Nursing Assistant (Psychiatric Acute Care Center)

The Nursing Assistant functions as a member of the nursing care team and assists licensed nursing staff in the care of patients/residents receiving preventive, acute, sub-acute, chronic, maintenance, and hospice care.The Psychiatric Acute Care Center (PARC) is a 28 bed inpatient adult male/female psychiatric unit that provides patient care to patients with a variety of psychiatric diagnoses. The major diagnosis reasons for admission include the following: psychoses, substance abuse and dependence disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), organic disorders and neuroses. Patients are provided therapeutic modalities, to include electro-convulsive (ECT) therapy and rehabilitative services that include group therapy or education, one-to-one education and/or counseling and medication management. The interdisciplinary team meets each week to discuss care planning and discharge needs of patients. Allied health team providers provide psychological testing and counseling, social services, vocational counseling, and recreational therapy. The nursing needs of patients are evaluated using the nursing process and care is individualized through interdisciplinary approaches of care. Care is focused on providing a protective environment for those requiring protection from self-injury and/or injury to others resulting from identified diagnoses and psychiatric illnesses. Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nursing assistants provide nursing care.Major Duties and Responsibilities to include but are not limited to:Providing patient care such as feeding, bathing, dressing, positioning, and transferring.Obtaining vital signs and capillary blood glucose results.Applying creams, lotions, and administering other approved medications under the supervision of the nurse.Maintaining a safe and therapeutic environment through engaging patients in meaningful activities, monitoring and intervening in behaviors, de-escalating patient behaviors, and intervening with patients experiencing extremes of behavior, including the severely depressed, suicidal or homicidal patients and the drug or alcohol abuse patients.Performs nursing procedures within scope of practice and according to policies and standard procedures to care for the veteran for such procedures but not limited to enemas, catheterization, colostomy care, skin care, simple dressing, application of braces and prosthetic devices, record intake and output.Works on small group activities with patients/residents according to the patients/resident treatment plan.Verbally provides patient information to the treatment team for inclusion in the veteran/residents' plan of care, participates in treatment team meetings for resident care planning.Enters information about the residents' condition in the chart, utilizing appropriate formats.Participates in maintaining a clean, safe environment for the patient/resident.Work Schedule: 1530-2400 with rotating weekends.Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not AuthorizedTelework: Not Available