Registered Nurse / Pt Dayshift

Job Overview:  This position is a Registered Nurse who performs professional nursing duties to promote and maintain physical health for residents mental health nursing care facility.  Responsibilities include:  1)  Assesses, plans, implements, and documents nursing care for residents following accepted nursing standard practices; 2)  Writes comprehensive care plans for each resident that include problems, interventions, and measurable goals; and 3) Serves as the Charge nurse to coordinate facility activities and provide overall management of facility in absence of supervisor.

Benefits Overview:

• Health Coverage
• Retirement plans
• Paid vacation, sick leave and Holidays
• Work/life balance
• Flexible schedules
• Opportunities and room for professional growth
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness- Employment with the State of Montana may qualify you to receive loan forgiveness.

Essential Functions (Major Duties or Responsibilities):

1.  Nursing Care                                                                                                                   (70%)            

• Assesses, plans, implements, and documents nursing care for residents following accepted nursing standard practices.
• Administers scheduled medications and/or PRN medications by injection, IV orally, rectally, sublingual, creams, ointments, and drops as ordered by physician to maintain residents' physical status.
• Implements physician's orders to promote and/or maintain residents' physical health by observing orders.
• Treats problems such as skin tears, pressure sores, decubitus, rashes, burns, fractures, eye/ear infections, and so forth to prevent further complications.  Applies dressings, bandages, ointments as needed.
• Catheterizes patients as ordered by physician.
• Collects blood and specimen samples for diagnostic purposes.
• Performs capillary glucose tests to check glucose blood level per physician orders.                                                                                                                                                             

1. Evaluation and Documentation                                                                                     (30%)            

• Admits residents to the facility by completing the Braden Scale, physical, pain, and fall assessments.
• Writes comprehensive care plans for each resident that include problems, interventions, and measurable goals.
• Conducts periodic comprehensive assessments of each resident's functional capacity.
• Performs assessments such as bowel and bladder; neurological observations; and inspects feet of diabetic patients.

Physical and Environmental Demands: This position is exposed to unconventional behaviors by residents with mental illness.  The ability to engage and work with often volatile individuals, make critical decisions is required.  May be exposed to blood borne pathogens.  Walking, standing and sitting for variable periods of time.  May occasionally lift up to 50 pounds.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (Behaviors):

Required for the first day of work:

• Knowledge of nursing, medications, and treatment planning.
• Knowledge of patients' rights regarding medical treatment.
• Ability to identify problems, develop and implement solutions.
• Ability to remain calm when being confronted.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.