Psychiatric Nursing Assistant II

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Psychiatric Nursing Assistant II

Would you thrive in an environment where you learn and grow personally and professionally all while helping make a positive impact on people’s lives? HSCS is dedicated to building an atmosphere where employees feel valued and supported while providing specialized care for Texans in need. HSCS is comprised of nine psychiatric hospitals, one youth residential treatment facility, and thirteen state supported living centers.

The psychiatric hospitals are a hub of excellence for forensic mental health and complex psychiatric care, with all facilities accredited by The Joint Commission. They provide state‑of‑the‑art treatment that is recovery‑oriented and science‑based.

The Psychiatric Nursing Assistant II (PNA II) performs moderately complex rehabilitative patient care services work. Provides patient care services under the clinical supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN) to provide quality psychiatric nursing care in an inpatient setting. Work involves providing emergency, health, and personal care services to patients; interacting with patients therapeutically; observing, reporting, and documenting, in an electronic record, patient conditions and behaviors;

and participating in individualized and unit‑based programming.

• Attends work regularly and may work specific shift schedules, rotating, extended, or overtime as per agency leave policy.
• Active role in implementing individualized recovery plans and offering consistent, ongoing support in assisting patients with reaching their goals.
• Uses therapeutic, person‑centered communication skills promptly and effectively engaging patients.
• Assists with activities of daily living, hygiene, and eating to promote independence and self‑care.
• Accompanies patient to appointments as required.
• Communicates effectively with other team members to promote a positive workplace.
• Serves as a participant in the recovery team or admissions team, providing ongoing verbal and written communication concerning patients.
• Uses basic computer skills, documentation skills, and reporting procedures to communicate patient care information clearly and concisely in a timely manner.
• Assists the licensed nurse in monitoring patients for medication administration or treatment, including taking and monitoring vital signs and performing other assigned tasks within competency level.
• Proactively promotes safety through continuous environmental awareness and positive engagement of patients to minimize unsafe situations and injuries.
• Promotes classes and programs offered and encourages patient participation; co‑facilitates groups as assigned or requested.
• Responds in crisis or psychiatric emergency situations using the least restrictive intervention necessary by applying Treatment Intervention Protection Strategies (TIPS) under direct supervision of an RN to ensure the health and safety of all persons.
• Performs CPR/Heimlich techniques and uses an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) correctly and safely according to AHA specifications.
• Provides RN with timely, clinically relevant patient information (e.g., possible side effects of medication, disease/injury, behavioral escalation) gained by direct observation/interaction with patients to promote safety.
• Provides guidance and preceptorship to other PNAs in the performance of duties assigned by an RN when higher‑level PNAs are not available.
• Serves in unit‑based and hospital‑wide committees as appointed, collaborating with team members to enhance patient care and support departmental goals.
• Participates in disaster response, recovery, or COOP activation as required, potentially requiring alternate shift patterns or location.

• Knowledge of patient care techniques and treatment, therapy, developmental, and patient‑centered recovery programs.
• Knowledge of basic computer skills.
• Effective interpersonal and leadership skills, and ability to interact with other team members utilizing interpersonal skills.
• Skills in taking vital signs.
• Ability to read, write and understand English to effectively…