing; ensures controlled drugs are properly stored, administered and ordered; identifies staff development needs; provides staff training and assistance; instructs staff regarding policies and procedures; participates in interdisciplinary meetings to promote and ensure adjustment and continuity of patient/individual care programs; responds to emergencies; may make recommendations on policies and standards; may prepare reports or correspondence; may serve as Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional; performs other related duties as required.

DIRECT CARE: Independently develops, implements and evaluates nursing and/or health care plans; provides nursing consultation in the assigned specialty program; conducts nursing assessments; provides admission and discharge nursing assessments including plans for continuing care; maintains records and makes reports; provides for nursing services to comply with ICF regulations and JCAHO standards; maintains records of stored and secured medications; ensures controlled drugs are properly stored, administered and ordered; independently manages and provides direct care to patients/individuals; participates in individual, group or family therapy; participates as a member of an interdisciplinary team in the assessment, development, implementation and evaluation of patient/individual treatment or health care plans; may participate in home visits and crisis intervention; manages an assigned caseload of other appropriate clinical activities; provides clinical direction and/or training to staff in individual, group and family service delivery programs; may provide in-service training to nursing and paraprofessional staff with regard to signs and symptoms of illness, dysfunction, injury and prevention of same; may conduct patient/individual centered conferences with nursing personnel; may consult with and make recommendations to physicians concerning health needs; may make recommendations on policies or standards; may prepare reports or correspondence; may serve as Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional; performs related duties as required.

SCHOOL NURSE: Independently provides counseling and health education services to students and staff; serves as member of crisis intervention team; provides assessment of medical problems; determines need for physician or medical care; performs basic evaluative procedures and tests; performs primary first aid; ensures that controlled drugs are properly stored; makes referrals and follows up on health needs; provides counseling on health related issues; maintains accurate medical records; writes reports; may administer medication; may administer routine tests or exam; performs related duties as required.

Considerable knowledge of and ability to independently apply nursing principles, techniques and standards; considerable knowledge of specialized patient/individual care applicable to nursing assignment; considerable knowledge of medications, their actions, interactions, uses and side effects; knowledge of general and mental health conditions and treatment interventions through utilization of assessment, nursing diagnosis, outcome identification, health planning, implementation and re-evaluation; knowledge of adult learning and family systems theory; knowledge of and sensitivity to cultural and socio-economic differences; considerable interpersonal skills; oral and written communication skills; ability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with other professionals, community resources and providers; ability to act as a role model to health care staff; supervisory ability.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NURSING POSITIONS: Considerable knowledge of behavioral health of individuals; skill working with individual patients/individuals, groups and families; ability to provide therapeutic treatment with a variety of patients/individuals.

Two (2) years of experience as a Registered Professional Nurse

A Bachelor’s degree in Nursing may be substituted for one (1) year of the General Experience.

1. Incumbents in this class must possess and retain a license or temporary permit as a Registered Professional Nurse in Connecticut.
   
2. Incumbents in this class may be required to be fluent in a foreign language or proficient in the use of the American Sign Language in certain designated positions.
   
3. Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.

In addition to the checking of references and of facts stated in the application, a thorough background investigation of each candidate may be made before persons are certified for permanent appointment.

Incumbents in this class may be required to lift and restrain patients/individuals; may have exposure to communicable/infectious diseases and risk of injury from assaultive/abusive patients/individuals; may be exposed to disagreeable conditions.

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.