Registered Nurse/Senior Registered Nurse – Mental Health Inpatient Unit

Description

What we offer:

• New Hire Incentive – New hires may be eligible for a one-time New Hire Incentive of up to 10% of the annual base wage. (Subject to the applicable section of the CNA MOA 2023-2028, Sec 5001.) Expires 12/31/2023.
• Educational Incentive – An educational incentive of 2.5% for completion of an associate’s degree, 3.5% for completion of a bachelor’s degree, OR 5% for completion of a graduate’s degree not required for the classification.
• Bilingual Incentive – > Proficiency levels by exam are $.69 per hour (Level I), $1.00 per hour (Level II), or $1.32 per hour (Level III). 
• Critical Staffing Shift Incentive – Eligible for pilot program sunsetting January 4, 2025, when working an additional shift designated as “critical” in additional to regularly scheduled hours for $200 for 12-hours shift, $167 for 10-hour shift, $135 for 8-hours shift, and $100 for 6-hour shift; extension or modification must be made by both parties. 
• Certification Pay – $0.813 per hour based on scheduled work week hours for each qualified certification up to a maximum of five (5) certifications. One of the five certifications may be paid at $2.00 per hour for a National Certification. List provided in the MOA, Exhibit 9. Please see in MOA at (Download PDF reader) CNA_MOA_2023-2028.pdf (ventura.org) (Download PDF reader) 
• Evening Shift Differential – Shifts worked between 3:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. are eligible for 7.5% of base pay.
• Night Shift Differential – Shifts worked between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. are eligible for 15% of base pay.
• Weekend Shift Differential – Shifts worked between 11:00 p.m. Friday and 7:00 a.m. Monday are eligible for $2.00 per hour.
• Continuous County Service Incentive Pay – 1% for 7 years, 1.25% for 12 years and 1.5% for 17 years with 1 year being equal to 2080 hours of service in an eligible classification.
• Preceptor Pay – $2.50 per hour for any hours recognized as precepting.
• House Supervisor Pay – For Ventura County Medical Cener relief $4.00 per hour.
• Charge Nurse Premium Pay – For Ventura County Medical Center and Santa Paula Hospital Nursing Units $2.50 per hour and if assigned patients an additional 1.50 per hour.
• Float Nurse Premium Pay – For any hours worked in a unit other than the home unit $3.50 per hour but not applicable to In-House Registry shifts.
• Emergency In-House Registry Pay:

1. Non-overtime is 2.0 times straight time base hourly rate
2. Overtime is 2.5 times base pay straight time base hourly rate 

• Standby Premium Pay – ¼ of regular hourly wage or Federal minimum wage (whichever is greater)
• Flexible Credit Allowance: Biweekly contribution towards medical, dental, and/or vision insurance from authorized plans for full time employees is $632 and for part-time is $442.
• Pension Plan: Participation in the County’s defined benefit plan.

VENTURA COUNTY

The County’s 1,873 square miles include 1,846 square miles of land with 42 miles of coastline which is home to the fol­lowing cities and points of interest: Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, and Ventura as well as national protected areas such as parts of the Angeles National Forest, Channel Islands National Park, and the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Ventura County is a “general law” county, governed by a five-member, elected-by-district Board of Supervisors. The Supervisors appoint a County Executive Officer (CEO) to oversee the County budget, day-to-day operations, and to advise, assist, and act as an agent for the Board of Supervisors in all matters under the Board’s jurisdiction. It focuses on serving its residents by promoting engagement, strategy, execution, and accountability to include diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to ensure that all employees are treated with respect and without discrimination, and to improve culturally appropriate outcomes for community members. 

THE AGENCY 

The Health Care Agency oversees a wide variety of divisions, doing extraordinary things, and where employees continually strive for excellence and innovation. 

Ultimately the agency’s goal is to be the health system of choice for the community and physicians in Ventura County. Commitment to valuing the diversity of all persons and to being respectful and inclusive of everyone is facilitated by engaging and educating the community, to improve the overall health of everyone in our county. 

Ventura County Medical Center

Ventura County Medical Center (VCMC) is a fully integrated, comprehensive system of hospital, clinic and specialty services. The system provides access to high quality, compassionate health care to residents throughout Ventura County.

While VCMC provides access to health care to all residents of our county, special emphasis is placed on providing access to care for the underserved and those facing barriers to access. Referred to as the “safety net” population, these individuals comprise over three quarters of the care provided by VCMC.

THE POSITION

Under direction of a supervisor or a Senior Registered Nurse-Mental Health, the Registered Nurse – Mental Health initiates, coordinates, and performs a wide variety of professional activities in the delivery of direct and indirect mental health services to patients within the hospital Inpatient Unit.

Under general direction, the Senior Registered Nurse – Mental Health provides clinical supervision and coordination of mental health nursing services on a designated shift within the hospital Inpatient Unit.

Registered Nurse-Mental Health positions are distinguished from other nursing classes in that incumbents deliver mental health nursing services and develop and maintain competence in community mental health practices. Incumbents are expected to work at the full scope of their licensure providing clinical care with a decreasing amount of supervision commensurate with their experience.

