Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

POSITION OVERVIEW: Responsible for the care and needs of patients in a psychiatric unit. The Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner may do the same things a psychiatrist does, including diagnosing mental illness and prescribing medication. May also act as a therapist, helping patients with depression, anxiety and suicidal individuals, and other conditions that can be remedied with counseling.

Key Responsibilities

• Assess, examine, diagnose, and treat patients with mental illness by conducting a comprehensive family assessment.
• Collects data from multiple sources using assessment techniques that are appropriate to the patient's language, culture, and development state, including screening evaluations, psychiatric rating scales, genograms, and other standardized instruments.
• Assesses the impact of acute and/or chronic illness, psychiatric disorders, and stressors on the family system.
• Performs initial history and physical examination, intermittent medical assessments as warranted.
• Involves patients, significant others, and interdisciplinary team members in data collection and analysis.
• Teach patients' families about the patients' condition, and how to react in certain scenarios.
• Develops a plan of care.
• May prescribe medications.
• Educate patients on medications for addiction treatment (MAT).

Maryland Specific Responsibilities

• Prescribing MAT for Alcohol Use Disorder and Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) for Opioid Use Disorder (i. e Buprenorphine, Methadone, Sublocade, etc.)
• Prescribing Nicotine Replacement therapies (gums, patches, lozenges, etc.) and medications (Chantix, Wellbutrin, etc.)
• Medically Supervised withdrawal daily rounding.
• H&P Comprehensive Admissions Assessment to 3.7 and 3.5 levels of care.

Skills and Education

• Master's, postgraduate, or doctoral degree from a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) (formerly NLNAC | National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.
• Current Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certification from the ANCC.
• 2+ years' experience as an RN; 3 years' experience as a psychiatric nurse practitioner preferred.
• Valid NP license in the state in which the individual will practice.
• Active DEA (and CDS if required by state) license. For all full time NP, the DEA and CDS must match facility address. For part-time and PRN, DEA and CDS may not require the address to be the facility address.
• Up to date CPR or BLS certification strongly preferred (or must be completed during orientation period).
• Critical thinking skills and ability to formulate accurate medical/psychiatric assessment.
• Understanding of ASAM criteria and levels of care.
• Ability to safely prescribe medications and administer as needed.
• Competency in performing CLIA waived testing as needed.
• Proficiency in screening and assessing for suicide ideation and aggression.
• Ethics: Ethics is reflected in integrity, which includes elements of honesty, responsibility, credibility, and the ability to use ethical considerations to guide decisions and actions.
• Health Promotion, Health Protection, Disease Prevention, and Treatment:

Provides direct mental health care services. Synthesizes theoretical, scientific, and clinical knowledge for the assessment and management of mental health and illness states.

• Nurse Practitioner/Patient Relationship: Demonstrates the personal, collegial, and collaborative approach that enhances the psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner's effectiveness of patient care.
• Cultural Competence: Provides culturally competent care, delivering patient care with respect to cultural and spiritual beliefs, and making health care resources available to patients from diverse cultures.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: May work in a variety of environments including professional offices, clinics, hospitals, or outpatient facilities. They spend much of their time on their feet, actively working with patients.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls.

The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move objects up to 25 pounds.

Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus. Ability to administer at least 2 consecutive minutes of quality CPR.

TRAVEL: Travel is primarily local during the business day, although some out-of-the-area and overnight travel may be expected