REGISTERED NURSE SPECIALIST - 60043220

Requisition No: 857220 

Agency: Children and Families

Working Title: REGISTERED NURSE SPECIALIST - 60043220

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 60043220 

Salary:  $2,036.36 - $2,454.25 Bi-Weekly 

Posting Closing Date: 08/08/2025 

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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.

Northeast Florida State Hospital (NEFSH) is a 613-bed, licensed mental health treatment facility that provides person-centered services to adults suffering from severe and persistent mental illness. The hospital, located in Macclenny, was established in 1959 and is the largest state operated civil treatment facility. 

NORTHEAST FLORIDA STATE HOSPITAL 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.

DAY AND NIGHT SHIFTS AVAILABLE.

This is a highly responsible and professional position that will serve as a Registered Nurse Specialist at the Northeast Florida State Hospital. This position will collaborate with each section within the state facilities and be required to use independent judgement, take initiative in carrying out duties and responsibilities and should be extraordinarily detail oriented. 

Specific Duties and Responsibilities include:

• Participates in a comprehensive, multi-discipline, outcome oriented, treatment team approach to resident care. 
• Evaluates and plans for individual resident treatment programs. 
• This includes completing nursing care plan within twenty-four hours following admission assessment and to be reviewed and updated as per policy. 
• Participates in multi-discipline treatment team in the evaluation and planning of the Service Implementation Plan (SIP). 
• Provides input into the formulation of the SIP. 
• Encourages resident interactions. 
• Increases the number of residents served by encouraging residents to participate in therapies and activities.
• Provides for residents’ physical well-being, health and safety. 
• Assesses resident and determines extent of assistance needed in hygiene, feeding, 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 needed. 
• Encourages proper nutrition by residents. 
• Within one hour after reporting for duty, makes rounds on all assigned wards. 
• Makes regular rounds on all assigned wards. 
• Identifies physical symptoms and changes and initiates appropriate nursing intervention.
• Visually checks all residents in restraints and/or seclusion. 
• 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 in-service to other health care personnel.  Recognizes hazards to resident safety and takes appropriate action to remedy the situation.
• Remains on assigned wards. 
• May be assigned to other units for coverage by the Senior Registered Nurse Supervisor in order to reduce controllable expenses. 
• Is an active member of the Emergency Response Team and carries the code beeper as assigned.
• Adequately documents resident care. 
• Completes nursing progress notes as assigned. 
• Records in progress notes all incidents, medication and treatment, and their effects.
• Completes administrative forms as required.
• 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. 
• Responsible for ordering, administering, and count of controlled substances. 
• Provides in-service and reviews all aspects of medication with staff on an ongoing basis.
• Maintains cleanliness of cart/cassettes. 
• 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 restraints; residents placed in and out of seclusion; unauthorized departures; residents receiving injuries; rapes; discharges; suicidal and homicidal attempts; and deaths. 
• Records this information in the Nurses Logbook in the Nursing Office. 
• Participates in unit meetings, weekly nurses’ meetings, designated hospital and service-related meetings. 
• Communicates with staff regarding unit 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 in-service 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.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required for the position:

• Knowledge of nursing principles, practices and techniques.
• Knowledge of human anatomy and physiology.
• Ability to provide emergency nursing services.
• Ability to participate in the planning and implementing of treatment for patients.
• Ability to conduct individual and group therapy sessions.
• Ability to work with patients having a variety of physical or emotional problems.
• Ability to observe patients' reactions to medications.
• Ability to plan, organize and coordinate work assignments.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to effectively interview and assess the health care of clients.
• Ability to analyze complex reports and determine the service utilization habits of clients and to evaluate the appropriateness of that utilization.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Licensure as a Registered Professional Nurse in accordance with Florida Statute 464 or eligible to practice nursing in accordance with Florida Administrative Code 210-8.27 and two years of professional nursing experience or Bachelor of Science degree in nursing.

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

• Include supervisor names and phone numbers for all periods of employment.
• Account for and explain any gaps in employment so that the hiring process is not delayed.
• Experience, education, training, knowledge, skills and/or abilities as well as responses to pre-qualifying questions must be verifiable to meet the minimum qualifications. 
• It is unacceptable to use the statement “See Resume” in place of responding to qualifying questions and entering work history.
• 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.

#SAMH

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

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.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE.  Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply.  Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements.  Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code.  Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here.  All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.