Psychiatric Nurse

Overview

Psychiatric Nurse performs professional nursing duties in the care of mentally ill and emotionally disturbed patients; advises and collaborates with other staff and interdisciplinary health treatment teams in diagnosis and treatment planning for such patients; and, assists and participates in various administrative and mental health program activities.

• Professional nursing principles, procedures, and techniques used in the care and treatment of psychiatric patients
• Social, psychological, and physical factors of mental and emotional disorders
• Medical and psychiatric terminology
• Medications, including narcotics and their effects upon psychiatric patients
• Control procedures, preparation, and administration of medications
• State of California laws and regulations on nursing practices
• Basic laws and regulations pertaining to psychiatric nursing and treatment of the mentally ill
• Basic theories, principles, and techniques of group and individual psychotherapy
• Basic general procedures and organization of mental health treatment facilities and multidisciplinary treatment teams
• Symptoms and behavior patterns of emotionally disturbed and mentally ill patients
• Standard professional methods of physically restraining psychiatric patients
• Medical and social community resources available to patients
• First aid

• Apply professional psychiatric nursing care principles and practices in the evaluation and treatment of psychiatric patients
• Communicate with and gain the cooperation of patients
• Keep accurate written charts and records of patient activities and progress
• Learn and comply with laws, rules, regulations, protocols, and procedures, including security requirements, applicable to the work unit
• Use professional judgment to determine and apply appropriate intervention techniques with patients in crisis
• Work cooperatively with other mental health treatment practitioners to provide an integrated treatment plan
• Conduct and review reports of interviews of patients to evaluate their condition and determine the circumstances causing them to require mental health treatment services
• Conduct and assist in formal and informal individual and group counseling
• Assist in and physically subdue resisting patients with a minimum of force necessary to effect a restraint
• Communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with patients, their families, facility and clinic personnel, and others
• Maintain patient confidentiality

Possession of a current Registered Nurse license issued by the State of California.

Note: If the minimum qualifications include an educational or certificate/license requirement, applicants must submit proof of requirements with the application. Failure to submit proof of requirements may result in disqualification from the examination. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. For guidelines on submitting acceptable proof of educational requirements, please  or speak to someone in our office before the cut-off date listed in this notice.

Certificates/licenses: All persons appointed must possess and maintain a current Registered Nurse license issued by the State of California. Failure to maintain such license may be cause for disciplinary action in accordance with Civil Service Commission Rules.

All persons appointed will be required to have, or obtain, and maintain a valid CPR certificate.

Note: Individuals who do not meet these requirements due to a physical disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Background/Criminal History: The County may access criminal history information on all candidates who have accepted a conditional offer of appointment for the above job class consistent with the provisions of the Board of Supervisors Resolution No. 82-602, Personnel Policies and Procedure and applicable federal and state law. The County shall not consider for employment any candidate who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor that relates to or impacts the candidate's ability to perform the job duties of this class unless it is determined that mitigating circumstances exist.

For purposes of accessing criminal history information, the candidate will be fingerprinted. A subsequent arrest notification may be obtained.

The County may also conduct a background check on the candidate prior to appointment to a position within this class. The background check may include personal and professional reference checks, credit history check, Social Security Number verification, professional license/registration verification, military service information and driving history. Information obtained in the course of this background check will be considered by the appointing authority in the selection process.

In obtaining such information, the County will comply with applicable consent and disclosure practices in the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the California Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act.

Physical Abilities: All persons appointed must be physically…