Psychiatric Emergency Unit RN
New York, NY
Host Healthcare
3x12 hrs, Nights
Referral Bonus

Registered Nurse - Psychiatric Emergency Unit

Location: New York, NY
Employment Type: Contract
Contract Length: 13 weeks

Job Summary

Provide safe, competent, quality nursing care to patients in a psychiatric emergency unit. Deliver care based on nursing theory, research, and evidence-based practice while collaborating with the interdisciplinary healthcare team.

Key Responsibilities

Patient Care

• Deliver patient care using the nursing process and Relationship Centered Care principles.
• Assess and evaluate patient needs, applying critical thinking in care management.
• Integrate assessment and intervention skills in nursing care delivery.
• Collaborate with healthcare team to develop, implement, and evaluate care plans.
• Prioritize patient care including teaching, rounding, coaching, and discharge planning.
• Educate patients and caregivers on care plans, health promotion, and disease prevention.
• Communicate professionally with patients, families, and care team members.
• Manage assignments within a Modified Primary Nursing model and allocate resources effectively.

Patient Experience

• Facilitate admission welcome, bedside shift reports, purposeful rounding, medication review, discharge wrap-up, and collaboration with medical staff.
• Respect patient values, preferences, cultural diversity, and expressed needs.
• Establish and maintain therapeutic relationships with patients and families.
• Use evidence-based practices to improve patient care perceptions.
• Address patient and family concerns and escalate as needed.
• Demonstrate caring, respect, compassion, empathy, and active listening.

Quality and Safety

• Practice safe, patient-centered care and identify barriers to improvement.
• Demonstrate clinical skills essential to quality and safety.
• Implement process improvement strategies and participate in peer and institutional reviews.
• Collaborate on quality improvement projects and nursing research.
• Follow high reliability principles to avoid high-risk behaviors.
• Escalate safety hazards according to protocol.
• Document nursing practice accurately to support quality initiatives.

Operations

• Perform charge nurse duties as assigned.
• Coordinate supply utilization and inventory management.
• Escalate material or staffing shortages appropriately.
• Promote cost-effective patient care approaches.
• Facilitate patient throughput during shifts.
• Maintain thorough and compliant documentation.

Professional Development

• Support clinical colleagues, patients, families, and healthcare team members.
• Advance clinical nursing competence from novice to expert.
• Project a professional image demonstrating caring and empathy.
• Apply ethical principles in decision-making.
• Encourage lifelong learning, scholarship, and innovation.
• Acquire knowledge relevant to role, specialty, and community health needs.
• Participate in shared decision-making through councils and committees.

Required Qualifications

• Valid Registered Nurse (RN) license in New York State
• Minimum 2 years of psychiatric nursing experience, including experience within the last year
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
• Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) or PMCS certification
• Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) / Associate Degree in Nursing
• Minimum 1 year of travel nursing experience (required for travel positions)

Unit Information

• Average census: 4 patients
• Staffing: 1 RN and 1 Patient Care Assistant (PCA) per shift

This position offers an opportunity to work in a dynamic psychiatric emergency setting, emphasizing patient-centered care, safety, and professional growth.