REGISTERED NURSE SPECIALIST OPS - 60957252

Requisition No: 878775 

Agency: Children and Families

Working Title: REGISTERED NURSE SPECIALIST OPS - 60957252

 Pay Plan: Temp

Position Number: 60957252 

Salary:  $35.00 Per Hour 

Posting Closing Date: 07/20/2026 

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The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) is the state of Florida’s social services agency. The agency oversees services for child safety, fostering, adoption, domestic violence, adult protective services, refugees, homelessness, mental health, substance abuse, childcare providers, human trafficking and public assistance. The agency’s mission is to work in partnership with local communities to protect the vulnerable, promote strong and economically self-sufficient families, and advance personal and family recovery and resiliency.

Within DCF, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SAMH) Program office is recognized as the single state authority for substance abuse and mental health services. The Office of SAMH is statutorily responsible for the planning, evaluation, and implementation of a comprehensive statewide system of care for the prevention, treatment, and recovery of children and adults with serious mental illnesses or substance use disorders.

North Florida Evaluation and Treatment Center (NFETC) is a 216 bed, all male, forensic, mental health rehabilitation facility. The Center is located in northeast Gainesville, Florida on 639 picturesque acres with regular sightings of deer, turkey and other wildlife. NFETC employs a variety of entry level to leadership positions including food service, maintenance, direct care, nurses, counselors, rehab therapists, medical doctors, security, psychiatrists, and psychologists.

NORTH FLORIDA EVALUATION AND TREATMENT FACILITY IS A TOBACCO FREE FACILITY.

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION RESPONSES TO THE QUALIFYING QUESTIONS ARE REQUIRED AND MUST BE VERIFIABLE BASED ON YOUR SUBMITTED APPLICATION.

This is a highly responsible and professional position serving as the Registered Nurse Specialist OPS within the Nursing Unit. The ideal candidate will be a collaborative team player who works seamlessly across all sections within the program office. This role requires the use of independent judgment, a proactive approach to responsibilities, and exceptional attention to detail. If you are driven, organized, and thrive in a fast-paced environment, we encourage you to apply.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities include:

Summary: This is a direct care Registered Nurse position in a forensic psychiatric mental health treatment facility; duties include medication administration and monitoring, resident education, participation in multidisciplinary treatment planning, and discharge planning.

**EXAMPLES OF WORK**

This section of the job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of duties and responsibilities of the position.  The omission of a specific job function does not absolve an employee from being required to perform additional tasks incidental to or inherent in the job.  Performance of lower-level duties may be required.

• Participates in a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, outcome oriented, treatment team approach to resident care.  Evaluates and plans for individual resident treatment programs.  This includes completing a comprehensive nursing assessment as well as initiating a nursing care plan within twenty-four hours following admission, to be reviewed and updated as per policy.  Participates in multi-disciplinary treatment team in order to plan, evaluate, and revise the Recovery Plan.  Provides input regarding relevant medical issues and interventions in the formulation of the Recovery Plan.  Encourages resident interactions.
• Provides for residents’ physical well being, health and safety.  Assesses resident and determines extent of assistance needed in maintaining hygiene, adequate nutrition, etc.  Establishes and monitors standards of hygiene.  Determines monitoring necessary for residents’ well being, i.e. weight, vital signs, medication reaction, sleeping, and eating habits.  Arranges for x-rays and lab work as ordered.  Encourages proper nutrition by residents.  Within one hour after reporting for duty and receiving hand-off communication, provides morning medications and makes regular rounds on all assigned buildings.  Identifies physical symptoms and changes and initiates appropriate nursing intervention.  Visually checks all residents in safety smock, seclusion and/or restraints and provides documentation in accordance with facility policy/procedure.  Checks orders, progress notes, and flow sheets.  Administers or supervises administration of treatments.  Demonstrates understanding of medical asepsis, practices principles of infection control and provides inservice to other health care personnel.  Recognizes hazards to resident safety and takes appropriate action to remedy the situation. Remains on assigned buildings, but may be assigned to other buildings for coverage by the Senior Registered Nurse Supervisor in order to reduce controllable expenses.  Responds to all "44" calls; either behavior and/or medical emergencies and carries radio and two-way phone as assigned. Maintains a collaborative relationship with the MOD on call and provides the physician with relevant information about medical, psychiatric, and/or behavior issues that are based on a comprehensive assessment.  Obtains orders from the physician and reads them back to the physician verbatim.  Promptly transcribes the orders and follows up with completion and/or assignment of the orders in a timely manner.
• Provides accurate documentation regarding all aspects of resident care in accordance with facility and Department policies/procedures.  Completes nursing progress notes as assigned.  Makes sure that documentation is timely, correct, complete, legal, and professional.  Documents in progress notes all incidents, interventions, e.g., medications and treatments, and their effects.  Completes administrative forms as required.  Completes Security Investigational Reports as assigned in a timely manner.
• Responsible for administration of medication.  Reviews residents’ response to medication and reports to the physician on a regular schedule.  Assesses residents need for PRN medication.  Administers prescribed medication and treatment.  Administers all injectable medication as ordered.  Properly documents medication given.  Assists supervisor in ordering, preparing, and administering prescribed drugs.  Adept at obtaining medications from the MedDispense cart.  Knowledgeable about obtaining, wasting, and returning medications from the MedDispense unit.  Provides inservice and reviews all aspects of medication with staff on an ongoing basis.  Maintains cleanliness of medication rooms and storage units.  Does not keep extra or outdated medication on the ward.  Checks charts for new orders on a regular schedule.  Transcribes physician orders.  Orders and receives prepackaged unit dose medications from the Pharmacy.
• Reduces length of stay by providing for rehabilitation of residents through health education and training.  Determines education necessary for residents’ independence and assigns level of staff to teach the resident.  Teaches resident self-assistance skills as needed.  Determines methods to be used to enhance independence. Evaluates effectiveness of methods and revises plans when necessary.  Conducts and participates in individual/group sessions including medication education groups.  Observes and reports resident behavior and illnesses.  Counsels with residents on problems relating to health or well being.
• Ensures optimum customer satisfaction by communicating with others to provide for adequate care of residents.  Keeps Nurse Supervisor informed of but not limited to admissions; transfers; physically ill residents; residents placed in and out of seclusion; residents on 1:1, Group Observations, Close Observations; residents/staff involved in assaults and receiving injuries; alleged rapes; discharges; suicidal and homicidal attempts; abuse allegations, and deaths.  Records this information in the Nurses' 24-Hour Report.  Participates in unit meetings, weekly nurses meetings, designated hospital and service related meetings, as assigned.  Communicates with staff regarding building problems affecting resident care.  Nurses working on weekends, evenings, nights, and holidays will notify the Nurse Supervisor that they are on duty before the previous shift’s nurses go off duty.  Maintains professional accountability by knowing policies, procedures, and standards pertaining to resident care.  Responsible for own growth, development, and refining of knowledge in both the nursing and mental health fields by participation in inservice programs, continuing education, and attendance at nurses meetings.  Maintains current registered nurse license.  Arranges with the Nurse Supervisor for mandatory training.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.
• ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS of this position are the ability to correctly pass medications, good nursing assessment skills, good documentation skills, good communication skills, recognition of medications and their effectiveness, ability to work well with others, ability to ambulate the campus, go up and down stairs, perform repetitive motions, maintainance of licensure and all required CEUs.  This also includes any and all nursing functions which may or may not be listed above that naturally fall under the purview of a registered nurse.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required for the position:

