Travel Nurse RN - Psychiatric
Louisville, KY
Care Career
4x12 hrs, Nights
Referral Bonus

Travel Registered Nurse (RN) – Psychiatric / Adolescent Behavioral Health

Shift: 12-hour night shift 
Minimum Experience: 6 months
Interview Process: TotalMed clinical interview with manager; second interview may be required

Job Summary

Unit Overview

The unit has 17 beds serving two primary patient populations:

• 10 beds: Adolescents ages 12–18 with intellectual and developmental disabilities who can generally perform their own activities of daily living.
• 7 beds: High-acuity adolescent females ages 12–18 without intellectual disabilities, including patients with significant behavioral challenges or aggression.

This is a high-stress, high-acuity environment requiring patience, compassion, flexibility, and a strong commitment to patient and staff safety.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide nursing care and behavioral health support to adolescent patients.
• Assess patient conditions and recognize early signs of agitation or behavioral escalation.
• Apply verbal de-escalation techniques as the preferred intervention whenever appropriate.
• Safely perform approved physical holds and follow facility protocols for seclusion and mechanical restraints when clinically indicated.
• Administer intramuscular (IM) medications as ordered.
• Manage multiple escalated patients and simultaneous behavioral emergencies.
• Monitor patient safety and respond promptly to crisis situations.
• Collaborate with psychiatrists, advanced practitioners, therapists, case managers, behavioral analysts, and mental health technicians.
• Maintain accurate documentation in the Cerner electronic medical record.
• Follow facility policies, clinical protocols, and applicable safety standards.
• Float to other units, including pediatric, adolescent, and adult areas, as assigned and within demonstrated competency.

Required Qualifications

• Active RN license valid for the assignment location.
• Minimum of 6 months of nursing experience.
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
• At least one completed travel assignment through the agency submitting the candidate; first-time travelers are not accepted.
• Strong verbal de-escalation and crisis intervention skills.
• Experience recognizing and managing escalating patient behaviors.
• Ability to administer IM medications.
• Comfort with approved physical holds, seclusion, and restraint procedures.
• Ability to manage multiple high-acuity patients in a fast-paced behavioral health setting.
• Strong communication, patience, compassion, and emotional resilience.
• Willingness to float across units and adapt to changing assignments and schedules.

CPI training: Provided on site. Candidates must be willing to complete the facility's physical intervention training and competency requirements.