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Position Overview

The Program Nurse, holding a MA Licensed Practical Nurse license, is responsible for providing nursing care and medical case management to children and adolescents with a variety of developmental, cognitive, and mental health diagnoses served by the Italian Home for Children in all of its programs in collaboration with the Pediatrician, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Psychiatrists and other members of the treatment team.

Salary range starts at $60K! Italian Home for Children is committed to providing employees with excellent benefits and recently increased salary ranges! Day, evening, and overnight shifts available. At IHC, we are creating communities where all children and families are embraced and empowered to reach their full potential. Join IHC and become a part of a supportive, caring, and committed team that is making a difference every day. Are you ready to help? Are you prepared for professional growth opportunities? Apply Now!

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions given this title. Employees may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

Essential Functions:

• Manage health issues of the children, including medication administration, noting medical orders, and promoting general and overall health
• Respect each child as in individual and provide care that promotes each child’s dignity and positive self-worth
• Monitoring vital signs when appropriate and observing for adverse reactions to newly prescribed and ongoing psychiatric medications
• Assess and triage health needs of children across CBAT, residential, school, and after school programs and appropriately prioritize care
• Perform intake and discharge physicals.
• Answer children’s questions and address their or staff’s concerns professionally, efficiently, and empathically
• Demonstrate an ability to foster therapeutic relationships while maintaining professional boundaries.
• Collaborate and consult with childcare staff/supervisors regarding medical needs of children
• Demonstrate a commitment to teamwork and communicate frequently and clearly within nursing office, with non-nursing staff, and externally with collaterals
• Participate in interdisciplinary team meetings
• Maintain excellent relationships and communicate with outside agencies, physicians, hospitals, pharmacies, and client’s families; relay important information back to all staff in a clear, concise, and educated manner
• Track acute and routine medical and dental appointments and assist in scheduling appointments, communicating appointments to residential staff, and following through on any recommendations
• Ensure all discharge needs are met for children across all programs (appointments, documents, etc.)
• Transport children to medical/dental appointments in the absence of available residential counselors
• Conduct intakes when social worker/clinical staff is unavailable
• Compile health histories and maintain medical files for each resident; review documentation sent by collateral contacts
• Assist treatment team with incorporating medical diagnoses in treatment planning
• Document all required data and information in client’s chart accurately and concisely; utilize nursing software to record medical/dental/psychiatric concerns
• Develop and provide in-services pertaining to medical/health issues, infection control, and other relevant topics at monthly orientations and dorm meetings as needed
• Provide age appropriate medical and dental education and guidance and assistance to children including skill-building around activities of daily living
• Participate in establishing and maintaining a safe and therapeutic milieu environment.
• Assist in maintaining an orderly office; restock supplies; proactively inform Nurse Manager when supplies need to be ordered
• Participation in beeper rotation for 24/7 on-call coverage
• Assignment of medical assistants' daily duties when needed
• Participate in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention training
• Prepare for weekly supervision and weekly nurse team meeting, bringing new evidence-based knowledge, informed questions, and concerns to the team
• Abide by HIPAA regulations and procedures
• Reports significant issues or sudden changes in health status or behavior to prescriber and nursing director.
• Embrace trauma-informed care framework when interacting with the children
• Follow all policies and procedures outlined in nursing manual

Essential Qualifications:

• LPN (Massachusetts) license required
• Pediatric psychiatric background preferred
• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills
• Excellent attention to detail
• Computer proficiency
• Flexible, adaptable, organized and can work in fast-paced environment
• Resilient, patient, attentive, and empathetic
• Punctual and dependable for assigned shift.
• Professional and knowledgeable communication and documentation
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Valid driver's license; ability to operate a motor vehicle safely
• Ability to provide therapeutic physical restraint, if necessary
• May require bending, stooping, stretching, and lifting