•           These requirements are considered a term and condition of employment in my current job position:

•           Must be able to travel up 17 stairs and 50 feet in 30 seconds.

•           Must be able to go up and down 17 stairs 8 times in 8 hours.

•           Must have normal vision and hearing, including use of corrective devices.

•           Must be able to work with or around cleaning chemicals and supplies.

•           Must be able to do repetitive movements with arms, hands, neck and head; up to 60 movements in 1 hour.

•           Must be able to demonstrate competency in all areas of training, some of which requires physical activity such as CPR, MANDT and Heimlich training.

•           Must be able to bend, twist, turn, kneel, push and stoop 10 times in one hour, if necessary.

•           Must be able to physically operate all equipment necessary to do job tasks, including using a keyboard for 1 hour.

•           Must be able to lift 20 pounds or drag 150 pounds for 3 feet distance.

•           Must be able to carry up to 15 pounds up 17 stairs in 1 minute.

•           Must be able to sit and/or stand for 1 hour without a break.

•           Must be able to walk 800 feet without stopping in 5 minutes.

•           Must be able to work 16 hour shifts on occasion.

•           Must be able to remain alert for a period of 1 to 16 hours including normal breaks.

•           Must be able to drive an EZ Go or vehicle up to 3 hours at one time if job essential.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Licensure as a Registered Nurse in accordance with Chapter 464, Florida Statutes, or eligible to practice nursing in accordance with Florida Administrative Code 210-8.22 or 8.27 and at least three years of professional nursing experience.
• A Bachelors Degree in Nursing may substitute for one year of the required nursing experience.
• A Master’s Degree in Nursing may substitute for two years of the required nursing experience.

Candidate Profile (application) Requirements:

Candidate Profile (application) must be complete in its entirety.

• Work History - entered with the most recent/current listed first:
• Any and all State of Florida jobs
• Any and all Florida University jobs
• All periods of employment
• Periods of unemployment
• Gaps 3 months or more*
• Education
• Volunteer Experience
• Include supervisor names and phone numbers including current place of employment.
• *Gaps 3 months or more must be addressed – you will need to account for and explain any gaps in employment including unemployment. You can either list these in your application under Period of Employment or attach a word document listing your gaps.
• Experience, education, training, knowledge, skills and/or abilities as well as responses to pre-qualifying questions must be verifiable to meet the minimum qualifications.
• If claiming Right to First Interview, candidate MUST attach a copy of your official layoff letter when applying. This only applies to employees laid off from Career Service positions.

If you experience problems applying online, please call the People First Service Center at (877) 562-7287.

Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:

• Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits.
• For a more complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.

DCF EMPLOYMENT DISCLOSURES

US CITIZEN REQUIREMENT Only US citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers will be hired.

SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM REGISTRATION All selected male candidates born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion into an authorized position unless they are registered with the Selective Service System (SSS).  Verification of Selective Service registration will be conducted prior to hire.  For more information, please visit the SSS website: http://www.sss.gov.

RETIREE NOTICE If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida. Your current retirement benefits may be suspended or voided, and you required to repay all benefits received depending upon the date of your retirement.

BACKGROUND SCREENING It is the policy of the Florida Department of Children and Families that any applicant being considered for employment must successfully complete a State and National criminal history check as a condition of employment before beginning employment, and, if applicable, also be screened in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, F.S., and Chapter 408, F.S.  No applicant may begin employment until the background screening results are received, reviewed for any disqualifying offenses, and approved by the Agency.  Background screening shall include, but not be limited to, fingerprinting for State and Federal criminal records checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and may include local criminal history checks through local law enforcement agencies.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.