REGISTERED NURSE, MENTAL HEALTH

Unit/Project Description:
The Student Wellness Centre provides three levels of support to students including counselling for common concerns and mental health support, health promotion to learn about health related issues and wellness resources and medical services for assessment and treatment of illness and injury, health teaching, immunizations, allergy shots, contraceptive counselling etc. The SWC also has psychiatry to support students with mental illness.

Job Summary:
Responsible for optimizing students' physiological and psychological health and well-being through the administration of various health initiatives and procedures. Provides clinical mental health and physical assessments, treatment planning, health teaching, supportive counselling, care management and referrals for specialized care. Facilitates collaboration within the care team, communication with the student's family and communication with campus and community resources and hospitals.

Purpose and Key Functions:
* Perform triage clinical assessments for students with mental health issues and distressing concerns.
* Provides assessment of physical symptoms and physical causes.
* Independently assess and advise students not able to obtain access to a counsellor or physician, who request or need to be assessed that day.
* Perform screening and assessments using standardized measurement tools, as appropriate for the clinical presentation.
* Respond to phone calls or emails from students in distress, by conducting assessment interviews by phone or electronic communication.
* Provide options for treatment, persuade students to seek professional help and provide access to resources.
* Arrange transportation of students to hospital when direct admission is arranged by a psychiatrist.
* Facilitate prescription renewals for students by interacting with physician and pharmacist on student's behalf.
* Administer medications after prescribed and monitor to ensure there are no adverse reactions and refer to physician if reactions are present.
* Independently assesses whether there is a risk of suicide and monitors symptoms related to medication.
* Develop treatment and care plans specific to each individual patient.
* Develop individual safety and suicide plans.
* Track treatment plan to ensure that best practices have been offered to student.
* Complete transition assessments to facilitate transitions for students leaving hospital and returning to campus.
* Facilitate involvement of student's support network.
* Organize and chair weekly Case Management Meetings, to facilitate collaborative care between counsellors, physicians, and psychiatrists.
* Provide orientation to Psychiatry Residents, assist with care management as needed, facilitate meeting time for Psychiatrist and Resident daily.
* Facilitate educational sessions for the Mental Health Team members regarding services, mental health issues and treatments.
* Communicate with hospital or community services to ensure continuity of care plan upon discharge.
* Maintain current knowledge of mental illness and recommendations for treatment.
* Provide health teaching, answer frequent questions and asses the effects and side effects of psychoactive medications.
* Assist with surveys and collect data related to physical wellness and mental health.
* Collate data from across campus regarding student mental health issues.
* Provide direct-access consultation to Residence Life Management staff and Student Code of Conduct staff regarding students of concern.
* Give injections and monitor vital signs of patients.

Supervision:
* Ensure adherence to quality standards and procedures for short-term staff, nursing students on clinical placement, and volunteers.
* Provide orientation and show procedures to others.

Requirements:
* Bachelor’s degree in Nursing.
* Requires 5 years of relevant experience including 2 years of experience specializing in Mental Health.
* Completion of a certificate related to Mental Health.
* Must be a member in good standing with the College of Nurses of Ontario.

Assets:
* Preference will be given to nurses with experience in acute mental health nursing
* Proficiency with crisis intervention and prevention 
* Knowledge of CBT, DBT
* Knowledge of Hamilton psychiatry resources and referral processes.
* Experience with emerging adult population

Additional Information:
Must have availability for evenings/weekends if necessary