Registered Nurse-Mental Health is distinguished from Senior Registered Nurse-Mental Health in that the latter is responsible for the clinical supervision/coordination of mental health nursing services for a designated shift and may require specialized advanced training.

APPROXIMATE SALARIES

Registered Nurse-Mental Health: $48.36 – $59.94 per hour

Sr Registered Nurse-Mental Health: $53.14 – $63.54 per hour

Registered Nurse-Mental Health and Sr Registered Nurse-Mental Health are represented by the California Nurses Association (CNA) and are eligible for overtime compensation. 

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

OPENING DATE: 7/27/2023

CLOSING DATE: Continuous 

Examples Of Duties

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

Registered Nurse-Mental Health

• Implements nursing process (assessment, planning, implementation of care, evaluation of patient responses and revision of plan as needed);
• Administers psychotropic medication; monitors drug effectiveness and side effects; and provides drug education to clients and clients’ families;
• Maintains all necessary records and patient charts; collects data for research and evaluation;
• Conducts initial interview and ongoing assessment of client’s presenting problems, including mental status, level of functioning, developmental status, social and employment skills, co-occurring substance abuse problems, and mental and physical health educational needs;
• Provides periodic and ongoing re-assessment of changes in client’s mental and physical health status, nutritional status, and progress toward recovery;
• Provides individual counseling, leads or co-leads group counseling sessions, and conducts family conferences;
• May provide functional and clinical supervision to student nurses and other disciplines;
• Evaluates client outcomes and periodically consults with the psychiatrist to determine the need for adjustments in the Care Plan;
• Participates in team meetings to discuss ongoing client needs and progress, shift activity, and adherence to program policies and procedures such as documentation and timeliness of services and/or treatments provided;
• Assesses client’s suicidal or homicidal tendencies, potential for violence toward self or others, and grave disability; makes independent judgment with respect to client’s need for involuntary treatment; and, where appropriate, signs application for immediate 72-hour detention at a hospital facility or schedules an appointment for evaluation and treatment at mental health clinic;
• May provide triage, information and referral when appropriate, and may assess incoming clients for assignment within the unit or department;
• Provides crisis intervention including evaluation, counseling, and consultation with law enforcement agencies; may be designated to escort patients for involuntary admission under Section 5150 of the Welfare and Institutions Code; explains and enforces legal rights;
• Participates in the development or amendment of program policies and procedures;
• Coordinates various tasks relative to the delivery of services in assigned program; and
• Performs other related duties as required.

Sr Registered Nurse-Mental Health

In addition to the duties listed above:

• Plans, with a multi-disciplinary team, health service programs to meet the needs of mentally ill patients in an inpatient unit; initiates and conducts regular evaluation and revision of the nursing personnel and functioning in the Inpatient Unit;
• Assists with program planning, evaluation, and review; develops and assigns a staffing pattern which facilitates implementation of the service program; assists with the recruitment and hiring of nursing staff;
• Participates as a member of the administrative staff at the mental health care setting to formulate policies and procedures, develop annual and ongoing program plans, design training programs for the staff, and perform research or special projects to study the mental health program for modification or enhancement;
• Orients new nursing employees, students, volunteers, and other professional groups;
• Evaluates and provides clinical supervision to nursing staff in areas of employee development, work performance, and in the development and implementation of effective treatment plans, proper medication procedures, proper use and maintenance of equipment and effective relationships with other staff members and agencies;
• Supervises the field placement of students from various health training programs;
• In individual units, may render expert, direct service to a regular caseload of patients and their families;
• Provides consultation, information, and education to other concerned individuals, groups and agencies;
• Provides technical orientation and in-service training in psychological principles related to crisis intervention, traditional counseling practices, and techniques of behavioral modification;
• Assigns cases and work projects to treatment staff, taking into consideration staff capabilities and the nature of clients’ mental health status;
• May provide direct, expert emergency mental health service to persons in crisis and their families;
• Provides information, education, or consultation to other social services agencies, law enforcement and community referral resources; and
• Performs other related duties as required.

Typical Qualifications

These are entrance requirements to the exam process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.

EDUCATION, TRAINING and EXPERIENCE:

Registered Nurse-Mental Health requires one (1) year of full-time professional registered nursing experience providing direct patient care in a mental health setting, such as an Inpatient Unit, Emergency Room Quad, Jail Mental Health Units or equivalent environment.

Senior Registered Nurse-Mental Health requires four (4) years of full-time professional, registered nursing experience, including two (2) years of full-time experience in mental health nursing, such as an Inpatient Unit, Emergency Room Quad, Jail Mental Health Unit or equivalent environment. One (1) of those years must be in a charge nurse capacity.

