Registered Nurse â€"  Older Adult Population ; Wyoming Behavioral Institute, Casper, Wyoming

Wyoming Behavioral Institute serves the citizens Wyoming by providing Inpatient and Residential Psychiatric care. Located in Casper, Wyoming, we are a 110- bed acute care hospital with residential care. We provide acute care for all patient populations. We are seeking individuals who are passionate about caring for others and possess strong communication skills.

Wyoming Behavioral Institute, a UHS Facility, is seeking a dynamic and talented Registered Nurse - Older Adults

Key Responsibilities include:

The Registered Nurse is responsible for the overall assessment, implementation of treatment, and evaluation of quality clinical services for older adults / geriatric patients.  He/she has direct responsibility for the provision of nursing care.  Carries out “other duties� as assigned.

• Demonstrates competency in prioritization, delegation, and coordination when functioning as Charge Nurse on a unit.  Fills out assignment sheets effectively.   Assigns responsibility for the provision of various aspects of care which is reflective of the complexity of nursing care required and the competence of available staff, considers the following in making/revising patient care assignments:
  • The patient’s status
  • The environment in which nursing care is provided.
  • The competence of the nursing staff members who are to provide the care.
  • The degree of supervision required.
  • The complexity of the assessment required by the patient.
  • Relevant infection control and safety issues.
• Assures compliance of all staff on unit with levels of observation, patient checks/flow sheets, meal monitors, enuresis logs, other tracking forms, and patient check-ins.
• Understands and assures adherence by all staff to unit program structure (i.e. point system, limit-setting system, rules, schedule, etc.) on all units.  (If works nights, understands and assures adherence to proper procedures for billing, chart breakdown, precautions and census, chart building, report, filing, vital signs, etc.).
• Actively manages the milieu, ensures that seclusion and/or restraint are minimized and only utilized as a last resort for patent safety.  Directs the effective and timely implementation of milieu tools
• Demonstrates the knowledge and skill necessary to provide care and services for the following age specific patient groups:  
  • Adults 18-64 years of age. 
  • Geriatrics 65 years and older. 
• Completes Nursing Admission Assessment within 8 hours of admission and determines nursing needs to serve as the baseline for development of the patient’s initial plan of care.  Includes consideration of biophysical, psychosocial, spiritual, environmental, pain level, self-care, educational, and discharge planning factors in the admission assessment.  Writes initial treatment plan based on data gathered from the admission assessment.  Assesses safety risk of every new admission, assures appropriate level of observation and starts protocol as indicated.
• Demonstrates knowledge of normal dosages, actions and interactions with foods and other drugs, side effects and routes of administration.  Provides ongoing medication education during medication administration. 
• Questions unusual dosages or routes of administration of medications, clarifies with physician/pharmacist.  Questions prescribing doctor when concerns or problems with medications arise.
• Documents response to PRN medication administration. Assesses the patient’s pain level utilizing the numeric pain scale, demonstrating knowledge of pain management principles.  Documents pain level before and after the administration of PRN pain medication.
• Completes any appropriate follow-up documentation related to medication administration/events.
• Monitors and interprets vital functions and findings and correlates with patient condition.
• Bases patient care/treatment decisions on identified patient needs and clinical treatment priorities.