Behavioral Health RN
St. Louis, Missouri
Barnes-Jewish Hospital

Job Opportunity: Behavioral Health Registered Nurse (RN)

Location: Saint Louis, Missouri
Employment Type: Travel/Contract
Contract Length: 13 weeks

Job Details

• Shift: 3x12 hour night shifts
• Patient Ratios: 1:6
• Weekend Requirement: Every other weekend
• On-call: No
• Floating: Within service line and to all Behavioral Health units
• Block Schedule Accommodation: No
• Locals Accepted: No (must be outside 75-mile radius)
• Pending License Accepted: Yes
• Return to Office Restrictions: No more than 7 days
• Guaranteed Hours: 3 shifts per 13 weeks (cancelled shifts must be regular shift length)

Specialty & Experience

• Specialty: Registered Nurse - Behavioral Health
• Required Years of Experience: 1 year
• First Time Travelers: Accepted (manager open to interviewing first-time travelers)
• Prior Travel Experience: Not explicitly required

Patient Population & Unit Description

• Adult psychiatric and geriatric patients (18 years or older)
• Patients with co-morbid medical conditions requiring a med-surg approach
• Diagnoses may include dementia, depression, Parkinson's Disease, bipolar disorder, anxiety
• Some patients require pre-op prep for Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
• Work includes presence in milieu, restraint application, IV starts, Foley catheter insertion/maintenance
• May work as charge nurse as needed

Required Certifications & Skills

• Valid Registered Nurse (RN) license in Missouri
• Minimum 1 year of Behavioral Health experience within the last year
• Experience in Mental Health and Psychiatric nursing
• BLS certification issued by the American Heart Association
• CPI certification
• Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
• Experience working with adult and geriatric patients
• Experience in an inpatient setting
• Medication administration experience
• Experience starting and maintaining IVs
• Blood glucose monitoring experience
• Foley catheter insertion and maintenance experience
• Restraint application experience
• Experience with Epic electronic health record system

License Requirements

• Must hold a valid Registered Nurse (RN) license for Missouri
• Pending licenses accepted
• Primary source verification of professional license required (NURSYS verification for Missouri)

Compliance & Background Checks

• Government-issued ID required
• Criminal background check within 6 months, including statewide and nationwide searches
• Education verification of highest nursing degree required
• Quarterly EPLS/GSA/SAM and HHS/OIG checks
• Fingerprinting required for assignments in Illinois long-term care or rehab units (not applicable here)
• State-specific searches and abuse registry checks as applicable

Health & Immunization Requirements

• Physical exam within 1 year of start
• Fit mask test (N95) required and must be renewed annually
• Tdap vaccine or declination required (expires every 10 years)
• Negative TB test or chest x-ray within 1 year (2 negative PPDs or T-Spot/Q-Gold acceptable)
• Measles (Rubeola), Mumps, Rubella, Varicella immunity or vaccination/declination required
• Drug testing within 1 year of start, must include specific panels and be current throughout assignment
• Seasonal flu vaccination or medical/religious exemption required during flu season (Sept-April)

Additional Requirements

• Unit-specific competency exams required and must be updated annually
• Medication test/pharmacology competency exam required
• Dysrhythmia/EKG competency exam required for RNs in specialty areas, updated annually
• Unit-specific skills checklist required within 1 year of start
• Various facility-specific documents and acknowledgements (HIPAA, confidentiality, hand hygiene, dress code, etc.) must be completed prior to start
• Orientation modules through WorkRamp required for all RNs

Facility Highlights

• Type: Short Term Acute Care
• Magnet & Teaching Hospital
• Level I Trauma Center
• Total Staffed Beds: 1259
• Charting System: Epic
• Scrub Color: Navy

This position offers the opportunity to work in a Magnet-recognized, Level I Trauma Center with a focus on behavioral health nursing in a supportive, teaching environment. The role requires strong psychiatric nursing skills combined with medical-surgical knowledge to care for complex adult and geriatric patients.