ACT Registered Nurse

UnityPoint Health; Ames (IA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Parental leave

401K matching

Employee recognition program

Dental insurance

Health insurance

Paid holidays

Short and long‑term disability

Pet insurance

Daily Pay

Tuition reimbursement

Adoption assistance

Job summary

UnityPoint Health is seeking a Psychiatric Nurse to join our Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team in Ames. You will provide direct client care in home and community settings, collaborating with psychiatrists, ARNPs, and other nurses to implement treatment plans and monitor medication effectiveness.

The role emphasizes relationship-based care, ongoing education for patients and families, and crisis intervention within a supportive, multidisciplinary environment.

Qualifications

• Education: Associates degree or Bachelor’s degree in nursing with current RN License required.
• Experience: Experience with persons diagnosed with mental illness and/or substance use disorders preferred.
• License(s)/Certification(s): Licensed in the state of Iowa as a RN. Valid driver’s license when driving any vehicle for work‑related reasons.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct client care and medical services, including psychopharmacologic treatment policies and medication administration.
• Coordinate and monitor activities of daily living; develop and revise treatment goals with the client.
• Perform documentation, assessments, and case management to support comprehensive care.
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary ACT team and coordinate with psychiatry/ARNP for integrated treatment plans.
• Engage with clients in home and community settings, delivering education and supportive therapy.

Skills

RN clinical skills

Mental health care

Community outreach

Team collaboration

Documentation

Driver's license

Education

Associates degree in nursing

Bachelor’s degree in nursing

RN License

Job description

Overview

Make a Real Impact as a Psychiatric Nurse on Our ACT Team

If you want a nursing role that feels purposeful and hands‑on, this is it. As a Psychiatric Nurse on our Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team, you’ll work closely with individuals with complex mental health needs and play a key role in helping them build stability and independence.

This is community-based work where relationships matter. You’ll meet clients in their homes and out in the community, offering consistent support through assessments, treatment planning, medication education, and ongoing psychiatric care. You’ll collaborate with a dedicated, multidisciplinary team that values your clinical judgment and relies on your expertise.

Why You’ll Love This Role

• Monday through Friday schedule, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with occasional evenings and weekends
• Meaningful, relationship‑driven work where you see real progress over time

If you’re ready to step outside the traditional clinical setting and do work that truly matters, we’d love to have you on our team.

Why UnityPoint Health?

At UnityPoint Health, you matter. We’re proud to be recognized as a Top 150 Place to Work in Healthcare by Becker's Healthcare several years in a row for our commitment to our team members.

Our competitive Total Rewards program offers benefits options that align with your needs and priorities, no matter what life stage you’re in. Here are just a few:

• Expect paid time off, parental leave, 401K matching and an employee recognition program.

• Dental and health insurance, paid holidays, short and long‑term disability and more. We even offer pet insurance for your four‑legged family members.

• Early access to earned wages with Daily Pay, tuition reimbursement to help further your career and adoption assistance to help you grow your family.

With a collective goal to champion a culture of belonging where everyone feels valued and respected, we honor the ways people are unique and embrace what brings us together.

And, we believe equipping you with support and development opportunities is a vital part of delivering an exceptional employment experience.

Find a fulfilling career and make a difference with UnityPoint Health.

Responsibilities

Direct Client Care and Medical Services

• Under the direction of the team medication prescriber and in collaboration with the other registered nurses on the team, develop, revise, maintain, and supervise team psychopharmacologic and medical treatment and medication policies and procedures including transcribing, administering, evaluating, and recording psychotropic medications prescribed by the medication prescriber.
• Takes a lead role in providing medication administration and nursing care, evaluating and charting psychotropic medication effectiveness, complications, and side effects as prescribed by ACT psychiatrist or ARNP.
• Administer IM injections according to protocol, properly destroy medications according to protocol, and assure client attendance and follow‑up with psychiatric prescriber.
• Arranges for required lab work according to protocol, tracking collections and results.
• Provides education to patients and family members on benefits and possible side effects of medications.
• Provides individual and group treatment, as part of a team, in the office and community settings. Treatment will be in a stage‑based treatment model that is non‑confrontational.
• In collaboration with the team psychiatrist or ARNP coordinate, schedule, and administer medical assessments of client physical health, making appropriate referrals to community physicians for further assessment and treatment, and coordinating psychiatric treatment with medical treatment.
• Provides individual, couple, family and group services/skill teaching in a community setting to teach patients behavioral symptom management as a means of coping with internal and external stressors.
• Performs shift management in coordination with other ACT staff according to established policy and procedures.
• Provides on‑call crisis interventions covering after business hours, overnights and weekends as scheduled.
• Initiates and maintains relationships, in coordination with other staff, with law enforcement, other human service agencies, and informal community resources, (e.g. landlords, employers, etc.), advocating on behalf of the client’s abilities, interests, and needs.
• Advocate for clients to help meet their needs, desires and best interests.
• Utilize critical thinking in making independent judgements and maintain responsibility and accountability for service provided.
• Knowledge of the effects of mental illness and the ability to relate respectfully to clients with a wide range of abilities and diagnoses.
• Ability to meet clients in their homes or in public places with ability to drive safely, and a willingness to transport clients in own vehicle.
• Possess teamwork skills including problem solving, cooperation, negotiating, etc.
• Continue professional development and involvement in professional activities that enhance service provision.

Service Coordination

• Functions as a practicing clinician on the team and provides service coordination (case management) for an assigned group of patients.
• Coordinates and monitors activities of daily living.
• Assumes primary responsibility for developing, writing, implementing, evaluation and revising treatment goals and plans in conjunction with client.
• Provides supportive therapy and symptom management.
• Ensures immediate changes are made in treatment plans as a patients’ needs change.
• Educates and supports patients’ families as needed.
• Advocates for patients’ rights and preferences.
• Help maintain patients’ entitlements.
• Organize and manage the system of getting medication to clients and integrate medication into client’s individual treatment plans.
• Manage pharmaceuticals and medical supplies

Documentation/Assessment

• Complete all documentation within established guidelines.
• Ability to prioritize client need and to complete required written documentation.
• Demonstrate an understanding of all funder and accreditation standards.
• Track and document monthly outcome objectives.
• Participates in patient‑centered comprehensive assessment
• Identifies psychiatric history
• Mental status and diagnosis
• Physical and dental health
• Use of drugs or alcohol
• Education and employment
• Social development and functioning
• Activities of daily living
• Family structure and relationships

Qualifications

Education: Associates degree or Bachelor’s degree in nursing with current RN License required.

Experience: Experience with persons diagnosed with mental illness and/or substance use disorders preferred.

License(s)/Certification(s): Licensed in the state of Iowa as a RN. Valid driver’s license when driving any vehicle for work‑related reasons.

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