Forensic Nurse (Multiple Positions)

State of Connecticut - DMHAS Whiting Forensic Hospital; Middletown (CT); On-site; USD 87,000 - 116,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Professional growth

Hazardous duty pension

25-year retirement?

Work-life balance

Job summary

Whiting Forensic Hospital in Middletown, CT is seeking Forensic Nurses to join a dedicated care team. We offer full-time and part-time opportunities with first, second, and third shifts.

Nurses may be assigned to any unit/location within WFH and will work in a challenging, maximum-security environment. Selected applicants benefit from a hazardous-duty pension, opportunities for professional growth, and a healthy work-life balance.

Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited nursing program.
• Current RN license in CT or multistate license.
• Experience in mental health or forensic settings preferred.
• Ability to work hazardous duty environment.

Responsibilities

• Independently implements the nursing process with patients/clients including carrying out physicians' orders regarding diet, medication and treatment.
• Makes ward rounds and gives direct care.
• Takes and records vital signs.
• Changes dressings and administers medications.
• Maintains availability of drugs and supplies and records observations.

Education

Graduation from an accredited nursing program.

Job description

Introduction

Are looking for an exciting opportunity to make an impact and advance your career? Join us and be part of a revolutionary team shaping the future!

The Position

The State of Connecticut, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) is now hiring for Forensic Nurses to join their team!

Highlights

• FACILITY: Whiting Forensic Hospital (WFH)
• LOCATION: Middletown, CT
• SCHEDULES AVAILABLE: Full-Time and Part-Time
• SHIFTS AVAILABLE: First, Second, and Third

Please Note

These positions can be assigned any unit/location and work schedule/shift throughout WFH.

These positions are Hazardous Duty.

New! We’re excited that Connecticut has joined the Nurse Licensure Compact effective October 1, 2025. Visit Nurse Licensure Compact for more details.

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.

What We Can Offer You

Visit our new State Employee Benefits Overview page!

• Professional growth and development opportunities
• Hazardous Duty pension plan (State Employees Retirement System Tier IV)
• Retire in 25 years - with pension & healthcare benefits
• A healthy work/life balance to all employees
• Benefits may vary or not apply for certain part-time positions.

Become Part of a Comprehensive Team of Care Professionals

• Be a part of a comprehensive team of caring professionals
• Provide support to a division that is passionate about improving the lives of those we serve
• Assist our clients so they can achieve success
• Make a difference in the public sector
• Work together in a collaborative team environment

NOTE:

Permanent DMHAS employees in the classification of Forensic Nurse should not apply; transfers within DMHAS will be handled through the agency lateral transfer process.

Candidates hired from this posting may be initially provided with a temporary assignment; the permanent assignment will be determined within the first six months of employment.

About Us

DMHAS is a health care agency whose mission is to promote the overall health and wellness of persons with behavioral health needs through an integrated network of holistic, comprehensive, effective, and efficient services and supports that foster dignity, respect, and self-sufficiency in those we serve.

Whiting Forensic Hospital specializes in providing inpatient services to individuals involved in the criminal justice system or are not yet ready to be safely treated in less restrictive settings. Services are provided to individuals who are admitted via Psychiatric Security Review Board (PSRB) commitment, criminal court order for restoration of competency to stand trial, civil commitment, or transfer from the Department of Correction. Discharge options are dependent on legal status and the purpose of admission. The hospital consists of 91 maximum security beds and 138 enhanced security beds.

PLEASE NOTE

A comprehensive medical examination, including a drug screening, will be required of all applicants upon a conditional offer of employment.

All state employees must adhere to Connecticut's Policy for a Drug Free Workplace.

Selection Plan

Salary Information

• Part-Time: $41.85 - $55.42/hour (Commensurate with education and/or experience)
• Full-Time: $87,373 - $115,699/year (Commensurate with education and/or experience)

FOR THOSE WHO HOLD AN RN LICENSE IN A STATE OTHER THAN CONNECTICUT AND DO NOT HOLD A MULTISTATE OR COMPACT REGISTERED NURSING LICENSE, AND WISH TO APPLY FOR A CONNECTICUT LICENSE, PLEASE:

Review the eligibility and documentation requirements for CT license by endorsement of an out-of-state license;

Complete a CT DPH online application online (expand the ‘Public Health Practitioners’ grouping, select ‘Registered Nurse’ and then ‘Start’;

Request verification of your out-of-state license(s) electronically through the National Council of State Boards of Nursing’s :��Nursys� System. To send verification of your license(s) to CT, read and agree to the terms, enter your biographic information, select your license type and select ‘SEARCH’. Review the results and select the ‘Next’ button. Check the box next to ‘Connecticut’ and complete the transaction. Once the transaction is completed, you will receive a confirmation email from Nursys and the verification will be available to the DPH. Note that PA and MI verifications are not provided through Nursys. Please contact those state boards for information on obtaining verification.

