Summary

The Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner performs a variety of duties to provide quality patient care to patients requiring psychiatric services. The scope of services includes new patient evaluations and follow-up appointments for people who are homeless or vulnerably housed men, women, and children. This position reports directly to the Healthcare for the Homeless - Houston (HHH) Chief Medical Officer/Medical Director, with associated oversight by other multidisciplinary departmental leadership of HHH as indicated.

CLINICAL SETTING

The Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner provides patient care to men, women, and children who are homeless or vulnerably housed at HHH primary care clinics and may provide psychiatric outreach services to homeless individuals living on the streets, in encampments, and in shelters/missions as part of an interdisciplinary outreach team. Daily work hours may vary with minimal evening or weekend hours.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Not normally required to exert physical effort.
• Driving between clinic sites in a day
• Frequently handles/works with biohazards or patient-related risks for potential job-related injury, such as those found in an ordinary laboratory or clinic environment.

Job Duties

• Performs pertinent history and physical exams of patients
• Prescribes therapeutic treatments and/or medications for mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders
• Collaborates within a multidisciplinary setting serving the homeless population to update the patient's treatment plan and keep the primary care team aware of patient progress.
• Performs and evaluates diagnostic procedures and laboratory tests within the Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner's scope of practice
• Follows established protocols to manage specific patient problems in collaboration with supervising physicians
• Provides constructive input on improving the delivery of services to medical director and clinic manager
• Maintains medical record using an electronic medical record, writes accurate, timely notes and orders which are co-signed by supervising physician when appropriate
• Sensitive in working with people who are homeless/medically underserved populations
• Self-directed with good organizational skills
• Promotes quality improvement and participates in clinic improvement efforts as appropriate
• Communicates and works well within a collaborative team environment
• May supervise the work of a medical assistant, nursing students, medical students and family medicine residents where appropriate
• Adheres to agency policies and procedures
• Participates and is a clinical leader in the medication assisted treatment program
• Performs other tasks or special assignments as necessary to maintain proper operation and patient care

Minimum Qualifications

• For Nurse Practitioners: Master's degree in in Nursing. Acute Care Certification (CPNP-AC) required.
• For Physician Assistants: Master's degree in Physician Assistant Studies. NOTE: Bachelor's degree in Physician Assistant Studies accepted based on terminal degree requirements at time of graduation.

Experience Required: None required, though preferred.

Certification/Licenses/Registration:

• For Nurse Practitioner: Current license as a Registered Nurse (RN) by the State of Texas Board of Nursing. Current Texas Licensure as an Advanced Practice Nurse (APRN), and acute care certification (CPNP-AC) required.
• For Physician Assistant: Current license as a Physician Assistant by the State of Texas Physician Assistant Board. Specialty certification as required by department.
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certifications