Dedicated On-Call Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Job Code: PREPRNP - 135
Revision Date: November 12, 2024

Starting Salary: $59.96 hourly; $124,722 annually
FLSA: Exempt

Overview

We are an agency committed to innovative behavioral health services in trauma-informed care that promote healing and recovery to instill a sense of empowerment and foster a lifelong sense of resilience.

General Description

The primary purpose of this role is to urgently/emergently assess, treat, and manage children and adults experiencing mental health or psychiatric crises. This is typically done virtually in response to crisis calls from local police, hospitals, or educational facilities. Crisis staff assess these cases and provide incident details, diagnoses, and secondary medical concerns (such as psychiatric medications, medical clearance results, and co-morbid conditions) to the on-call psychiatric nurse practitioner for review and development of a final treatment plan and disposition.

When not engaged in on-call duties, the provider, stationed in our Extended Observation Unit (EOU), will assist with walk-in crisis cases, round in the EOU, and support clients recovering in our Sobering/Diversion Center. The provider will implement the integrated care model in accordance with organizational policies and report activities to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

This role operates independently with limited supervision, reporting major activities through periodic meetings.

Duties and Responsibilities

The functions listed below are those that represent the majority of the time spent working in this position. Management may assign additional functions related to the type of work of the position as necessary.

• Coordinates, assigns and reviews work and establishes work schedules; maintains standards; monitors status of work in progress; inspects completed work assignments; answers questions; gives advice and direction as needed.
• Functions independently to perform age-appropriate history and physical for children and adults with mental health or psychiatric conditions.
• Orders and interprets diagnostic and therapeutic tests relative to patient's age-specific needs. Prescribes appropriate pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment modalities as needed.
• Implements interventions to support the patient to regain or maintain physiologic stability. Monitors the effectiveness of interventions.
• Make clinical decisions regarding the most appropriate level of care and communicate recommendations to patients, families, and treatment teams.
• Collaborate with crisis therapists, crisis specialists and other mental health professionals to ensure continuity of care.
• Document assessments, interventions, and outcomes in electronic health records, ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards.
• Stay updated on current crisis intervention methodologies and incorporate evidence-based practices in all patient care.
• Stay informed about and adhere to crisis center protocols, regulatory requirements, and patient confidentiality laws.
• Act as a clinical liaison between the crisis center and external agencies or healthcare providers involved in patient care.
• Must participate in peer reviews as designated by the Behavioral Health CMO.
• The on-call provider in the EOU handles conventional hours calls. Non EOU on-call provider will handle calls during non-conventional workweek hours (5PM - 8AM) and 24 hours on weekends and holidays.
• On-call providers must accurately document progress notes in the EHR that comprehensively capture client symptoms, history, symptom severity, and any safety concerns. This documentation should also include the recommended disposition for each encounter.
• The on-call provider assisting with rounds in the EOU, and our Sobering/Diversion Center will conduct psychiatric evaluations and provide diagnoses for all new admissions by reviewing patient charts and obtaining current and historical mental health information and symptoms. Additionally, the provider will counsel patients during follow-up consultations to effectively assess and document progress or lack thereof, making appropriate medical adjustments as needed.
• Looks for ways to improve and promote quality of care. Provides teaching and education to clinical staff, as requested, and required.
• On-call provider assisting in the EOU/Sobering/Diversion Center will redacts and submit Emergency Detention Orders for consumers at risk and that may be a safety concern in collaboration with multidisciplinary team, in collaboration with Telehealth supervising psychiatrist. 
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

Requires a Master's Degree from a Nurse Practitioner School accredited by the Committee of Allied Health Education and Accreditation of the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association; or possession of any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Experience with trauma-informed services; cognitive behavioral therapies, including DBT; and motivational therapies including the use of incentives, preferred.

Required Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of trauma-informed theories, principals, and practices (includes multi-faceted understanding of concepts such as community trauma, intergenerational and historical trauma, parallel processes, and universal precautions), preferred.

Physical Demands

Performs sedentary work that involves walking or standing some of the time and involves exerting up to 10 pounds of force on a regular and recurring basis or sustained keyboard operations.

Unavoidable Hazards (Work Environment)

• Involves routine and frequent exposure to
  • Bright/dim light; Dusts and pollen.
  • Extreme heat and/or cold; Wet or humid conditions.
  • Extreme noise levels, Animals/wildlife.
  • Vibration; Fumes and/or noxious odors.
  • Traffic; Moving machinery.
  • Disease/pathogens.
  • Violence.
  • Other extreme hazards not listed above.

Special Certifications and Licenses

• Requires APRN state license.
• Requires DEA number.
• Must possess and maintain a valid state Driver's License with an acceptable driving record.
• Must be able to pass a TB, criminal background and drug screen.

Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance (ADA)

Emergence Health Network is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires Emergence Health Network to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss ADA accommodations with management.

Other Job Characteristics

• Staffing requirements, including criteria that staff have diverse disciplinary backgrounds, have necessary State required license and accreditation, and are culturally and linguistically trained to serve the needs of the clinic's patient population.
• Credentialed, certified, and licensed professionals with adequate training in person-centered, family centered, trauma informed, culturally-competent and recovery-oriented care.
• Responsible for leading and implementing the EHN common purpose and service framework to continuously provide exceptional care to all constituents.

Note: This Class Description does not constitute an employment agreement between the Emergence Health Network and an employee and is subject to change by the Emergence Health Network as its needs change.