BEFORE YOU APPLY

Meet Minimum Qualifications: Ensure you meet the Minimum Qualifications listed on the job opening by the job closing date. You must specify your qualifications on your application. The minimum experience and training requirements listed must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.

Educational Credits: List your earned credits and degrees from accredited institutions accurately on your application. To receive educational credits towards qualification, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the contact listed below by the closing date listed on the job posting.

Resume Policy: Per Public Act 21-69, resumes are not accepted during the initial application process. As the recruitment process progresses, candidates may be required to submit additional documentation to support their qualification(s) for this position. This documentation may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the request and discretion of the hiring agency.

Preferred Shift/Location: Select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift.

Timely Submission: All application materials must be received by the job posting deadline. You will be unable to make revisions once you officially submit your application to the State. Late submissions are rarely accepted, with exceptions only for documented events that incapacitate individuals during the entire duration of the job posting. Request exceptions by emailing [e-mail].

Salary Calculations: For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.

THIS JOB MAY BE FILLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH CONTRACTUAL LANGUAGE, REEMPLYPMENT, SEBAC, TRANSFER, PROMOTION AND MERIT EMPLOYMENT RULES. CANDIDATES WHO ARE OFFERED AND ACCEPT A POSITION WITH THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT ARE BOUND BY THE STATE CODE OF ETHICS FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND STATE EMPLOYEES, AVAILABLE AT WWW.CT.GOV/ETHICS.

This employer may participate in E‑Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I‑9 information to confirm work authorization.

AFTER YOU APPLY

Some email providers may experience delays or issues delivering messages. To avoid missing important updates—such as referral questionnaires or interview scheduling links—please check your Personal Status Board regularly.

For added convenience, you can also enable text (SMS) notifications. To do this, log in to your Personal Status Board and select “Update My Contact Information.”

Referral Questions: This posting may require completion of additional Referral Questions (RQs), which must be completed by the questionnaire’s expiration date. If requested, RQs can be accessed via an email sent to you after the job close date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section).

Prepare For An Interview: Interviews are limited to those whose experience and training are most aligned with the role. To prepare, review this helpful Interview Preparation Guide to make the best impression!

Stay connected! Log in daily to your JobAps Personal Status Board to track your status and check email (including spam/junk folders) for updates and tasks.

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

Note: This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules. Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State employees, available at www.ct.gov/ethics.

This employer may participate in E‑Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I‑9 information to confirm work authorization.

CONCLUSION

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.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Graduation from an accredited nursing program.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

• Knowledge of
• and ability to apply professional nursing theory, practice and ethics;
• and ability to apply quality standards, procedures and protocols;
• and ability to apply clinical therapeutic models of care with emphasis on interdisciplinary team approach;
• nursing practices necessary to provide effective services to patients/clients in a maximum security environment;
• current medications, their actions, interactions, uses and side effects;
• medical, therapeutic and psychiatric nursing interventions and methods;
• and sensitivity to cultural and social-economic differences;
• Considerable
• interpersonal skills;
• oral and written communication skills;
• Ability to
• act as a role model to health care staff by demonstrating and teaching professional behaviors;
• learn specialized patient/client care applicable to work assignment;
• listen and provide empathetic assistance to patients/clients and families in meeting their needs and carrying out prescribed treatments;
• develop therapeutic relationships with patients/clients and their caregivers;
• respond to emergencies;
• respond to and seek supervision;
• encourage and facilitate cooperation, pride, trust and group identity to foster commitment and team work;
• analyze and evaluate proper care and treatment.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

• Independently implements the nursing process with patients/clients including carrying out physicians' orders regarding diet, medication and treatment;
• Makes ward rounds and gives direct care;
• Takes and records vital signs;
• Changes dressings;
• Checks and distributes controlled drugs;
• Maintains availability of drugs and supplies;
• Observes adequacy of housekeeping and maintenance services;
• Performs first aid and alerts physicians to emergency conditions;
• Records observations of physical and physiological status and actions taken;
• Confers with nurses and physicians on other shifts regarding condition of patients/clients;
• Assesses patients/clients medical-psychosocial needs;
• Works collaboratively with members of an interdisciplinary team in planning direct care;
• Formulates and implements nursing care plans;
• Evaluates nursing actions taken and modifies and/or revises nursing interventions based on patient/client need and response;
• Teaches skills of self care to patients/clients;
• Protects human and civil rights of patients/clients and staff;
• Educates patients/clients and their families towards an awareness and understanding of health, illness and medication usage;
• Maintains records and reports;
• May participate in bathing and feeding of patients/clients;
• May assist in physical examinations and histories;
• May administer electrocardiogram (EKG) and eye examinations;
• May assist in design and collection of data for research projects;
• Performs related duties as required.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Incumbents in this class must possess and retain a license or temporary permit as a Registered Nurse in Connecticut OR hold a Multistate or Compact Registered Nurse license.

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.

CHARACTER REQUIREMENTS

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.