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Tenet Healthcare
Modesto, California

+Registered Nurse (RN) - Utilization Review Behavioral Health

Registered NurseNo nightsPer Diem

Listed compensation

$68.7-$102.34/hr

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 40m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Job Type: Per Diem

Job Shift: Days

Holiday Rotation

Department: Behavioral Health

Reporting to the Director of Case Management, the Utilization Review Nurse is responsible for ensuring that patients being admitted to Doctors Behavioral Health Center are admitted to the appropriate level of care in accordance with the vision and goals of Doctors Medical Center and the regulatory guidelines as set by the state and federal rules. The Utilization Review Nurse ensures quality, cost-effective patient care through planning; communication, critical thinking and facilitation of the multi-disciplinary patient care team.

Coordinates Utilization Review activities to ensure that authorizations are obtained for in-patient acute hospitalizations. Acts as a liaison between MD’s, the Treatment Team and External Review Organizations. Reviews the Treatment Plan and monitors the delivery of care to make sure the desired treatment outcomes are achieved.. Communicates reimbursement issues, trends and patterns to the Director of Case Management and the Administrator.

Qualifications

Minimum Education

BSN preferred.

Minimum Experience/Skills:

One or more year’s recent acute hospital experience Minimum of one year acute, inpatient psychiatric or chemical dependency experience. Good communication, documentation and organizational skills. Self motivated and able to function with a minimum of supervision. Demonstrates personal maturity, independent judgment and integrity.

License/Certificates/Credentials

Current CA Registered Nurse License

Current BLS certification

Join our dedicated healthcare team where compassion meets innovation! As a Registered Nurse with us, you'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in patients' lives while enjoying a supportive work environment that fosters professional growth and work-life balance. Ready to be a vital part of our mission? Apply today and bring your passion for nursing to a place where it truly matters!

At Doctors Medical Center of Modesto, we understand that our greatest asset is our dedicated team of professionals. That’s why we offer more than a job – we provide a comprehensive benefit package that prioritizes your health, professional development, and work-life balance. The available plans and

programs include:

  • Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
  • 401(k) retirement savings plan with employer match
  • Generous paid time off
  • Career development and continuing education opportunities
  • Health savings accounts, healthcare & dependent flexible spending accounts
  • Employee Assistance program, Employee discount program
  • Voluntary benefits include pet insurance, legal insurance, accident and critical illness insurance, long term care, elder & childcare, auto & home insurance

Note: Eligibility for benefits may vary by location and is determined by employment status: Doctors Medical Center (DMC), part of the Central Valley Doctors Health System, is the largest full-care hospital between Stockton and Fresno, and from the Sierras to the San Francisco Bay Area, with a 394-bed general acute care and a 67-bed inpatient psychiatric capacity.

DMC is known for providing comprehensive inpatient, outpatient and emergency care.

Doctors Medical Center offers a wide range of services including cardiology, neurosurgery, orthopedics, emergency and trauma services, minimally-invasive and robotic surgery, women and childrens services, medical/surgical, behavioral health, oncology and critical/intensive care. Join our team!

Key Responsibilities

The Utilization Review Nurse ensures patients are admitted to the appropriate level of care while coordinating authorizations for inpatient acute hospitalizations. They act as a liaison between the treatment team and external review organizations to monitor treatment plans and ensure cost-effective care.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Psychiatric nursingAuthorization coordinationTreatment planningRegulatory compliance

Utilization Review — Registered Nurse Career Context

Of the 45 active Utilization Review Nurse listings this role was benchmarked against, 22% are remote, 64% have no call, 73% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$178k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $161k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Utilization Review Nurse by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score5.1 / 10 · above average in utilization review nurseranked against 48 Utilization Review Nurse listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$161k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Utilization Review Nurse listings in California438 active6,023 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 22% remote · 64% no call · 73% no weekends45 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia Registered Nurse listings: 9% state a sign-on bonus (median $8k) · 4% offer loan repayment438 active listings, Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (48 Utilization Review Nurse listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top contract/1099 Registered Nurse Jobs

45 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

30 jobs · 26 employers
14
<$120k
9
$120k-150k
4
$150k-180k
3
$180k-210k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

26 jobs
401k / retirement match
96% this job
Sign-on bonus
8%
Loan repayment
8%
CME allowance
8% this job
PSLF eligible
4%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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$71.83-$100.33/hr
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$39-$64.25/hr
#3

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#4

Per Diem Clinical Research Nurse - Home Visits

$50-$55/hr
+ 43 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.5this job 5.1
Better work-life than 60% of Utilization Review Nurse listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 48 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No nights
Tenet Healthcare logo

About Tenet Healthcare

Hospitals and Health Care
Dallas, Texas
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
401(k) retirement savings plan with employer match
Generous paid time off
Career development and continuing education opportunities
Health savings accounts, healthcare & dependent flexible spending accounts
Employee Assistance program
Employee discount program
Voluntary benefits: pet insurance, legal insurance, accident and critical illness insurance, long term care, elder & childcare, auto & home insurance

Living in Modesto

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$433k
Typical market rent
$2,022/mo
Residents’ average commute
30 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
104.1
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Modesto, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.