Senior Psychiatric Clinical Nurse providing direct, complex behavioral health care to ICE detainees at the Krome Behavioral Health Unit. Develops and implements individualized nursing care plans, performs advanced clinical procedures, and serves as a team leader with clinical and administrative responsibilities. Works under the Nurse Manager in coordination with the SBHU Program Manager. This position is only open to USPHS officers and Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidates.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Clinical Care and Support: provides direct care to patients in ICE Custody. Provides nursing care to patients with complex physical, mental, or social needs and develops, coordinates, implements, and evaluates comprehensive nursing plans of care to meet actual and anticipated patient needs. Practices nursing in accordance with national, state, and local laws and regulations, IHSC policies, directives, guidelines, and accreditation standards.
Practices in accordance with IHSC Nursing Service Unit (NSU) Clinical Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics, nursing competencies, orientation/training, and nursing post orders. Maintains and expands on clinical professional skills through continuing education and daily practice.
Demonstrates advanced proficiency in a wide range of nursing concepts, principles, and practices, including correctional health, mental health, medical-surgical, ambulatory, and emergency nursing care.
Conducts nursing assessments, obtains health histories, performs triage, and provides direct nursing care and procedures as ordered, including medication administration, immunizations, laboratory specimen collection, etc.; in accordance with Lippincott Procedure Manual Conducts comprehensive and holistic assessments, synthesizes data using evidence-based techniques, and prioritizes patient needs based on clinical judgment.
Refers patients to higher level of care as appropriate. Performs complex nursing tasks, technical skills, and procedures using appropriate equipment and nursing techniques effectively and efficiently. Independently carries out routine tasks and able to solve novel situations using available guidance and minimal supervision. Implements and updates appropriate nursing care plans to meet identified patient care needs.
Documents all patient encounters accurately and timely in accordance with IHSC policy, using S.O.A.P.E. format and electronic health records. Facilitates psychiatric patient group sessions for education and support purposes independently and with the health care team. Supports patient peer-led group sessions.
Provides care for psychiatric patients as indicated, including assessment and identification of high-risk symptoms and behaviors, including suicidal risk, homicidal risk, and verbally or physically difficult patients. Conducts behavioral health unit specific nursing rounds, acute and triage encounters, psychiatric nursing assessments, medication monitoring, health education, and crisis response, escalating changes in medical or behavioral health status as appropriate.
Provides advanced patient health education using appropriate communication resources, utilizing interpretation and translation services as needed Responds to emergency medical calls and provides emergency treatment as required. Program and Administrative Support: participates with the NSU in the development, review, and implementation of nursing policies, procedures, corrective actions, and process improvement activities related to the delivery of nursing care.
Provides expert level psychiatric nursing input into these processes. Monitors compliance with IHSC policy, accreditation standards, and documentation requirements. Participates in or leads internal assessments and implements process improvements as needed in collaboration with nursing leadership. Assists with orientation, training, and competency review for nursing staff.
Serves as a preceptor to less experienced nursing staff during orientation, training, or assigned clinical development activities. May serve as primary preceptor to staff for a full orientation period. Develops and presents at least one approved education offering with evaluation criteria annually, teaches at least two established training modules, or develops or updates two or more patient education materials.
Collaborates with nursing leadership to improve the effectiveness of orientation, training, competency review, and clinical practice support processes. Engages in one or more collateral activities that contribute to the mission. Supports implementation of SBHU local operating procedures, nursing post orders, therapeutic programming needs, documentation standards, quality assurance activities, and staff orientation related to psychiatric nursing care.
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REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Bachelor's degree in nursing from a professional school approved by the appropriate accrediting agency is required. Requires more than three years of clinical nursing experience. Experience in correctional health care is preferred. Nursing management experience and leadership training or experience are preferred Minimum of one year of psychiatric nursing experience as a registered nurse.
Must be a registered nurse licensed by a State, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or U.S. territory; maintains current professional licensure and CPR/BLS certification. Must obtain Board Certification in Psychiatric Nursing by the American Nurses Credentialing Center within 24 months upon hiring if not certified upon date of hiring. Must maintain Board Certification in Psychiatric Nursing once certified.
Knowledge of the Nurse Practice Act for the licensing state or territory and the state or territory in which one practices nursing. Intermediate knowledge of common office productivity and communication software such as email, word processing, spreadsheet and database applications. Expert-level knowledge of psychiatric nursing care and common mental and behavioral conditions.
Experience with designing and facilitating structured psychiatric and psychoeducational nursing groups Expert-level knowledge of mental health disorders and conditions as defined in the relevant professional knowledge bases (e.g. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition).
Knowledge of medication administration guidelines and commonly used pharmaceutical agents, including desired and adverse effects, sufficient to recognize untoward reactions and take appropriate corrective action in accordance with established protocols. Knowledge of requirements for patient safety, infection control, quality assurance, maintenance of patient records, and collection of statistical information.
Skill in using training methods and interpersonal communication techniques to develop rapport with patients and coworkers when presenting instructional or educational information. Knowledge of professional nursing principles (to include psychiatric nursing principles), procedures, and techniques related to patient care and nursing supervision.
Knowledge of a wide range of nursing concepts, principles, and practices to perform nursing assessments of considerable diversity, including mental health, medical-surgical, ambulatory, and emergency nursing care. Knowledge of nursing management, leadership, and team-building principles sufficient to function as clinic coordinator, acting NM, preceptor, or clinical resource as assigned.
Knowledge of teaching methods and patient health education skills sufficient to develop, update, present, or evaluate patient or staff education materials and training. Ability to assess and evaluate complex health care needs of patients and develop, coordinate, implement, and evaluate comprehensive nursing care plans to meet actual and anticipated patient needs.
Ability to perform complex nursing tasks, technical skills, and procedures effectively and efficiently with limited need for supervision. Flexibility and ability to adapt to sudden changes in schedules and work requirements. Advanced oral/written communication, active listening, critical thinking, and problem solving skills. Ability to prioritize, plan, and organize workload for self and team members
This position is with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security.
The posted pay range is $1 – $150000/yr.
This position requires a Other security clearance.
Applications close on 2026-11-04.
This position is open under the 'Public' hiring path.
Source: USAJOBS.gov — U.S. Federal Government
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