Inpatient Mental Health Registered Nurse

Quick Facts

• Role: Inpatient Mental Health Registered Nurse (RN)
• Focus: Recovery-oriented inpatient psychiatric nursing, milieu management, and nurse-led psychoeducational groups

Description

Provide patient-centered, recovery-oriented inpatient mental health nursing care. The RN uses therapeutic communication and de-escalation techniques, manages the inpatient mental health milieu, facilitates shift reports/warm hand-offs, and develops and leads nurse-led psychoeducational groups. The role also includes interdisciplinary collaboration, documentation of nursing assessments and safety observations, directing team response to psychiatric emergencies, and evaluating mental health outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Provide recovery-oriented, patient-centered inpatient mental health nursing care
• Facilitate shift reports and warm hand-offs; develop and facilitate nurse-led psychoeducational groups
• Use therapeutic communication and recovery-oriented language
• Apply de-escalation techniques and manage the MH milieu
• Participate in the MH interdisciplinary treatment team and MH Environment of Care rounds
• Direct team response to psychiatric emergencies and report/support resolution of safety concerns
• Document nursing assessments, nursing plan of care, patient safety observations, and environmental safety rounds per facility policy
• Maintain professional boundaries to protect patient vulnerabilities
• Collaborate on development/implementation/evaluation/revision of policies, procedures, and guidelines
• Evaluate MH outcomes of evidence-based decisions and practice changes at the program/service level
• Provide constructive feedback to peers and foster a safe environment for professional development

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship (or non-citizen appointment only if qualified citizens cannot be recruited per VA policy)
• English language proficiency for direct patient care
• Graduate of an approved nursing program (ACEN or CCNE) OR qualify via VA bridge/foreign-education pathways
• Current, full, active, unrestricted RN license in a U.S. state/territory/DC (or may be appointed as a GNT while pursuing licensure)
• Selective Service registration (males born after 12/31/1959)
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Complete online onboarding and pre-employment requirements
• Seasonal influenza vaccination program participation required
• May be required to complete a probationary period
• Complete all application requirements in the announcement’s Required Documents section

Benefits

• Competitive salary with regular increases and potential performance awards
• Retirement credit (for certain intermittent appointments > 1 year in Excepted Service)
• Limited FEGLI coverage (regulatory exceptions based on intermittent service continuity)
• Federal health insurance

Additional Details

• Work schedule varies by service need (one role 11:30am–12:00am; another 8:00pm–7:30am)
• Telework: not available; not a virtual position
• Relocation/recruitment incentives and PCS: not authorized
• This position is in the Excepted Service
• Physical demands and exposure risks require ability to perform essential job functions (including lifting 50 lbs) and completion of annual Employee Health requirements