REGISTERED NURSE - BRIDGE CLINIC

Job Description Summary

The registered nurse will work in a collaborative, inter-professional team caring for patients with substance use disorders and perinatal behavioral health. The RN will work in the following settings: adult outpatient substance use disorder bridge program and/or outpatient perinatal behavioral health program. The duties will include supporting the physician(s), advanced practice clinicians and licensed clinicians within these programs. The RN will be responsible for rooming patients including vital signs, performing appropriate screenings, medication reconciliation, ordering and collecting drug testing, performing withdrawal assessments including COWs and CIWA and telephone support to patients. In addition, the RN will be responsible for some routine patient follow-up visits. These visits will include assessments of patients, their progress towards meeting treatment goals, and appropriateness of current treatment plans with oversight from Medical Director of Addiction Medicine and APCs. The RN will also have an important role in working with licensed clinicians and other staff to help coordinate referral to community treatments resources. (Salary Range: $37.04--$75.03)

Job Description

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1 - CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES (overseen by the Medical Director of Addiction Medicine)

   a - Responsible for rooming patients into adult addiction medicine bridge program. This is to include vital signs, medication reconciliation, Clinical Opioid Withdrawal Scale (COWS)  and/or CIWA assessments when appropriate and performing validated screening assessments when appropriate.

   b - Working knowledge of withdrawal severity assessment tools.

   c - Perform pertinent addiction medicine history taking including substance use and prior treatments histories

   d - Comfort educating people about overdose education and naloxone distribution.

   e - Able to discuss harm reduction strategies with patients.

   f - Review patients progress towards addiction medicine/recovery treatment goals.

   g - Able to follow addiction medicine guidelines and order sets in order to facilitate patient flow through the program with supervision from the Medical Director of Addiction Medicine.

   h - Working knowledge of buprenorphine, naltrexone and methadone.

   i - Able to perform point of care urine and saliva drug testing as well as pregnancy testing.

   j - Able to evaluate urine toxicology results including differentiating between opiates and opioids with supervision by Medical Director of Addiction Medicine.
k - Uses patient centered interviewing skills including motivational interviewing skills.
l - Assess patients readiness for change
m - Assess patients overall suitability for buprenorphine and naltrexone treatments.
n - Comfort referring patients to an Opioid Treatment Program when appropriate.
o - Able to follow medical orders and perform naltrexone intramuscular injections.
p - Able to follow medical orders and perform subcutaneous buprenorphine injections.
q - Review informed consents with patients
r - Review authorization to release information with patients
s - Work in an interdisciplinary team of physicians, other nurses, nurse practitioners and licensed clinicians such as social workers and/or LADCs.
t - Under direct supervision of medical director perform routine follow-up visits for patients on buprenorphine or naltrexone.
u - Help team track patient outcomes and improve quality.

2 - CASE MANAGEMENT

   a - Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings and follow patients progress through the program.

   b - Help coordinate referrals to community and PCP providers for continuation of the patients Addiction Care. Will be performed in conjunction with team members.

   c - Help support patients recovery.

   d - Help follow-up and communicate any outstanding laboratory work-up with patients either in person or via telephone.

   e - Collaborate closely with inpatient addiction medicine consult team to be aware of patients who will be coming to outpatient bridge program.

   f - Communicate closely and regularly with multidisciplinary team members including physicians, nurse practitioners, other nurses, and licensed clinicians.

   g - Engage patients in treatment planning and make any needed referrals.

   h - With patient consent, help communicate with patient’s outside providers and long-term treatment destinations in the community.

   i - Help with any necessary prior authorizations.

   j - Adhere to federal (42 CFR part 2 and HIPAA) and state policies and laws as well as health system policies to ensure appropriate releases are obtained to exchange and disclose patient information.

3 - Technology and Learning

   a - Participates in continued learning and possess a willingness and ability to learn and utilize new technology and procedures that continue to develop in their role and throughout the organization.

   b - Embraces technological advances that allow us to communicate information effectively and efficiently based on role.

UNIT / DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC JOB FUNCTIONS

Unit Specific functions are those tasks, duties and responsibilities that are specific to the performance of the job within a certain unit(s).  Following are unit specific functions of the job, along with the corresponding performance standards.

1 - Demonstrates as part of daily work experience the Aspects of Caring including but not limited to accountability and respect to our patients and colleagues.

2 - Demonstrates professional working relationships with colleagues to promote a positive/encouraging workplace

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Minimum Education - Preferred

Graduate of an accredited School of Nursing, Bachelors degree preferred.

Minimum Work Experience

Five (5) years of nursing experience; addiction experience is strongly preferred. Prior work at Opioid Treatment Programs (OTP), Acute Treatment Services (ATS)/detox, clinical stabilization services (CSS) is preferred

Required Licenses / Registrations

RN - Registered Nurse

Required Classes/Skills -

BLS - Basic Life Support

Required additional Knowledge, and Abilities

Comfort working with people suffering from substance use disorders.  This should include responding to acute overdoses, providing naloxone, and destigmatizing medications for addiction treatment.