Psychiatric Nurse, PRN, Nights

Overview

Demonstrates through behavior Decatur Morgan Hospital's mission, vision and values. Utilizes specialized knowledge, judgment and nursing skills to assess data and plan, provide and evaluate care appropriate to the physical and developmental age of the assigned patients with a primary focus to provide a safe and therapeutic environment.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities / Essential Functions
Caregiver : The caregiver role has traditionally included those activities that assist the patient's physical and psychologically while preserving the patient's dignity. Caregiving encompasses the physical, psychosocial, developmental, cultural and spiritual needs of the patient.
Communicator : Communication is an integral to all nursing roles. Nurses communicate with the patient, support persons, other health professionals, and people in the community. In the role of communicator, nurses identify patient problems and then communicate these verbally or in writing to other members of the health team. The quality of a nurse's communication is an important factor in nursing care.
Teacher : As a teacher, the nurse helps patients learn about their health and the health care procedures they need to perform to restore or maintain their health. The nurse assesses the patient's learning needs and readiness to learn, sets specific learning goals in conjunction with the patient, enacts teaching strategies and measures learning.
Patient Advocate : Patient advocate acts to protect the patient. In this role the nurse may represent the patient's needs and wishes to other health professionals, such as relaying the patient's wishes for information to the physician. They also assist patients in exercising their rights and help them speak up for themselves.
Counselor : Counseling is a process of helping a patient to recognize and cope with stressful psychological or social problems, to develop improved interpersonal relationships, and to promote personal growth. It involves providing emotional, intellectual, and psychological support.
Change Agent : The nurse acts as a change agent when assisting others, that is, patients, to make modifications in their own behavior. Nurses also often act to make changes in a system such as clinical care.
Leader : A leader influences others to work together to accomplish a specific goal. The leader role can be employed at different levels; individual patient, family, groups of patients, colleagues, or the community. Effective leadership is a learned process requiring an understanding of the needs and goals that motivate people, the knowledge to apply the leadership skills, and the interpersonal skills to influence others.

Qualifications

Minimum Knowledge, Skills, Experience Required:

- Uses common sense and special medical skills to care for patients.

- Understands technical information applicable to job function and caring for patients.

- Responds quickly in an emergency with appropriate action.

- Communicates with people.

- Changes from one duty to another frequently.

- Follows and /or gives precise instructions.

- Records and interprets information accurately.

Education:

Graduate of an accredited school of nursing

Possesses current Alabama Nursing License.

Experience:

Psychiatric/mental health experience desirable.