Intake RN (Nights) FT

Palms Behavioral Health; Harlingen (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits

Job summary

Palms Behavioral Health in Harlingen, Texas is seeking an Intake Registered Nurse (Nights) for full-time on-site work to manage patient admissions and intake processes from screening to pre-authorization. The role collaborates with medical and psychiatric staff and may involve insurance verification and financial counseling as needed.

Preferred BSN and RN license with clinical interviewing and assessment experience in mental health settings.

Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited school of nursing is required; BSN preferred.
• One or more years' experience in mental health admissions is preferred.
• Experience in clinical interviewing, patient assessment and treatment planning.
• Experience with managed care pre-certification processes and level of care assessments.
• Strong interpersonal, interviewing, and assessment skills.

Responsibilities

• Facilitates admissions and assessment processes for incoming patients and initiates integrated assessments.
• Collaborates with facility medical/psychiatric staff to ensure admissions and appropriate level of care.
• Provides coverage for the Call Center Team: handles calls, processes admissions, verifies insurance, and pre-certifications.
• Gathers admission documents and secures pre-authorization for treatment and admission.
• Reviews charts to determine medical necessity and coordinates with physicians for orders and diagnoses.
• Participates in treatment coordination across teams and may administer medications under supervision.

Skills

RN License

Intake/Admissions

Insurance Verification

DSM-V Diagnosis

Patient Assessment

Communication

Education

Accredited Nursing Program

BSN preferred

Job description

Available shift times: ☐

Intake RN (Nights) FT | Palms Behavioral Health | Harlingen, Texas

About the Job

PURPOSE STATEMENT:

The Intake RN performs the daily operations of patient intake and/or admissions, with may include screening, financial counseling, insurance verification and assessment at or outside the facility, depending on the needs of the patient or hospital. Screens and assesses admissions to evaluate clinical and medical appropriateness and communicates this information to a physician who makes the admissions and level of care decision. Works closely with business office, nursing, and clinical staff as well as external parties to ensure the timely admission of patients. Responds to inquiries regarding admissions.

Roles and Responsibilities

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Facilitates admissions and assessment processes for incoming patients. Provides initial evaluation and initiate the integrated assessment, documenting patient symptoms, functioning and needs.
• Collaborates with other facility medical and psychiatric staff to ensure appropriate recommendations and admissions. Communicates projected admissions to designated internal representative in a timely manner.
• Provides additional coverage for the Call Center Team – e.g. answers phones, processes admission requests, completes call center duties reviewing and accepting patients, verifies insurance, and assists with insurance pre-certifications during times of high volume
• Ensures all medical admission documentation is gathered from external sources prior to patient admission and secures initial pre-authorization for treatment and admission.
• Reviews patient charts to determine medical necessity and staffs each referral and assessment with appropriate physician to obtain orders, recommendations, and DSM-V diagnosis, when appropriate.
• Communicates treatment recommendations to and coordinate with other treatment teams.
• May administer patients’ medications and follows all physician's orders in consultation with psychiatrist and in accordance with established hospital and licensing agency protocols. Educates patients on side effects, and through discussions determines the effectiveness of education; questions compliance and adjusts medications under psychiatrists' supervision as needed; monitors lab results to validate medication compliance.
• May maintain accountability of administration, recording, control and security of medications, including narcotics. Assures completion of Adverse Drug Reaction forms as necessary. Maintains knowledge of the most common medications used for psychiatric patients.
• Advocates for the lowest level of care consistent with the patient’s needs. Coordinates admission and transfer between levels of care within the facility.
• Assures thorough, accurate documentation is completed for all patients on each shift and facilitates the response to requests for services, including the initial response, the assessment, and referral process, the designation of appropriate level of care, initiation/admission into services, and appropriate follow up activity.
• Responds to inquiries about the facility within facility policy timeframes.
• Performs insurance benefit verifications, disseminating the information gathered to patient, their families and other appropriate facility staff. Provides accurate and ongoing assessment of patient status in the admissions process. Reviews client charts to determine medical necessity and staffs each referral and assessment with appropriate physician to obtain orders, recommendations, and DSM-V diagnosis, when appropriate.
• Other duties as assigned, including assisting on patient unit.
• May administer clients’ medications. Follows all physician's orders in consultation with psychiatrist and in accordance with established hospital and licensing agency protocols. Educates patients on side effects, and through discussions determines the effectiveness of education; questions compliance and adjusts medications under psychiatrists' supervision as needed; monitors lab results to validate medication compliance.
• May maintain accountability of administration, recording, control and security of medications, including narcotics. Assures completion of Adverse Drug Reaction forms as necessary. Maintains knowledge of the most common medications used for psychiatric clients.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/SKILL REQUIREMENTS

• Graduation from an accredited school of nursing required. BSN preferred.
• One or more years' experience in mental health or substance use disorder admissions preferred.
• Experience in clinical interviewing, patient assessment, referral, treatment planning, communicating with external review organizations or comparable entities.
• Experience in the managed care pre-certification process, level of care assessments and utilization.
• Outstanding interpersonal and interviewing and assessment skills. Skill in telephone etiquette and paging procedures.

☐ 3 × 12-hour shifts: 8:00 PM – 8:00 AM

☐ 3 × 12-hour shifts: 6:00 PM – 6:00 AM

☐ 4 × 10-hour shifts: 8:00 PM – 6:00 AM

LICENSES/DESIGNATIONS/CERTIFICATIONS

• Valid current RN license from the state or from a compact state, where applicable.
• CPR and de-escalation and restraint certification required (training available upon hire and offered by facility).
• First aid may be required based on state or facility requirements.

WORK LOCATION

This position is onsite at the facility and is not a remote position.

SUPERVISORY REQUIREMENTS

This position is an Individual Contributor.

Why Palms Behavioral Health?

Palms Behavioral Health offers a comprehensive benefit plan and a competitive salary commensurate with experience and qualifications. Palms Behavioral Health is an EOE.

Summit BHC is dedicated to serving Veterans with specialized programming at our treatment centers across the country. We recognize and value the unique strengths of the military community in supporting our mission to serve those who have served.