Lead Registered Nurse

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides clinical leadership and supervision to Registered Nurses (RNs) and Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs).
• Oversees nursing assessments, care plans, medication administration, and physician orders.
• Provides clinical consultation regarding complex medical, psychiatric, and behavioral presentations.
• Collaborates with the PMHNP regarding medication management, laboratory monitoring, and clinical concerns.
• Oversees medication storage, controlled substances, pharmacy coordination, and medication reconciliation.
• Responds to psychiatric, behavioral, and medical emergencies while directing nursing response.
• Reviews nursing documentation for accuracy, timeliness, and compliance.
• Coordinates admissions, transfers, hospitalizations, specialty referrals, and discharge planning.
• Participates in interdisciplinary treatment team meetings and discharge planning.
• Ensures compliance with HIPAA, OSHA, DHSR, Medicaid, DJJ, Joint Commission, COA, and organizational standards.
• Develops nursing schedules and assists with staffing coverage.
• Conducts orientation, competency validation, coaching, and ongoing education for nursing staff.
• Assists with recruitment, interviewing, onboarding, and retention of nursing staff.
• Participates in quality improvement, utilization review, infection control, and risk management activities.
• Reviews nursing incidents, medication variances, and quality indicators and implements corrective actions.
• Collaborates with leadership during audits and regulatory reviews.
• Promotes trauma-informed, youth-centered, culturally responsive nursing practice.
• Performs other duties as assigned within the scope of nursing leadership.

Minimum Qualifications

• BSN required; Master's degree preferred.
• Current unrestricted North Carolina Registered Nurse license.
• Current BLS/CPR certification.
• Ability to pass required background checks and complete New Hope and DJJ training.

Preferred Qualifications

• Three years of nursing experience in behavioral health, psychiatry, juvenile justice, residential treatment, emergency medicine, or child/adolescent services.
• Previous nursing leadership experience.
• Experience with electronic health records and trauma-informed care.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Advanced clinical assessment and critical thinking.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and communication skills.
• Knowledge of psychotropic medications and behavioral health diagnoses.
• Knowledge of NC Nurse Practice Act, Medicaid, DJJ, DHSR, Joint Commission, and COA standards.
• Ability to lead effectively in a fast-paced behavioral health environment.

Physical and Work Environment Requirements

• Work performed in a secure behavioral health environment serving adolescents.
• Ability to sit, stand, walk, bend, lift, and respond during emergencies.
• Ability to safely respond to behavioral and medical crises.
• May be exposed to behavioral crises, infectious diseases, and emotionally challenging situations.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made for qualified individuals with disabilities.