Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner - Los Angeles Downtown Medical Center (LADMC) - Los Angeles, California
(2025-01)
Provide direct nursing care in an inpatient psychiatric and locked behavioral health unit, managing an average of 5 patients per shift.
- Administer and monitor psychotropic medications, assess therapeutic response, observe for adverse effects and communicate significant clinical changes to psychiatric providers.
- Perform comprehensive psychiatric and nursing assessments, including evaluation of mood, behavior, cognition, suicide risk, violence risk, withdrawal symptoms and changes in mental status.
- Provide care to patients experiencing acute psychiatric conditions, behavioral crises, psychosis, mood disorders, substance-related disorders and other complex behavioral health conditions.
- Implement and maintain suicide, elopement, assault, fall and safety precautions in a locked inpatient psychiatric environment.
- Use verbal de-escalation, therapeutic communication, trauma-informed approaches and crisis intervention techniques to promote patient and staff safety.
- Monitor patients undergoing alcohol and substance withdrawal, using appropriate assessment tools such as CIWA-Ar and COWS when ordered.
- Collaborate with psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, social workers, therapists, case managers and nursing staff to develop and implement treatment plans.
- Educate patients regarding psychiatric diagnoses, medications, coping strategies, treatment adherence and discharge planning.
- Maintain accurate and timely behavioral health documentation, including mental status findings, medication administration, risk assessments, nursing interventions and patients' responses to treatment.
- Participate in admission, transfer, discharge and interdisciplinary treatment planning processes.
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner - Los Angeles General Medical Center - Los Angeles, California
(2024-03 - 2025-03)
- Conducted comprehensive psychiatric and nursing assessments, including mental status examinations and evaluation of behavioral changes.
- Administered and monitored psychotropic medication, assessing therapeutic response, side effects, adverse reactions and medication adherence.
- Managed patients with acute psychiatric conditions, including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, psychosis, anxiety, substance use disorders and suicidal ideation.
- Provided crisis intervention and de-escalation for patients experiencing agitation, aggression, psychosis or behavioral emergencies while maintaining a therapeutic and safe environment.
- Collaborated closely with psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, therapists and pharmacists to develop and implement treatment plans.
- Educated patients regarding psychiatric diagnoses, medications, coping strategies, treatment adherence and discharge planning.
- Completed accurate and timely psychiatric nursing documentation, including medication administration records, safety assessments and progress notes.
- Participated in admission, transfer, discharge and interdisciplinary treatment planning processes.