Special Necessary Requirements

• Must possess and maintain a current, valid license as a Registered Nurse issued by the State of California.
• Must have a current, valid Basic Life Support (BLS/CPR) certification by first day of employment.
• Experience caring for patients with multiple diagnoses, such as mental disorder, substance abuse and/or homelessness.
• Experience in an Inpatient Unit, Emergency Room Quad, Jail Mental Health Unit or equivalent environment. 
• Depending upon area of assignment, additional specialty certification(s) may be required.

Desired:

• Bilingual skills in English and Spanish

Other Requirements:

This position may be subject to State Health Officer Orders regarding vaccine verification and/or testing. These requirements are a condition of employment. Depending on assignment and work location(s), successful candidates for this position will be required to submit proof of vaccination and/or booster against COVID-19 or request an exemption for qualifying medical or religious reasons during the onboarding process.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Registered Nurse-Mental Health

Working knowledge of: mental and medical nursing theories and practices; theory of human growth and development; current mental health treatment approaches; community resources and their interrelationships; mental health laws as related to patient care; and social and political factors influencing mental health care delivery.

Skilled in: working as a nurse with clients with multiple diagnoses, such as mental disorders, substance abuse and/or homelessness; direct patient care in a mental health setting, such as an inpatient unit, emergency room quad and/or jail mental health unit.

Working ability to: participate in comprehensive planning in consultation with a multidisciplinary team; make independent decisions on behalf of patients; provide effective functional supervision and leadership; maintain confidentiality of patient/client information; establish and maintain the confidence of and working relationships with professional staff, patients and families, and other related entities; communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

Sr Registered Nurse-Mental Health

Thorough knowledge of: the theories, techniques, and practices of professional nursing; mental health nursing theories and practices, including the varied theories, techniques, and practices related to working with mentally unstable persons; theory of human growth and development; current mental health treatment approaches; community, County, State and Federal resources and their interrelationships; California Mental Health laws and their application, and other mental health laws related to patient care; the social and political factors influencing mental health care delivery.

Skilled in: working as a nurse with clients with multiple diagnoses, such as mental disorders, substance abuse and/or homelessness; direct patient care in a mental health setting, such as an inpatient unit, emergency room quad and/or jail mental health unit.

Working ability to: participate in comprehensive planning in consultation with a multidisciplinary team; make independent decisions on behalf of patients; provide effective functional supervision and leadership; maintain confidentiality of patient/client information; implement an effective training program for non-professional and professional co-workers, and other community agencies or groups; establish and maintain the confidence of and working relationships with professional staff, patients and families, and other related entities; communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

Supplemental Information:

Duties are performed in a variety of settings which, depending on assignment, may include inpatient or outpatient facilities or field work in patient homes. Field work will conclude utilizing private or County vehicles for transportation from office to patient homes. Tasks will range from sedentary to those that may require alertness and strength in a crisis situation.

Recruitment Process

FINAL FILING DATE: 

This is a continuous recruitment and may close at any time; therefore, apply as soon as possible if you are interested. Your application must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources in Ventura, California, no later than 5:00 p.m. on the closing date.

To apply on-line, please refer to our web site at https://hr.ventura.org/jobs. If you prefer to fill out a paper application form, please call (805) 654-5129 for application materials and submit them to County of Ventura Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS: It is essential that you complete all sections of your application and supplemental questionnaire thoroughly and accurately to demonstrate your qualifications. A resume and/or other related documents may be attached to supplement the information in your application and supplemental questionnaire, however, it/they may not be submitted in lieu of the application.

NOTE: If presently permanently employed in another “merit” or “civil service” public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a “merit” or “civil service” style examination, then appointment by “Lateral Transfer” may be possible. If interested, please click here (Download PDF reader) (Download PDF reader) for additional information.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE – Qualifying

All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this exam at the time of filing. The supplemental questionnaire may be used throughout the exam process to assist in determining each applicant’s qualifications and acceptability for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire may result in the application being removed from consideration.

APPLICATION EVALUATION – Pass/Fail

An application evaluation will be conducted to determine whether each applicant possesses the required licensure and certification for this recruitment. Those candidates who do will be placed on the eligible list.

ELIGIBLE LIST

Applicants successfully completing the exam process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year.

The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future Regular (including Temporary and Fixed term), Intermittent, and Extra Help vacancies for this and similar positions only within the Inpatient Unit. This recruitment is remining open to fill future vacancies as they arise.

(Previously: There are currently two (2) Regular vacancies.)

NOTE: If appointed at the lower level, incumbent may be promoted to the higher level without further exam upon meeting the minimum requirements, demonstrating satisfactory performance, and in accordance with the business needs of the department.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

A thorough pre-employment, post offer background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information and driving record is required for this position.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation. 

For further information about this recruitment, please contact Katie Reynolds by e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone at (805) 654-2629.

YOUR BENEFITS AS A COUNTY OF VENTURA EMPLOYEE

California Nurses Association

(CNA)

To learn more about Benefits, Retirement, and the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), see links below.

• Benefits website or you may call (805) 654-2570.
• Retirement FAQ’s (Download PDF reader)
• Memorandum of Agreement 

Union Code: NCN

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