Care Career is seeking a travel nurse RN Behavioral Health for a travel nursing job in Louisville, Kentucky.
Job Description & Requirements
- Specialty: Behavioral Health
- Discipline: RN
- Duration: 13 weeks
- 36 hours per week
- Shift: 12 hours, days
- Employment Type: Travel
Pediatric/Adolescent Behavioral Health RN
Unit: Pediatric/Adolescent Behavioral Health
Beds: 22
Experience Required: Minimum 6 months of children/adolescent experience
First-Time Travelers: No — travelers must have completed at least one previous travel assignment with the submitting agency.
Patient Population
Patients commonly include children with:
- Intellectual disabilities
- Developmental disabilities
- Behavioral health needs
- Communication difficulties
- Verbal and nonverbal communication abilities
- Varying levels of ADL assistance needs
Patients may require:
- Assistance or prompting with hygiene
- Assistance with ADLs
- Prompting during meals
- Redirection and behavioral support
- Close observation for safety
Behavioral situations may include:
- Hitting
- Kicking
- Grabbing
- Yelling
- Impulsive behavior
- Agitation
- Difficulty responding to redirection
This is a very busy unit, and multiple physical safety interventions may occur when verbal de-escalation and redirection are unsuccessful.
Patient Ratios
Typical staffing includes:
- 2 RNs per unit
- 2–3 Mental Health Technicians (MHTs)
Two MHTs are desired but are not guaranteed on every shift.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide safe, compassionate nursing care to pediatric/adolescent behavioral health patients.
- Recognize early signs of increased agitation and intervene proactively.
- Utilize verbal de-escalation as the primary intervention whenever possible.
- Safely participate in physical holds when required for patient safety.
- Manage multiple escalated patients simultaneously.
- Remain calm and professional during challenging behavioral situations.
- Administer medications, including IM injections when indicated.
- Assist with ADLs and provide appropriate prompting.
- Maintain patient safety during periods of agitation or behavioral escalation.
- Communicate effectively with parents and families.
- Provide families with appropriate updates regarding patient status.
- Work collaboratively with RNs, MHTs, therapists, case managers, behavioral specialists, providers, and security.
- Follow facility policies regarding seclusion, restraints, timeouts, and physical interventions.
Required Qualifications & Certifications
- Minimum 6 months of pediatric/children/adolescent experience
- BLS
- Ability to complete CPI training on site
- Must be physically capable of safely transitioning between standing, seated, and supine positions during patient safety interventions.
Floating Requirements
Floating is required.
The nurse may be asked to float:
- Between pediatric and adult units
- Throughout the facility
- To different patient populations depending on staffing and patient-separation requirements
Patient ages on the unit may vary depending on the needs of the facility and how patients must be separated during a particular shift.
Candidates should be comfortable with:
- Floating throughout the facility
- Different patient populations
- Schedule flexibility
- Shift flexibility
- Not necessarily remaining on the same unit or shift consistently
Scheduling
- Shift: 12-hour shifts
- Weekend Rotation: Every third weekend
- On Call: No
- Holidays: Based on scheduled workdays
- RTO Approval: Up to 5 days
About Care Career
Care Career brings together a portfolio of leading healthcare staffing organizations, each delivering specialized talent solutions across the industry. Wherever you want to go, We Make It Happen.
With travel nursing jobs across the country, you can discover the possibilities that create the lifestyle and financial position that you have dreamed of.
Care Career is a modern, transparent staffing firm creating the ultimate community of US.
Benefits
- Referral bonus
- Weekly pay
- Medical benefits
- Continuing Education
- Dental benefits
- Vision benefits