Job Summary
The RN provides skilled nursing services to patients struggling with substance use disorders. Responsible for managing detoxification, ongoing assessment, evaluations, triage, harm reduction teaching, stabilization, and monitoring of clients/patients in the ambulatory community-based treatment model. Develops goal-oriented treatment plans with clients/patients; collaborates with primary care providers, integrated treatment team, and community providers; as well as support and services to patients from other settings referred to the program for stabilization and assessment.
Essential Duties:
· Knowledge of nursing standards, policies, procedures, patient rights, and ethics.
· Ensures medication is properly distributed and accounted for.
· Facilitate and schedule intakes, discharges, and transfers to residential or outpatient, and/or outside agency programs as necessary.
· Provides nursing care to patients, medication monitoring, adjusts medications within limits prescribed by medical direction or physician order.
· Assessment and development of an appropriate goal-oriented treatment plan to meet individual client/patient need with understanding and consideration of client/patient care goals as voiced by the client/patient, making the client/patient a significant part of their treatment and recovery.
· Ongoing management of patients receiving medications for addiction and acts as a liaison between client and other community caregivers.
· Regular evaluation of client/patient progress, including crisis intervention as appropriate.
· Submit timely clinical documentation.
· Coordination of services with the client, family, and all providers involved in the treatment plan.
· Ability to determine if a medical emergency exists and to take appropriate action, when necessary, with knowledge of emergency procedures used in case of alcohol and/or drug overdose.
· Providing advocacy as needed to ensure the client/patient knows and understands his/her rights.
· Provides information, education and support for clients/patient looking to access opioid treatment programs and promote wellness, recovery, and skill building to sustain better health.
· Assesses the client/patient systematically and continuously for both overt and covert signs and symptoms.
· Involves the client/patient, significant others, and appropriate health care providers in collecting data when applicable.
· Consistently uses clear, concise, and effective communication, written/oral, and complies with departmental policies when sharing/documenting relevant patient care data.
· Provides follow-up care in person and via telephone when needed.
· Maintain up-to-date education on current addiction treatment trends, including knowledge of the Internet and local resources for those with substance abuse.
· Participates in a variety of cross-functional teams and performance improvement initiatives.
· Performs other related duties as required.
Education and/or Licensure – Must be a Registered Nurse (RN) licensed in Texas.
Experience – At least one year of professional nursing experience, preferably in a detox unit and/or inpatient, partial hospitalization and/or outpatient setting preferred.
Additional Requirements – Must obtain and maintain approved CPR certification, de-escalation training, and ASAM training.
Knowledge Skills and Abilities
· Detoxification proficiency: identify signs of withdrawal; understand observation and monitoring procedures; understand pregnancy related complications; execute the transfer process including understanding potential complications; execute appropriate interventions; and understand frequently used medications, including their purpose, precautions, and side effects.
· Have the training, knowledge, and/or experience demonstrating competence in the treatment of the disease of addiction, including the management of withdrawal, client evaluation, motivational counseling techniques, and the taking and recording of vital signs.
· Can work independently while being a team player.
· Possess the skills to network with all resources to provide the best customer service with clients or family members seeking help.
· The ability to ensure a safe and clean working environment complying with OSHA, Plum Creek Recovery Ranch, and the RN Scope of Practice.
· Excellent customer service skills to handle continuous customer contact with the public, including citizens who may be ill or injured, upset, and/or distraught, requiring the utmost patience, tact, and discretion.
· Ability to exercise sound judgment and good problem-solving skills in pressure situations.
· Ability to communicate clearly and concisely with co-workers and the public.
· Administers medications and monitoring. Takes verbal orders from the Director of Nursing, documents them in the patient record and carries them out accurately and professionally.
· Good vision to read documents and view information output from medical equipment.
· Must have basic PC skills that include a combination of working in a Windows Operating System and Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel.
· Understands the importance of maintaining confidentiality; able to maintain confidentiality under HIPAA standards.
· Must have the ability to exercise a high degree of diplomacy and tact; excellent customer services and interpersonal communication skills; Cultural sensitivity and demonstrated ability to work with diverse people groups.
· Well-developed verbal and written communication skills in English; Additional language abilities desirable. Ability to work well under pressure with minimal supervision.
· Ability to effectively interact with persons of widely diverse roles, backgrounds, cultures, and socio-economic classes, those in crises or resistant or negative toward organization
· Ability to apply time management practices to prioritize, schedule and complete work effectively to comply with mandated policies and deadlines.
· Maintains a cooperative and positive attitude and approach with patients, family members, staff and visitors.
· Ability to successfully manage conflict, negotiating “win-win” solutions.
· Must be able to multi-task, prioritize with strong time management skills.
· Exceptional follow through on tasks and assignments
Physical Requirements/Environmental Conditions
Perform the following with or without reasonable accommodations:
· Ability to stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, stand, walk, push, pull, lift, grasp, and be able to perceive the attributes of objects such as size, shape, temperature, and/or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of the fingertips.
· Ability to express and exchange ideas via spoken word during activities in which they must convey detail or important spoken instructions to others accurately, sometimes quickly and loudly.
· Hearing to perceive the nature of sound with no less than 40 db loss @ Hz, 1000 Hz, and 2000 Hz with or without correction; ability to perceive detailed information orally and make fine discriminations in sound.
· Perform repetitive motions with wrists, hands, and fingers. Individual must be able to exert up to 100 pounds of force occasionally and to be able to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.
· Work requires a minimum standard of visual acuity with or without correction that will enable people in the role to complete administrative and clerical tasks, as well as inspect and analyze.
· Must be able to work and concentrate amidst distractions such as noise, conversation, and foot traffic; ability to handle interruptions often and be able to move from one task to another
· While worker may possibly be subjected to temperature changes, the worker is generally not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions as the work is predominantly inside.
