Behavioral Health Nurse Specialist

Behavioral Health Nurse Specialist | UPMC McKeesport

UPMC McKeesport is seeking an experienced and knowledgeable Behavioral Health Nurse Specialist to support both our Behavioral Health Unit (BHU) and Addiction Medicine services.

This is a unique opportunity for a nurse with a strong behavioral health background who enjoys combining clinical expertise, collaboration, education, and independent work. In this role, you’ll partner with multidisciplinary teams to support high-quality care for patients with psychiatric and substance use needs while serving as a valuable clinical resource for staff.

Schedule: Monday through Friday, day and occasional evening hours

• On-call coverage as needed
• What You’ll Do
• Support patients and staff across both the Behavioral Health Unit and Addiction Medicine

Work independently and collaboratively with the multidisciplinary care team based on patient and departmental needs

Provide clinical consultation and education related to psychiatric diagnoses, treatment, medication management, and psychopharmacology

Participate in patient rounding, consultations, care planning, behavioral management, and discharge or transfer coordination

Assess patients for psychiatric, medical, psychosocial, substance use, and safety concerns

Complete suicide, homicide, violence, and other appropriate risk assessments and support safety-planning efforts

Monitor for medication effectiveness and potential side effects, including EPS, NMS, serotonin syndrome, and lithium toxicity

• Assess for substance withdrawal symptoms and review pertinent labs, documentation, and clinical findings
• Collaborate closely with psychiatrists, nursing staff, pharmacy, families, and other members of the care team
• Assist with chart audits, clinical reviews, documentation, and other department needs
• Provide ongoing education and serve as a behavioral health resource for staff, patients, and families

Why Join UPMC McKeesport?

This role offers the opportunity to make an impact across two important areas of behavioral health care while using your nursing experience in a highly collaborative environment. You’ll have the opportunity to support complex patient populations, educate and partner with clinical teams, and help promote safe, coordinated, patient-centered care.

If you’re an experienced nurse with a passion for behavioral health, addiction medicine, education, and collaborative care, we’d love to have you bring your expertise to UPMC McKeesport.

Responsibilities

Demonstrates accountability for professional development that improves the quality of professional practice and the quality of patient care. Actively participates in respective councils and committees,, goal setting and supports the change and transition process to improve quality of care and the practice environment.

Serves as a highly engaged and full partner on the care team and responds willingly to care team member needs for assistance and partnership. Participates in work that improves patient care and the professional practice environment. Adapts to change and demonstrates flexibility with the change process.

Role models that change processes for other Behavioral Health Nurse Specialists and for dissemination of education and support to nursing teams for the care of BH patients

Applies the nursing process within the framework of Relationship Based Care to create a recovery oriented and healing environment.

Formulates daily objectives and collaborates on creating a plan of care for patients that involves the patient as partner and considers the individual needs of the patient in a holistic manner.

Demonstrates critical thinking in the identification of clinical, social, safety, psychological and spiritual issues for the patient care within an episode of care.

Practices solid communication skills and can articulate and translate the patient's condition to other care providers and to negotiate and make recommendations for changes in patient care and management. Patient documentation is comprehensive and promotes communication between caregivers.

Incorporates national professional organization as well as business unit and health system's goals to improve patient safety, quality and satisfaction. Creates a caring and compassionate patient focused experience by building healing relationships with patients, families and colleagues.

Demonstrates knowledge of adult learning principles and applies in education of patients, families, students and new staff. Provides detailed and appropriate education to patients and families to effectively guide them through the episode of care as well as transition to another level of care and/or home.

Supports the development of students, new staff and colleagues, may serve as a preceptor. Creates and maintains a collaborative environment of open dialogue, inquiry and continuous development by asking for feedback and improving practice.

Actively participates in department or quality improvement efforts. Identifies opportunity for quality improvement to colleagues and management. Identifies research issues or articles related to clinical specialty or areas of interest, discusses opportunities for quality improvement at multidisciplinary rounds, and influences patients' plans of care.

Develops and maintains productive working relationships internally and externally by demonstrating accountability for actions, enthusiasm, motivation and commitment to patients and colleagues.

Demonstrates an understanding of cultural differences and holds peers accountable for healthy and respective inclusive relationships. Maintains a conscious balance between work and personal life. Models safe work hours, time management and healthy lifestyle. Communicates with peers and management any safety hazards identified in the workplace.

Nurse has a strong knowledge of psychiatric diagnoses and be able to differentiate diagnosis on assigned patients. Monitors psychiatric, medical, psychosocial status of assigned team.

Provides education and consultation regarding psychiatric treatment, management, and psychopharmacology, and consultative process or staff. Provides patient/family education around psychiatric medication/diagnosis as needed. Provides routinely scheduled staff education on clinical issues.

Participate as an integral professional member of a multidisciplinary team. Assist with coordinating plan of care and discharge/transfer as needed. Participates in patient rounding/patient consults. Monitors and tracks commitment status and collaborates with others.

Has knowledge of psychiatric diagnosis and able to differentiate diagnosis on assigned patients. Initiates or reviews clinical documentation of all assigned patient and collaborates with the team, staying engaged in care planning and/or behavioral management support.

Works with team and pharmacy to acquire medication prior authorization as needed. Attend family meetings as needed or interacts with families as needed. Reviews medical H & P, progress notes and summarize medical course. Performs psychiatric review of symptoms. Completes or reviews medical reconciliation a needed.

Obtain collateral information from families and team. Assess for medication side effects – ongoing which may include EPS, NMS, Serotonin Syndrome, Lithium toxicity, etc.

Completes Drug and Alcohol inventory and assesses for any withdrawal symptoms. Reviews labs and documents any remarkable significant results. Completes physical exam as needed assessing for any abnormal movements, rigidity, cog-wheeling, weakness, gait problems.

Completes violence, suicide, and homicide risk assessments and reassessments. Summarizes cases and pulls together findings in impression including lethality assessment.

Offer preliminary recommendations in conjunction with attending psychiatrist especially re: any immediate safety needs and notify appropriate staff and engages safety planning efforts. Communicates all pertinent ongoing results to the psychiatrist.

Check for resolution/worsening of any identified problems – i. e. delirium. Completes follow-up visits as needed and clinically appropriate. Assists with facilitating transfers as needed.

Minimum 2 years’ experience. BSN preferred.

Annual completion of 2 professional contributions selected from department, hospital or system goals, and approved by Unit Director OR certification and 1 professional contribution selected from department, hospital or system goals, and approved by Unit Director as set forth through UPMC's My Nursing Career Ladder.

Certification not required if Master's in nursing or DNP is held. If a BSN is held, a Master's degree in a related field may be substituted in lieu of Certification.

Ability to establish and maintain positive, caring relationships with executives, managers, physicians, non-physician providers, ancillary and support staff, other departments, and patients/families.

Ability to work productively and effectively within a complex environment, handle multiple/changing priorities and specialized equipment. Exemplary clinical judgment with critical thinking, analytical and problem solving abilities required as related to various aspects of patient care.

Critical thinking skills necessary to exercise and to lead others in application of the nursing process.

Mobility and visual manual dexterity. Physical stamina for frequent walking, standing, lifting and positioning of patients.

Licensure, Certifications, and Clearances

Current licensure as a Registered Professional Nurse either in the state where the facility is located or in a state covered by a licensure compact agreement with the state where the facility is located. UPMC approved nursing certification preferred.

Annual completion of 2 professional contributions selected from department, hospital or system goals, and approved by your Unit Director OR certification and 1 professional contribution selected from department, hospital or system goals, and approved by your Unit Director as set forth through UPMC's My Nursin