Inpatient Psychiatry Nurse Practitioner
Position Summary
The Inpatient Psychiatry Nurse Practitioner provides advanced practice psychiatric care to patients admitted to an inpatient behavioral health or medical unit. This role focuses on the assessment, diagnosis, and management of acute psychiatric conditions, collaboration with multidisciplinary teams, and support of safe transitions of care.
Key Responsibilities
- Conduct comprehensive psychiatric evaluations for hospitalized patients
- Diagnose and manage acute and chronic psychiatric conditions
- Develop and implement individualized treatment plans, including medication management
- Monitor patient response to treatment and adjust care plans as needed
- Participate in daily interdisciplinary treatment team rounds
- Provide crisis intervention and risk assessment for safety concerns
- Collaborate with psychiatrists, nursing staff, social work, and ancillary services
- Educate patients and families regarding diagnoses, medications, and treatment plans
- Coordinate discharge planning and continuity of care
- Maintain accurate, timely, and compliant documentation in the electronic health record
- Support quality improvement, patient safety, and regulatory compliance initiatives
Practice Setting
- Inpatient psychiatric unit or hospital-based behavioral health service
- May include coverage of medical floors for psychiatric consultation
- Shift-based or scheduled coverage, including weekends and holidays as required
Patient Population
- Adult or adolescent inpatient psychiatric patients (depending on unit)
- Patients with acute mood, psychotic, substance-related, and behavioral disorders
Qualifications
- Master’s or Doctoral degree in Nursing
- Graduate of an accredited Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program
- National board certification as a PMHNP
- Eligible for unrestricted nurse practitioner licensure in the practicing state
- DEA registration or eligibility
Skills & Competencies
- Strong clinical assessment and diagnostic skills
- Ability to manage high-acuity psychiatric conditions
- Excellent communication and interdisciplinary collaboration skills
- Commitment to patient-centered, trauma-informed care
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced inpatient environment
Work Environment
- Hospital-based inpatient behavioral health setting
- Multidisciplinary, team-based care model
- Focus on safety, stabilization, and recovery