REGISTERED NURSE

Riverside Healthcare is seeking a compassionate and skilled Psychiatric Registered Nurse (RN) to join our dedicated Child/Adolescent Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit in Kankakee, Illinois. In this role, you will provide comprehensive psychiatric nursing care to children and adolescents experiencing acute mental health crises. You will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate patient care, ensuring that each patient receives developmentally appropriate, individualized, high-quality treatment in a supportive and therapeutic environment. This position requires a deep understanding of psychiatric nursing principles, strong communication skills, and the ability to manage complex and often challenging situations with professionalism and empathy. Additionally, this position requires flexibility with assignments within professional scope/duties/licensure.

Essential Duties

• Patient Assessment and Care Planning: Conduct thorough psychiatric assessments, including mental status examinations and risk assessments. Develop and implement individualized care plans in collaboration with the patient, family, and interdisciplinary team.
• Treatment Administration: Administer medications and treatments as prescribed, monitor patient responses, and adjust care plans as needed. Ensure safe and accurate medication management and document all interventions.
• Therapeutic Interventions: Provide direct psychiatric nursing care, including facilitating psychoeducational groups, crisis intervention, and providing support. Employ therapeutic communication techniques to build rapport and support patient engagement in their treatment.
• Patient Monitoring: Monitor and document patient progress, vital signs, and behavioral changes. Identify and report any significant changes or concerns to the healthcare team promptly.
• Collaboration and Coordination: Work closely with psychiatrists, social workers/case managers, therapists, and other healthcare professionals to ensure coordinated and holistic patient care. Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings and contribute to care planning and discharge planning.
• Education and Advocacy: Educate patients and their families about mental health conditions, treatment options, and coping strategies. Advocate for patients needs and rights within the healthcare system.
• Crisis Management: Respond effectively to psychiatric emergencies, including managing aggressive or self-harming behaviors and implementing de-escalation techniques.
• Patient Experience: Engage with patients and their families in a manner that promotes comfort, trust, and understanding. Address patient concerns with empathy and professionalism, striving to create a positive and supportive environment that fosters a sense of security and well-being.
• Employee Experience: Contribute to a positive and collaborative work environment. Offer constructive feedback and assistance to peers, and engage in open communication to promote a culture of mutual respect and teamwork.

Non-essential Duties

• Participate in ongoing professional development and training to stay current with best practices and advancements in psychiatric nursing.
• Assist in the orientation and training of new staff members and students as needed.
• Contribute to quality improvement initiatives related to psychiatric care.

Preferred Experience:

• Minimum of two years of psychiatric nursing experience preferred. Experience with various psychiatric disorders, crisis intervention, and treatment modalities preferred. 

Required Licensure/Education:

• Graduate of an approved school of nursing
• Current Registered Nurse (RN) license in the state of Illinois.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required.
• *New Graduate RNs starting on or after 1/1/25 must earn Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN) within 3 years of start date

Preferred Education:

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree preferred*
• Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Certification (PMH-BC) preferred

Employee Health Requirements

Exposure:

• Chemicals: Refer to MSDS sheets
• Video Display Terminals: Average
• Blood and Body Fluids: Diagnostic composite of patients, frequent contact with intravenous devices, and high potential for contact with contaminated body fluids (blood, stool, vomitus) and administration of blood does create a high risk. use of needleless IV system, universal precautions and protective equipment minimize risk.
• TB or Airborne Pathogens: Patient diagnostic presentations do pose high risk; however, usage of protective wear, appropriate size TB mask from fit test and universal precautions reduces risk.

Sensory requirements (speech, vision, smell, hearing, touch):

• Speech: Required to communicate with patient/families/staff/doctors, coworkers, ancillary personnel and other department heads. Ability to ask for help. 
• Vision: Required to observe patients and their physical assessment, ability to read reports, ability to read machines.
• Smell: Helpful to note presence of incontinence, vomitus, blood; electrical/fire safety. 
• Hearing: Necessary to hear alarms, calls for help and to hear patient verbalizations; ability to listen for lung, bowel, heart sounds.
• Touch: Necessary to assess patients, need to distinguish between hot and cold.

Activity/Lifting Requirements:

Percentage of time during the normal workday the employee is required to:

• Sit: 10%
• Twist: 4%
• Stand: 40%
• Crawl: 0%
• Walk: 25%
• Kneel: 1%
• Lift: 10%
• Drive: 0%
• Squat: 1%
• Climb: 1%
• Bend: 30%
• Reach above shoulders: 3%

The weight required to be lifted each normal workday according to the continuum described below:

• Up to 10 lbs: Frequently
• Up to 20 lbs: Frequently
• Up to 35 lbs: Frequently
• Up to 60 lbs: Occasionally
• Up to 75 lbs: Not Required
• Up to 100 lbs: Not Required
• Over 100lbs: Not Required

Describe and explain the lifting and carrying requirements:

• Lifting of patients off their beds that are unable to move independently is done with assistive lifting equipment.
• Horizontal movement of patients to and from carts/beds who are unable to move independently is done with assistive lifting equipment.
• Lifting equipment - carry 25'- 150' waist high (IV bags, patient trays).
• Carry charts 25'- 150' waist high. Filled laundry bags are filled half full so as not to weigh over 35 lbs.
• Carry fire extinguishers up or down 3-4 flights of stairs and several yards in an emergency.

Maximum consecutive time (minutes) during the normal workday for each activity:

• Sit: 30
• Twist: 15
• Stand: 60
• Crawl: 0
• Walk: 10
• Kneel: 0
• Lift: 5
• Drive: 0
• Squat: 2
• Climb: 1
• Bend: 15
• Reach above shoulders: 2

Repetitive use of hands (Frequency indicated):

• Simple grasp 10 lbs. Normal weight <5#.
• Pushing & pulling - 50-200 lbs: Occasionally
• Fine Manipulation: Typing in computer, medical/supply dispensing cabinet, using pens to chart, drawing up meds in syringe and administration, starting IV's.

Leg Strength: up to 50 lbs: Occasionally- (repetitive use of foot or feet in operating machine control: utilized in positioning beds during transport; x-ray, surgery or in an emergency situation from floor to floor, locking beds or cardiac chairs.)

Environmental Factors and Special Hazards:

• Environmental Factors (Time Spent):
• Inside hours: 6-40
• Outside hours: 0
• Temperature: Normal Range
• Lighting: Average
• Noise levels: Average
• Humidity: Normal Range
• Atmosphere: Odors

Special Hazards: 

Chemical -drugs/work with patients receiving chemotherapy-Explosive-oxygen; Radiation-cesium implants and radioactive iodine therapy direct radiation for radiology equipment; mechanical- use of Hoover lift bed scales, motorized wheelchairs, bathtub lift chair.

Protective Clothing Required: As required for chemotherapy or in cases of isolation, i.e. gloves, gowns, masks, goggles.