AltaPointe’s Adult Residential Services are designed for consumers with serious and persistent mental illness who require social rehabilitation and community support. Combining medical, nursing and clinical services, our staff provides care and treatment for more than 200 adults in need of intensive service provision. The Adult Residential Services Program consists of group homes, which are supervised 24 hours/day when consumers are on the premises.  Expected outcomes are the same for each adult group home: to prevent re-hospitalization and to maximize and maintain successful community placement. Residential care focuses on the rehabilitation and return to the community of seriously mentally ill consumers.

Nurses in the residential setting are responsible for administering medications, reviewing MARs to ensure medication management, deescalating or resolving crisis situations in the group home, and ongoing compliance with the Nurse Delegation Program.

Essential Functions

• Administers medications, observing the Seven Rights of medication administration. Monitors consumers for potential side effects of medications and report findings to the physician
• Provides medication education for the consumer and family, including uses and potential side effects.
• Reviews MARs daily to ensure appropriate medication management which includes timely refills and any necessary arrangements with medical staff for new prescriptions
• Identifies psychiatric and medical needs and communicates effectively with the physicians to include completing of consults and taking of any orders.
• Observes consumers behavior, interacts with consumers and evaluate needs to ensure that proper information is reported from shift to shift
• Interfaces with the multi-disciplinary team and actively and cooperatively participates in development of the interdisciplinary treatment plan
• Monitors laboratory results and reports all abnormal findings to the physician
• Demonstrates the ability to recognize the elements of a crisis state and knows how to deescalate or resolve the situation, including providing emergency care as needed (CPR, MindSet, PRN Medications)
• Conducts infection control training for consumers
• Ongoing compliance with Nurse Delegation Program, including recertification requirements, including taking MAS call
• Assists consumers with personal care issues (bathing, toileting, and other personal hygiene issues)
• Ensures that AIMS is completed every 90 days, psychotropic consents are maintained, and annual TB skin tests are up to date.
• Seeks clinical supervision and consultation needs
• Accepts and employs suggestions for improvement
• Actively works to enhance clinical skills
• Attends regularly scheduled staff meetings
• Documents in a timely fashion per AltaPointe policy
• Documents in a clear, concise manner nursing services provided to the consumer and general observations
• Documentation shows that forms, logs, and other applicable written information are completed accurately and updated when appropriate
• Treats consumers with care, dignity and compassion
• Respects consumer’s privacy and confidentiality
• Is pleasant and cooperative with others
• Assists consumers and visitors as needed
• Personal values don’t inhibit ability to relate and care for others
• Is sensitive to the consumer’s needs, expectations an individual differences
• Is gentle and calm with consumers and families
• Actively participates in Performance Improvement activities
• Actively participates in AltaPointe committees as required
• Completes assigned tasks in a timely manner
• Accesses appropriate community resources according to consumer needs
• Complies with AltaPointe Policy & Procedures in a timely manner
• Maintains current state license and requirements for renewals (i.e. CEU’s), and attends the required in-services and workshops

Physical Requirements

• There is frequent standing while getting files, paperwork, and handing out medication.
• Sitting is frequent by nature and up to 5-10 minutes; however, extended sitting could be up to 1.5 to 3 hours for documentation.
• Walking various distances on grounds can be frequent and up to 300 feet to dispense medication.
• Squatting and/or lunging frequently to stock supplies and retrieve needed material from file cabinets and book shelves.
• Strong grasp is needed to handle large carts while retrieving consumer files from the Zeigler Outpatient building and lighter grasp is needed for stocking supplies which requires a force exertion of up to 10 pounds.
• Fine manipulation for writing, handling paperwork, and dispensing medications to consumers.
• Pushing and/or pulling force up to 1-5 pounds force, horizontally, to open file cabinets and place binders on book shelves.
• Lifting various ranges from the floor to overhead with weights up to 1-5 pounds frequently.
• Must lift 40-50lbs floor to waist occasionally to frequent.
• Any other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Current Alabama Registered Nurse License