JOB TITLE: PSYCHIATRIC CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST

JOB CODE: 30560

DEFINITION: This is professional psychiatric clinical nurse specialist work within a State Mental Hospital.

An employee in this class is responsible for providing a variety of advanced skill direct psychiatric nursing services as well as for functioning in an advisory, consultative, and educational capacity to line nursing staff in any general or specialized psychiatric care area or other specialized unit. Work involves identifying and assessing psychiatric nursing needs and problem areas within the hospital and developing individualized approaches to meeting these needs and solving nursing problems. Work further involves providing instruction to psychiatric nursing service personnel in the application of new approaches and specialized clinical techniques of psychiatric nursing to individual patients. An important aspect of the work is acting as a consultant on clinical techniques of psychiatric/mental health nursing to other nursing staff, interdisciplinary treatment teams and other members of the mental health delivery system. Work includes conducting research activities in the development of new or improved approaches and techniques in providing patient care services. Work direction is received in the form of oral or written instructions and independent judgment is exercised in performing clinical specialist duties. Supervision is provided to the employee by either the Director of Nursing or Clinical Director. Work of the employee is reviewed through written and oral reports, conferences, meetings and observations for effectiveness and compliance with standards. EXAMPLES OF WORK: (NOTE: The examples of work are representative of the work, but every position classified to this job may not perform all examples of work listed. Conversely, this is not an all-inclusive list of work examples.)

• Assesses and identifies broad program and specific nursing care needs of patients at a State Mental Hospital.

• Intervenes when psychiatric nursing problems arise which require specialized clinical techniques.

• Conducts research studies to develop new or improved approaches and techniques in providing patient care services.

• Acts as resource person to the nursing staff and interdisciplinary treatment teams concerning specialized treatment programs and individualized treatment plans for patients.

• Organizes and conducts various treatment modalities such as individual psychotherapy, group therapy, milieu therapy, and behavior modification.

• Conducts educational sessions in psychiatric nursing theory and practice for psychiatric nursing personnel; teaches structured and informal groups and engages in on-site teaching in the clinical areas if the professional situation warrants this instruction.

• Engages in evaluation and reports findings and recommendations to the appropriate person on the quality of the psychiatric nursing programs of the facility and recommends courses of action to improve patient care services.

• Identifies gaps in the psychiatric nursing services delivery and nursing education programs as they relate to the focuses of existing programs as well as recommends the needs for additional programs.

• Participates in departmental and interdisciplinary committees which influence or determine policies affecting nursing practice, such as Nursing Policy and Procedure Committee, Nursing Audit Committee, Peer Review Committee, Research Review Committee, and Post Mortem Committee.

• Coordinates specialized psychiatric nurse programming with the interdisciplinary treatment teams, and acts as resource person to the team regarding clinical techniques of psychiatric nursing.

• Performs related work as required.

ENTRY LEVEL KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of the theories and practices of professional mental health and psychiatric nursing.

• Knowledge of the theories and practices of professional nursing.

• Knowledge of the consultation process.

• Knowledge of research techniques and methodology.

• Knowledge of standards for nursing practice as set forth by professional nursing organizations and certifying/accrediting agencies. (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals, Federal government for certification of facilities programs and other applicable accrediting certifying agencies).

• Knowledge of the psychotherapeutic methodologies pertinent to working with individuals, groups, families, and communities.

• Knowledge of theories and practices involved in instructing professional personnel in the application of specialized psychiatric nursing techniques.

• Knowledge of psychiatric care delivery system.

• Skill in the application of professional psychiatric and mental health nursing services.

• Skill in the application and validation of theories and concepts related to mental health problems of individuals, groups, families, and communities.

• Ability to identify and analyze psychiatric nursing needs and problem areas.

• Ability to provide guidance and program direction of professional nursing staff and members of interdisciplinary treatment teams.

• Ability to identify training needs of the nursing staff.

• Ability to establish a short term and long-term plan of priorities for the clinical specialists’ activities.

• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with employees of the health care facility.

• Ability to establish and maintain effective communication with individuals, groups, families, and other members of the health care system.

• Ability to assume a leadership role in the resolving of patient care problems which require immediate action.

• Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING: (NOTE: Based on the Entry Level Knowledges, Skills, and Abilities)

• Two years of pre- or post-master's clinical experience in psychiatric/mental health nursing and a master's degree in psychiatric/mental health nursing.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• All positions require active authorization to practice as a Registered Nurse in Pennsylvania.

• All employees possessing an active temporary practice permit must obtain licensure as a Registered Nurse within the one (1) year period defined by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.