Job Description
Job Description
Position Summary: The Psychiatric Services Lead Nurse is a member of the Psychiatric Services Team who is responsible for providing direct nursing care to patients requiring psychiatric care within a family practice setting. They will also be responsible for tracking screenings and medication monitoring needs using a population health model and panel management focus, facilitating patients meeting with their care team and carrying out their care plans, and providing education and support regarding psychiatric condition management. They will supervise other nursing and clinical coordinator staff within the Psychiatric Services Team.
Program Specific Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Oversees special projects and clinical operations related to psychiatric services under the direction of the Director of Psychiatric Services.
- Triages telephone calls from patients requiring nursing-level support when requested by providers or other staff.
- Utilizes a trauma-informed approach to all patient interactions and care in communications to foster trust and confidence.
- Arranges for the use of Interpreter staff as required based on caller’s primary language needs.
- Demonstrates competent clinical/professional judgment while employing effective problem-solving skills in managing patient needs.
- Schedules appointments and arranges for care through Psychiatric Services, Primary Care, Same Day/Walk-In/Urgent Care, Psychiatric Urgent Care, or the ER, as appropriate.
- Oversees management of all psychiatric provider panels, tracking the screening, lab monitoring, and diagnostic needs of patients.
- Conducts nursing visits to assess symptoms, medication concordance and side effects, and progress of medication titration plans, as well as to complete screening, monitoring, and diagnostic needs of patients.
- Administer long-acting injectable medications when prescribed by providers.
- Follows-up on abnormal labs and other patient requests by communicating with providers to facilitate the appropriate care.
- Ensures that patient needs are met through in person or telephone contact; documents patients’ presentations, assessments, and plans comprehensively.
- Serves as a link between primary care and psychiatric services, ensuring appropriate follow up appointments are scheduled with primary care following psychiatric consult, advises primary care providers on implementing consult plans prior to requesting a new consult.
- Assists with acquisition of records from other healthcare facilities.
- Other clinical and administrative duties as requested.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Commitment to providing health care to patients in a medically underserved community.
2. Willingness to be flexible in the development of new methods of health service delivery.
3. Ability to deal with sensitive information in a highly confidential manner.
4. Effective communication skills, both oral and written, with patients, families, visitors, co-workers, health care professionals, funders and other regulatory agencies.
5. Bilingual in English and another language appropriate to the health center’s patient population preferred, but not required.
6. Ability to function independently with minimal supervision, and to plan, coordinate, and carry out those tasks necessary to meet the job responsibilities.
7. Ability to effectively supervise other clinical staff using a collaborative and supportive leadership style.
8. Awareness of resources available within the health center to accommodate the psychiatric needs of patients.
9. Awareness of resources available within the broader community to accommodate the psychiatric needs of patients.
10. Commitment to providing cost conscious, fiscally responsible, timely, efficient, effective, safe, patient-centered, culturally competent, equitable, and participatory health care.
11. Processes personal health information in accordance with FHCW HIPPA policies and procedures.
12. Fundamental understanding of the role of trauma in patients’ lives and the ability to work directly with highly-traumatized patients to support their care needs and their path to healing.
Supervisory Responsibility:
Directly supervises other members of the nursing team in psychiatric services. Also supervises other clinical support staff, including the lead psychiatric clinical coordinator, psychiatric clinical coordinators, and community mental health workers.
Qualifications and Education Requirements:
One of the following combinations of education and employment experience must be met in order to be considered for the position:
Education
And
Experience
Graduate of an accredited school of nursing required; BS in nursing preferred.
Must be licensed as a RN by the Massachusetts State Board of Registration. BLS required.
Two years full time, or part time equivalent of nursing experience, with at least one year of experience in an ambulatory health care or family practice setting preferred. Must have experience working in an EMR environment.
Experience or training in delivering trauma-informed care and/or psychiatric crisis support preferred.
Monday-Friday; 8:30am -5:00pm