Registered Nurse/ On-Call

Valley Cities Behavioral Health Care; Kent (WA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Valley Cities Behavioral Health Care is seeking an inpatient Psychiatric Nurse to provide direct patient care in acute units. You will assess, monitor, and treat clients with mental health and substance use disorders, coordinating with a multidisciplinary team to ensure safe, recovery‑oriented care.

Requires WA RN license, BLS, CPI within 6 months, and 1+ year psychiatric nursing experience; acute care experience preferred. On-site work with on-call requirements and shift-based duties.

Qualifications

• Education: Washington State RN license, BLS certified, CPI certification within 6 months of hire.
• Experience: 1+ years in psychiatric nursing; 1 year in acute care preferred.
• Knowledge/Abilities: teamwork, resilience, clear communication, HIPAA compliance.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct patient care including ongoing assessment, medication management, withdrawal, and other medical needs per protocol.
• Assess patients’ medical status and refer as necessary.
• Prioritize RN/LPN responsibilities independently or with supervision based on needs and staff available.
• Administer treatments and medications per established procedures.
• Complete health data collection, admissions, and documentation.
• Maintain infection control and patient confidentiality per policies.
• Participate in shift handoffs and coordinate with the care team.

Skills

Psychiatric nursing

RN license

BLS certified

CPI training

Education

Washington State RN license

BLS certification

CPI Certification

Job description

Position Summary

Inpatient Psychiatric Nurses care for clients living with mental illness and/or substance use disorders which have led to the need for acute treatment by means of involuntary hospitalization. Psychiatric nurses are responsible for the direct care of clients located in either/or the Evaluation and Treatment or the Secure Withdrawal Management unit of Recovery Place Kent. Registered nurses will work in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of medical and clinical professionals to administer safe and therapeutic treatment to clients. This position supports a recovery-oriented, person-centered treatment experience through the provision of safe and therapeutic nursing services to clients by means of assessment, diagnosis, care planning, and treatment. Milieu management and crisis de-escalation are also integral components of this nursing role.

Essential Job Functions

• Primary accountability for patient care, including ongoing assessment, medication management, withdrawal, and ancillary medical needs as per protocol.
• Assess patients’ medical status and refer as necessary.
• Prioritize RN and LPN responsibilities independently, or with supervision, based on patient care needs, unit milieu, and number/discipline of assigned staff available to provide care.
• Administer and perform prescribed treatments and medical interventions, including transcribing and administering routine and prescribed medications in accordance with procedures established by medical staff and nursing leadership.
• Complete medical treatments and other tasks within the scope of licensed practical nurses and the program services and procedures (e.g. phlebotomy, immunizations, EKGs, TB testing, wound care, ostomy care, etc.).
• Conduct facility admissions, obtain physical health data, complete health history screens (to include HIV, TB, etc.) and complete necessary documentation.
• Inventory and care for patients’ personal possessions.
• Complete ROI’s and coordinate care with external agencies and/or facilities as per policy and regulations.
• Complete patient transfer processes to include sending appropriate medical documentation to other units/facilities, informing the patient of transfer, coordinating with clinical staff, and completing appropriate transfer forms.
• Participate in comprehensive clinical pass-down reports at shift changes.
• Collaborate with Licensed Practical Nurses, Nurse Manager, Charge Nurse, Providers and Clinical Team on complex care issues and concerns.
• Record patient observations and activities in patient records accurately and timely in accordance with nursing standards and organizational policy and procedure.
• Maintain a safe environment applying principles of medical asepsis, infection control techniques and universal precautions. Follow agency infection control plan and policies.
• Follow all policies and procedures with regard to patient information protection, including mental health and alcohol-drug patient confidentiality (42 CFR) and HIPAA (45 CFR).
• Maintain and demonstrate a current working knowledge of applicable clinical procedures and nursing care based on company policy and State and Federal guidelines.
• Actively and compassionately interact with patients to encourage engagement in treatment.
• Assist with therapeutic milieu management.
• Utilize verbal and physical de-escalation techniques to manage behaviorally escalated/aggressive patients.
• Apply and/or facilitate the safe and appropriate application of restraints as per policy and protocol.
• Demonstrate respect for, and enforce patient rights, and maintain confidentiality as per HIPPA and agency policy.
• Complete and document medication teaching for patients and legal representatives during hospitalization and prior to discharge.
• Attend mandatory trainings and staff meetings.
• Perform other duties as assigned within appropriate scope.
• On-Call requires 3 shifts per month.
• On-Call requires one major and one minor holiday shift per calendar year.
• On-Call requires one weekend per month.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Washington State License as a Registered Nurse; BLS certified; CPI Certification required within 6 months of hire (training provided by Valley Cities).

Experience

• One or more years experience in psychiatric nursing required.
• One-year experience in an acute care setting preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Must be able to work with respect and tolerance in a multidisciplinary setting.
• Psychological Resilience: ability to tolerate the daily stress of an acute psychiatric care setting.
• Able to interact with patients with sensitivity, tact and respect while setting firm limits and boundaries when necessary.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to effectively prioritize multiple tasks and demands.
• Knowledge of theories of human behavior, personality development, and etiologies of psychiatric and substance use disorders.
• Familiarity with Washington Administrative Code regulations and professional standards governing the care and treatment of mentally ill patients in the acute care setting.
• Computer/technology literacy and proficiency.

Working Conditions

Direct nursing care requires the ability to lift, push, pull, twist, stoop, and lift to 50 lbs. without assistance. Most work takes place in usual office working conditions, where the noise level in the work area is typical of most office environments with telephones, personal interruptions, and background noises. Perform duties of a nurse as needed, which will include exposure to hazardous materials (such as body fluids, needle sticks).

Equal Opportunity Employer

Valley Cities is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. It is our policy to recruit, hire, train, promote, reassign, compensate, and administer all personnel actions without regard to age, sex, race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, marital status, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or medical condition including pregnancy. It is our intention that all qualified applicants are given equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job-related factors.

Valley Cities also provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs or practices fully required by law. If you would like to request an accommodation, please contact Human Resources.