Introduction
Are you looking for a new challenge in your Nursing career?
If so, we have an excellent opportunity for Registered Nurses to join our hospital’s team!
Whiting Forensic Hospital, under the umbrella of the State of Connecticut, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) is seeking a current DMHAS employee to join our team as a Forensic Head Nurse (PCN 136223). This position will help lead nursing services within the Dutcher 3 South. Find out more information on this great opportunity below!
POSITION HIGHLIGHTS:
- Location: 70 O’Brien Drive, Middletown, CT
- Work Schedule: Full-time, 40 hours per week
- Work Shift: Second shift, 2:45 p.m. – 11:15 p.m.
- Additional Schedule Information can be seen below:
FRIDAYSATURDAYSUNDAYMONDAYTUESDAYWEDNESDAYTHURSDAYWEEK 1:WORKoffoffWORKWORKWORKWORKWEEK 2:offWORKWORKWORKoffWORKWORK
WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU:
- Visit our new State Employee Benefits Overview page!
- Work at a Forbes-recognized company! Connecticut is proud to be featured on both America’s Best Employers by State and Best Employers for New Grads in 2024. With our dynamic job market and commitment to fostering a thriving workforce, Connecticut stands out as a top destination for both seasoned professionals and fresh graduates seeking to launch their careers.
- Professional growth and development opportunities.
- A healthy work/life balance to all employees.
- This is a Hazardous Duty position.
ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION INFORMATION:
Each Registered Nurse who is permanently assigned to the second or third shift shall receive a “recruitment and retention” yearly bonus of three thousand dollars ($3,000.00). This bonus shall be pro-rated for part-time Registered Nurses. This bonus shall be paid biweekly. In order to be eligible for this bonus, the Employee must have completed one year of service in the registered nurse classification.
WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING:
- Provide nursing care for behavioral health patients within the nursing scope of practice.
- Collaborate with interprofessional team members to provide patient excellence in care and treatments
- Provide substantial input regarding patient care needs;
- Complete comprehensive nursing assessment for patients with acute psychiatric and addictive problems; and
- Provide direct patient care that includes education, counseling, medication administration and documentation of the treatment plan and ongoing interventions of care.
MORE ABOUT THE AGENCY AND FACILITIES:
The State of Connecticut, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), is a health care agency whose mission is to promote the overall health and wellness of persons with behavioral health needs through an integrated network of holistic, comprehensive, effective, and efficient services and supports that foster dignity, respect, and self-sufficiency in those we serve.
Whiting Forensic Hospital provides high quality, comprehensive, and individualized treatment and evaluation services for patients with mental health conditions who are involved in the criminal justice system or are not yet ready to be safely treated in less restrictive settings. This is accomplished with full respect for the civil and human rights of each patient. Our goal is to assist individuals to manage their illnesses and achieve personal recovery goals through developing the skills necessary to live safely in the community.
Dutcher 3 South is a long-term unit located within the enhanced security, Dutcher building aimed at community reintegration for individuals diagnosed with mental illness and or substance use disorders who have been adjudicated.
Start with us! Stay with us! Grow with us!
Please note:
- A comprehensive medical examination, including a drug screening, will be required of all applicants upon a conditional offer of employment.
- All state employees must adhere to Connecticut’s Policy for a Drug Free Workplace.
Selection Plan
In order to be considered for this job opening you must be a current State of CT employee of the agency listed above for at least six (6) months of full-time service or full-time equivalent service, absent any applicable collective bargaining language, and meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.
To Apply:
- The only way to apply to this posting is via the ‘Apply’ or ‘Apply Online’ buttons on the official State of Connecticut Online Employment Center job posting.
- In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
- In order to receive educational credits toward qualification for this job posting, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the recruiter listed on this job posting.
- You must specify your qualifications on your application. You will be unable to make revisions once you submit your application for this posting to the JobAps system.
- In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.
- All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
- This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules.
Important Next Step Information for After You Apply:
- Although applicants will receive correspondence via email and/or phone, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
- This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting’s closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the question’s expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user’s spam.
- Note: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.
- The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
- Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position. Read through this helpful link to prepare for your interview.
- Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State Employees which is available at www.ct.gov/ethics.
- For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.
Connect With Us:
- Due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process.
- Updates will be available through your JobAps portal account. If you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment please contact Joseph K. Fried at Joseph.Fried@ct.gov, 860-924-7053.
FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:
Please read or watch our Applicant Tips on How to Apply!
PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)
In the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Whiting Forensic Hospital this class is accountable for the administrative and clinical supervision of a unit involving the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of mentally ill offenders and violent and/or antisocial clients who are unmanageable in other psychiatric or correctional facilities.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES
- Leads the planning of care and the implementation of the nursing process;
- Plans unit workflow and determines priorities;
- Schedules, assigns, oversees and reviews work;
- Establishes and maintains unit procedures;
- Provides staff training and assistance;
- Conducts or assists in conducting performance evaluations;
- Leads professional and paraprofessional staff in provision of patient/client care;
- Maintains and promotes standards of nursing;
- Identifies staff development needs;
- Instructs staff regarding policies and procedures;
- Participates in interdisciplinary meetings to promote and ensure adjustment and continuity of patient/client care programs;
- Responds to emergencies;
- Acts as liaison with operating units;
- Ensures that controlled drugs are properly stored, administered and ordered;
- May make recommendations on policies or standards;
- May prepare reports and correspondence;
- Performs related duties as required.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY
- Considerable knowledge of
- and ability to independently apply psychiatric nursing principles, techniques and standards;
- specialized patient/client care applicable to nursing assignment;
- medication, their actions, interactions, uses and side effects;
- Knowledge of
- policies and procedures required to maintain a maximum security environment;
- statutes pertaining to treatment of mentally ill offenders;
- general and mental health conditions and treatment interventions through utilization of assessment, nursing diagnosis, outcome identification, health planning, implementation and evaluation;
- and sensitivity to cultural and socio-economic differences;
- Considerable
- interpersonal skills;
- oral and written communication skills;
- Ability to
- establish and maintain collaborative relationships with other professionals;
- act as a role model to health care staff;
- Supervisory ability.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS – GENERAL EXPERIENCE
Two (2) years of experience as a Registered Professional Nurse.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS – SPECIAL EXPERIENCE
One (1) year of the General Experience must have been in the care of the mentally ill or emotionally disturbed.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS – SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED
A Bachelor’s degree in nursing may be substituted for one (1) year of the General Experience.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
- Incumbents in this class must possess and retain a license or temporary permit as a Registered Professional Nurse in Connecticut.
- Incumbents in this class may be required to be fluent in a foreign language or proficient in the use of the American Sign Language in certain designated positions.
- Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.
CHARACTER REQUIREMENTS
In addition to the checking of references and of facts stated in the application, a thorough background investigation of each candidate may be made before persons are certified for permanent appointment.
Conclusion
AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.
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