Join Our Behavioral Health Unit!

We are seeking a dedicated individual to join our team in a Full-Time position, working 40 hours a week with rotating shifts (days, evenings, and nights). This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the lives of our patients.

• Sign-On Bonus Eligible!

If you're passionate about behavioral health and looking for a flexible, rewarding position, we encourage you to apply!

Purpose:

The Professional Staff Nurse is a Registered Nurse and a key member of the care delivery team. This role is responsible for setting the standards for the level and quality of care, and holds responsibility, authority, and accountability for the provision of nursing care. The Professional Staff Nurse manages and provides patient care activities for a group of patients and their families through independent judgment, communication, and collaboration with all team members. This role encompasses leadership, partnership, collaboration, and supervision. The Professional Staff Nurse establishes and maintains collaborative relationships with physicians, other healthcare providers, patients, and their families to achieve desired patient outcomes throughout the continuum of care. Additionally, the Professional Staff Nurse demonstrates a commitment to the community and the nursing profession.

Responsibilities:

• 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 relationships.

• Maintains a conscious balance between work and personal life, modeling safe work hours, time management, and a healthy lifestyle.

• Communicates with peers and management about any safety hazards identified in the workplace.

• Demonstrates knowledge of adult learning principles (and/or teaching children if applicable) and applies this in teaching patients, families, students, and new staff.

• Provides detailed and appropriate teaching to patients and families to guide them through the episode of care and transition to another level of care or home.

• Supports the development of students, new staff, and colleagues, and may serve as a preceptor.

• Creates an environment of open dialogue, inquiry, and continuous development by asking for feedback and improving practice.

• Applies the nursing process within the framework of Relationship-Based Care to create a healing environment.

• Formulates daily goals and a plan of care for patients that involves the patient as a partner and considers their individual needs in a holistic manner.

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

• Practices solid communication skills, articulating and translating the patient's condition to other care providers, and negotiating and making recommendations for changes in patient care and unit practices.

• Ensures patient documentation is comprehensive and promotes communication between caregivers.

• Incorporates national professional organization goals as well as business unit and health system 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 accountability for professional development that improves the quality of professional practice and patient care.

• Actively participates in unit-based shared governance, 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, responding 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.

• Actively participates in department or unit-specific quality improvement efforts.

• Identifies opportunities for quality improvement to colleagues and management.

• Takes personal responsibility for improving patient satisfaction with the quality of care and service.

• Utilizes research and evidence-based practice to support improvement in clinical care.

• 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.

The individual must demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care and interact appropriately with patients of all ages served by their assigned unit. They must understand the principles of growth and development over the lifespan and be able to assess data reflective of the patient's status. This includes interpreting the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's age-specific needs and providing the care required as described in department policies and procedures.

Experience and Education:

• Zero to two years of experience.

• BSN preferred.

Skills and Abilities:

• 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.

• Good clinical judgment with critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving abilities related to various aspects of patient care.

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

• Mobility and visual manual dexterity.

• Physical stamina for frequent walking, standing, lifting, and positioning of patients.

Flexible Work Options: UPMC offers a variety of flexible options. In addition to traditional rotating/flexible shifts, special programs exist to work primarily night shifts or weekend shifts with a premium pay differential. Employees hired into or who choose to transition into one of these programs must have at least 6 months of nursing experience to qualify and may need to complete any necessary orientation during regular business hours. If interested in these programs, please inform your recruiter during the interview process.

Licensure, Certifications, and Clearances:

• UPMC-approved national certification preferred.

• Current licensure as a Registered Professional Nurse 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.

• CPR required based on AHA standards, including both a didactic and skills demonstration component within 30 days of hire.

• Graduate nurses must complete the licensure examination within six months of hire or within one year of graduation, whichever comes first. Temporary permits are valid for one year from the date of graduation, not from the issue of the permit. UPMC requires that graduate nurses take the licensure examination within six months of their start date, or they may be terminated or demoted from the GN position at the discretion of the BU.

Required Certifications:

• Basic Life Support (BLS) or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

• Registered Nurse (RN) or Temporary Practice Permit (TPP)

• Act 33

• Act 34

• Act 73 FBI Clearance

Current licensure is required either in the state where the facility is located or, if the facility is in a state covered by the multistate Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC) agreement, a multistate license issued by a participating NLC state. Hires and current employees working on an out-of-state NLC license who later change their residency to the state where the facility is located will have 60 days upon changing their residency to apply for licensure within that state.

UPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran