Positions in this class are filled by registered professional nurses who plan, provide and supervise nursing interventions for individuals with mental illness, alcoholism or substance abuse who are being served by NYS operated mental health programs or Alcoholism Treatment Centers. As registered professional nurses, incumbents diagnose and treat human responses to actual or potential health problems through such services as case finding, health teaching, and health counseling; provide interventions supportive to or restorative of life and well-being; and execute medical regimens prescribed by a physician, dentist or other licensed health care provider authorized by the State Education Commissioner's regulations. Incumbents supervise Nurses 1, Licensed Practical Nurses, Mental Hygiene Therapy Aides and Alcoholism Counselors in the provision of nursing interventions to individuals with mental illness, alcoholism or substance abuse.
Positions of Nurse 2 (Psychiatric) exist only in the Office of Mental Health and the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services Alcoholism Treatment Centers.
Incumbents in these positions use professional nursing knowledge and skills based on established concepts, principles and practices to collect a relevant data base on recipients' actual or potential physical and psychiatric problems, human needs and wellness states; identify recipients' strengths and needs; formulate nursing diagnoses and develop plans of nursing intervention based on analysis of recipients' overall conditions; implement nursing interventions and provide recommendations for recipients' treatment plans; and evaluate changes in patients' problems, needs and wellness states, and responses to interventions provided. Incumbents of these positions are characterized by the independence with which they perform their work, the complexity and variety of nursing tasks performed and the nature of the population served and the intervention required. Incumbents supervise lower level nurses and other direct care staff. Incumbents are expected to independently perform professional nursing tasks of moderate complexity, to use professional judgment in interpreting available guidelines related to nursing intervention and to provide nursing intervention in accordance with individual recipient needs.
Nurse 1, Grade 14, is the entry level class for registered professional nursing. Incumbents provide nursing care to recipients in those settings where conditions and treatments are normally of a non-critical nature. Nurses at this level work within guidelines and provide nursing care according to established procedures. Judgment is required to select and apply guidelines in accordance with standards of nursing practice that are appropriate to the individualized needs of recipients. Although nurses at this level independently decide among established alternatives, significant modifications are referred to higher level nurses or physicians for specific consultation and advice. Incumbents typically provide care requiring highly specialized nursing intervention in participation with higher level professional nurses.
Nurse 3 (Psychiatric), Grade 20, positions are responsible for planning and providing a highly skilled level of direct psychiatric nursing intervention. Incumbents, functioning in accordance with the Standards of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Practice, use advanced knowledge and skills in clinical nursing to assess or assist in the assessment of nursing intervention needs of recipients with specialized problems/conditions; develop or assist in the development of appropriate nursing interventions; implement or assist in the implementation of plans of nursing intervention; monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of nursing interventions and overall treatment interventions and recommend appropriate modifications; provide clinical consultation on nursing matters to lower level nursing and other direct care staff.
Nurse Administrator 1 (Psychiatric), Grade 20, positions are responsible for nursing services on a unit (containing a number of wards) and can be in charge of nursing for an entire facility on weekend, holidays and evening and night shifts. Incumbents assist in developing and implementing facility nursing policies and standards; establish goals and objectives for their units; maintain standards of nursing care and effective relationships with other departments; develop plans of nursing intervention and supervise subordinates in developing such plans; supervise discharge planning activities; are responsible for staff orientation and development, staff scheduling, and performance evaluations and counseling; and are responsible for ensuring compliance with Quality Assurance standards.
A Nurse 2 (Psychiatric) coordinates, directs and provides nursing care services on a facility ward or wards, in clinics or infirmaries or in state operated community residential programs and other community-based settings. As the nursing representative on a treatment team, a Nurse 2 (Psychiatric) provides information on nursing related recipient needs to the unit chief, treatment team leaders and other disciplines and supervises Nurses 1, LPN's, MHTA's and Alcoholism Counselors who may be assigned to the team. A Nurse 2 (Psychiatric) may function as a unit supervisor on the evening and night shifts or be in charge of nursing for an entire small facility such as a children's psychiatric center or an Alcoholism Treatment Center on the evening and night shifts. In addition, a Nurse 2 (Psychiatric) may fill in for an absent supervisor, generally a Nurse Administrator 1 (Psychiatric), on an occasional and infrequent basis. In this capacity the incumbent largely performs supervisory duties similar to those performed as a Nurse 2 (Psychiatric).
Typical clinical duties:
Typical Administrative/Supervisory Duties:
If substituting for Nurse Administrator 1 (Psychiatric), the Nurse 2 (Psychiatric):
A Nurse 2 (Psychiatric) operates independently and uses professional judgment in interpreting guidelines regarding psychiatric nursing intervention and in providing nursing intervention in accordance with individual recipient needs.
A Nurse 2 (Psychiatric) uses professional nursing knowledge and skills of established concepts, principles and practices to provide nursing services to recipients. Incumbents are expected to use professional judgment in interpreting guidelines regarding psychiatric nursing intervention and in providing nursing intervention according to recipient needs. Incumbents exercise professional judgment in evaluating patients' overall conditions.
The nature of a Nurse 2 (Psychiatric) job requires frequent communications, both orally and in writing, with nurses, facility staff in various titles, recipients, families, and visitors. Incumbents may also communicate frequently with other providers of health care services outside of the facility or community residence.
Nurses 2 (Psychiatric) supervise other professional nursing staff (RN's and LPN's) as well as paraprofessional direct care staff. In this capacity, a Nurse 2 (Psychiatric) provides direction on nursing standards and procedures, conducts meetings to discuss recipient care needs and provide training, and ensures adequate staffing on each ward.
License and current registration to practice as a registered professional nurse in New York State and one year of post RN licensure clinical nursing experience working with individuals with mental illness or alcoholism or substance abuse .
NOTE: For current information on minimum qualifications contact the Division of Staffing Services.