Nursing Coordinator (Safety)
California State Personnel Board Specification
Definition
Under direction at developmental centers, State hospitals, or correctional facilities contracting with the Department of Mental Health for diagnostic and treatment services, in a program providing care to patients who are developmentally or mentally disordered offenders, coordinates the nursing care activities in a treatment program; assists the Program Director with the administration of a treatment program with particular emphasis on nursing care activities; and does other work as required.
Distinguishing Characteristics
This class is distinguished from Nursing Coordinator by the custody requirements imposed by the criminal nature of the forensic client, patient, or inmate population and the security features of the facility.
Typical Tasks
Participates in the planning, development, and implementation of treatment programs for developmentally or mentally disordered offenders; meets with clinical staff and ward treatment teams to establish behavior modification objectives for forensic clients, patients, or inmates and evaluates the effectiveness of the treatment techniques; provides liaison with nursing officer-of-the-day staff and with Nursing Coordinators in other programs; evaluates the effectiveness of nursing services; determines needs for and arranges training for nursing staff; exercises functional supervision of nursing staff; recruits and assigns or recommends assignments of nurses and technicians; recommends type and amount of ward equipment needed to implement treatment programs; assists Program Director with administrative duties such as time reporting, correspondence, budgeting, and purchasing; observes and intervenes in instances of disruptive or assaultive behavior; supervises and, as needed, assists subordinate staff in: the counting, distribution, and accounting for all utensils to prevent their use as weapons; inspecting forensic clients', patients', or inmates' mail and living areas for hazardous contraband; inspecting facility to identify security breaches that could lead to forensic client, patient, or inmate escape; observing and intervening in forensic client, patient, or inmate behavior that may signal an impending escape attempt; and escorting forensic clients, patients, or inmates to other areas of the facility.
Minimum Qualifications
Licensure requirements: Possession of a valid license to practice as a psychiatric technician issued by the California Board of Vocational Nurse and Psychiatric Technician Examiners.
Or Possession of the legal requirements to practice as a professional registered nurse in California as determined by the California Board of Registered Nurses. and Either I Experience: Two years of clinical nursing experience in the Department of Developmental Services or the Department of Mental Health performing the duties of a class with a level of responsibility at least comparable to that of a Supervising Registered Nurse or Unit Supervisor.
Or II
Experience: Four years of clinical nursing experience with 24-hour responsibility for a nursing program unit in a developmental or mental health setting. (Experience in the California state service applied toward this requirement must be in a class with a level of responsibility comparable to that of a Registered Nurse, Range B.)
Knowledge and Abilities
Knowledge of: The principles and practices of personnel management and effective supervision in planning, organizing, and directing technical nursing services staff of a treatment program; professional nursing principles and techniques; principles of specialized treatment and training techniques as they relate to the developmentally or mentally disordered offenders; treatment program organization in developmental centers or State hospitals; medicines and narcotics; a supervisors role in the Equal Employment Opportunity Program.
Ability to: Plan and direct the work of nursing services staff in a treatment program; develop nursing care and treatment plans in order to reach measurable objectives; assess, plan, and implement staff training to meet patient objectives; work effectively with multidisciplinary clinical staff; represent the Program Director in discussions of all aspects of nursing services; communicate effectively.
Special Personal Characteristics
Willingness to work at developmental centers, State hospitals, or correctional facilities contracting with the Department of Mental Health for diagnostic and treatment services; demonstrated leadership ability; sympathetic and objective understanding of the problems of developmentally or mentally disordered offenders; tact; patience; and emotional stability.
Special Physical Characteristics
Incumbents must possess and maintain sufficient strength, agility, and endurance to perform during physically, mentally, and emotionally stressful and emergency situations encountered on the job without endangering their own health and well-being or that of their fellow employees, forensic clients, patients, inmates, or the public.
