Psychiatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)- Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center

Nurse PractitionerNo weekendsFull-Time Physician-Supervised State

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting and call expectations.

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Join our team Psychiatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and play a key role in delivering comprehensive, patient-centered care within a dynamic behavioral health environment.

In this role, you will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team to assess, diagnose, and manage the medical and psychiatric needs of patients while supporting high-quality outcomes and an exceptional patient experience.

Ideal candidates are passionate about integrating medical and psychiatric care, thrive in a collaborative setting, and are committed to advancing behavioral health care excellence.

  • Schedule: Monday- Friday (8am-5pm)
  • Mandatory Orientation: Two-week onboarding process for all new hires
  • Hospital-Wide Education Orientation: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM (first two weeks)

What we do here changes the world. UTHealth Houston is Texas’ resource for healthcare education, innovation, scientific discovery, and excellence in patient care. That’s where you come in.

Once you join us you won't want to leave. It’s because we reward our team for the excellent service they provide. Our total rewards package includes the benefits you’d expect from a top healthcare organization (benefits, insurance, etc.), plus:

  • 100%25 paid medical premiums for our full-time employees
  • Generous time off (holidays, preventative leave day, both vacation and sick time – all of which equates to around 37-38 days per year)
  • The longer you stay, the more vacation you’ll accrue!
  • Longevity Pay (Monthly payments after two years of service)
  • Build your future with our awesome retirement/pension plan!

We take care of our employees! As a world-renowned institution, our employees’ wellbeing is important to us. We offer work/life services such as...

  • Free financial and legal counseling
  • Free mental health counseling services
  • Gym membership discounts and access to wellness programs
  • Other employee discounts including entertainment, car rentals, cell phones, etc.
  • Resources for child and elder care
  • Plus many more!

Position Summary

Provides advanced nursing care to patients with complex acute, critical, and/or chronic health conditions in a clinic or hospital setting in one or more specialized areas under the direction of a physician.

Position Key Accountabilities

Conducts complex, standardized patient care procedures which require experience and specialized training which would otherwise be performed by a physician, but which do not constitute the practice of medicine.

  • Conducts independent and physician supervised rounding on unit.
  • Performs relevant patient evaluations and assessments, and provides appropriate treatment; including monitoring and ordering medications.
  • Coordinates, directs, and implements the patient's plan of care.

Assists in collecting patient histories, screens for co-morbidities, and provides guidance and preventative health care as needed.

Performs physical examinations and provides episodic care, or problem-oriented care, under the supervision of a physician.

Orders appropriate laboratory, diagnostic and radiographic tests, and interprets results.

Monitors the treatment program of the patient to inform the attending physician of pertinent medical information.

Facilitates patient education relating to medical processes, medication, nutrition, and health promotion or preventative health care.

  • Assists physicians in formulating therapeutic decisions.
  • Maintains appropriate records, and prepares charts for review and counter signature by physician.
  • Prepares and cares for supplies and equipment.
  • Responds to emergency situations.
  • Performs within the scope of practice prescribed by licensure and certification.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Certification/Skills

None

  • Registered Nurse (RN) State Licensure or Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) by Texas Board of Nursing (BON) required
  • Advanced Practice Registered Nurse - Nurse Practitioner (APRN-NP) by Texas Board of Nursing (BON) required
  • Basic Life Support (BLS) by American Heart Association (AHA) required

Clinical specialty certification determined by the department excluding FNP certification unless paired with a post master's certification in the specialty required

Minimum Education

Master's Degree in Nursing as NP or Masters in Nursing with completion of a post-masters Nurse Practitioner Certification Program required

Minimum Experience

Previous experience in area of clinical focus preferred

Physical Requirements

Exerts up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 20 pounds frequently and/or up to 10 pounds constantly to move objects.

Security Sensitive

This position is a security-sensitive position pursuant to Texas Education Code §51.215 and Texas Government Code §411.094.

To the extent that a position requires the holder to research, work on, or have access to critical infrastructure as defined in Texas Business and Commerce Code §117.001(2), the ability to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure is a minimum qualification to be hired for and to continue to be employed in that position.

Personnel in such positions, and similarly situated state contractors, will be routinely reviewed to determine whether things such as criminal history or continuous connections to the government or political apparatus of a foreign adversary might prevent the applicant, employee, or contractor from being able to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure. A foreign adversary is a nation listed in 15 C.F.R. §791.4.

Veteran Information

Military occupations that relate to the initial selection criteria and registration or licensure requirements for this position may include but are not limited to: 0904, 0963, 1976, 46Y1C, 46Y1H, 66B, 66C, 4A0X1, 46YX, 65D, 230X, PHA10, 42GX, 66P, 66R, 290X.

For a complete list please visit uthealth-veterans.jobs.

Residency Requirement

Employees must permanently reside and work in the State of Texas.

Key Responsibilities

The Psychiatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner provides advanced nursing care, including assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with complex behavioral health conditions. They collaborate with an interdisciplinary team to conduct rounds, manage medications, and coordinate comprehensive patient care plans.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master's degree in Nursing as an NP or a post-master's Nurse Practitioner certification, along with current Texas RN and APRN-NP licensure. Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from the American Heart Association is also required.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Psychiatric assessmentMedication managementInterdisciplinary collaborationDiagnostic testingEmergency responseClinical roundingTreatment planningDocumentation

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Psychiatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)- Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center at UTHealth (University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston) a 6.4 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Nurse Practitioner roles — ranked against 14,245 active Nurse Practitioner roles listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no weekend requirements.

Psychiatry — Nurse Practitioner Career Context

Of the 50 active Psychiatry listings this role was benchmarked against, 32% are remote, 60% have no call, 76% require no weekends.

Psychiatry pay on WeekdayDoc is up 2.2% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Texas is 97.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 57.7% of Texas clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Location & Logistics

Texas has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states.

Top Nurse Practitioner Jobs

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Salary Distribution37 jobs · 36 employers

5
<$120k
9
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18
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2
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3
$195k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks27 jobs

401k / retirement match
81% this job
Sign-on bonus
56%
CME allowance
48%
Loan repayment
7%
Relocation assistance
7%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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#2

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#3

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)

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Work-life snapshot

median 6.4this job 6.4
Better work-life than 50% of Psychiatry (NP) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 2,254 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends

Living in Houston

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$245k
Typical market rent
$1,542/mo
Residents’ average commute
27 min
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

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

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

UTHealth (University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston) logo

About UTHealth (University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston)

Business Consulting and Services
Houston, Texas
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

100% Paid Medical Premiums
Generous Time Off (37-38 days/year)
Longevity Pay
Retirement/Pension Plan
Free Financial and Legal Counseling
Free Mental Health Counseling
Gym Membership Discounts
Wellness Programs