Definition
Under supervision, to apply the theoretical concepts of the nursing profession while providing routine direct patient care within the parameters of established nursing policies and procedures in controlled patient care situations required by the assigned clinical setting.
Santa Clara County is proud to announce the opening of the new Behavioral Health Pavilion on the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center campus. We are building a team of dedicated psychiatric nurses for our new Child and Adolescent Inpatient Units, as well as a dedicated Emergency Psychiatric Services for children and adolescents.
As a Clinical Nurse in the Acute Psychiatric Services (APS) at the Behavioral Health Pavilion (BHP), you'll be responsible for conducting comprehensive assessments, developing personalized treatment plans, and managing medication while ensuring patient safety and comfort. You will collaborate with psychiatrists and other behavioral health professionals to design optimal care, educate patients and families, and advocate for their needs.
The Eligible List created from this recruitment will be used for current and future openings within this competency area (Child / Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatric Services).
Clinical Nurse III applicants would meet the employment standard for this specialty by possessing:
An active California Registered Nurse License without restrictions;
and
Three (3) years of full-time Registered Nurse (RN) experience, of which one (1) year must have been within the last three (3) years, in an accredited acute care hospital setting, Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital, Partial Hospitalization Program, or Custody Health.
and
One (1) year of full-time RN experience, within the last three (3) years, in Child / Adolescent Behavioral Psychiatric Services, or Adult Psychiatric Services, a Partial Hospitalization Program - Psychiatric (PHP), Emergency Department, Pediatrics, or Custody Health Services.
Possession of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and possession of a nationally recognized certification in a specialty area is preferred.
Special Requirements
Must possess and maintain the following certification(s):
o Basic Life Support Certification (BLS)
Filing Period and Application Procedure
Final Filing Date: Open until filled. The recruitment may be extended or closed as early as 7 days after the issue date. You are encouraged to apply as soon as possible and to monitor this site for updated closing information.
Distinguishing Characteristics
The Clinical Nurse III classification is expected to have the knowledge and abilities to assume charge nurse responsibility. The Clinical Nurse III classification is distinguished from the Clinical Nurse II classification in that the Clinical Nurse III performs under general supervision and is expected to identify and implement nursing interventions that have less predictable outcomes and evaluate the results of these interventions for a given patient population, whereas the Clinical Nurse IIworks under supervision while performing specific patient care assignments.
The Clinical Nurse III classification is distinguished from the Nurse Coordinator classification in that the Nurse Coordinator has permanent, ongoing responsibility to teach staff and organize the patient care of a specific patient population or designated clinical program.
The Clinical Nurse III classification is distinguished from the Assistant Nurse Manager classification in that the Assistant Nurse Manager has permanent, ongoing responsibility to supervise a designated nursing unit or ambulatory care clinic.
The Clinical Nurse classification series is distinguished from the Public Health Nurse classification series in that the Clinical Nurse classification series works directly with individual patients or a defined patient assignment, where patients are injured, ill, or in life-threatening situations requiring nursing interventions, whereas the Public Health Nurse works in clinics, homes, and community settings caring for the health of the population to prevent disease and improve population health.
The Clinical Nurse classification series differs from the Psychiatric Nurse classification series in that the Psychiatric Nurse classification series works in mental health hospitals and clinics providing psychiatric and nursing interventions.
Better Health for All!
The County of Santa Clara owns and operates a Hospitals and Clinics Delivery System that includes Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, O'Connor Hospital, St. Louise Regional Hospital, and Regional Medical Center.
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center - 731 bed tertiary level acute care hospital providing the highest level of adult and pediatric emergency medical and trauma services, a regional high risk Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, an ACS-verified Burn Trauma Center, a Primary Stroke Center, a CARF-accredited Rehabilitation Center, emergency and acute inpatient psychiatric services, as well as a range of other specialized services – in some cases the only such treatment in the region.
O'Connor Hospital - 358-bed acute care facility offering a full range of inpatient and outpatient medical, surgical and specialty programs to more than 1 million residents of San Jose. O'Connor Hospital was founded in 1889 as one of the first hospitals in Santa Clara County.
St. Louise Regional Hospital - 93-bed acute care facility affectionately known as South County's community hospital, is a Designated Primary Stroke Center, and is the only acute care hospital in the area. Located in Gilroy, St. Louise is one of the largest employers in the community.
Regional Medical Center – Regional Medical Center (RMC) is a 258-bed hospital that is the main emergency healthcare provider for East San José, treating a wide range of critical and life-threatening conditions for more than 60 years. Since the SCVH integration of RMC effective 4/1/25, RMC has expanded the critical services including Level II trauma, Thrombectomy capable Stroke Center and STEMI care, and has been seeing an increased number of emergency visits and inpatient volume.
Learn more about Santa Clara Valley Medical Center: Hospital and Clinics at www.scvmc.org and follow us on:
Twitter I @scvmctalent
Facebook I facebook.com/SCVMC
LinkedIn | linkedin.com/scvmc
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Sufficient education, training, and experience to demonstrate the ability to perform the above tasks, plus the possession and direct application of the following knowledge and abilities:
Training and Experience Note: The required knowledge and abilities are attained through possession of an active California Registered Nurse License without restrictions;
and
Three (3) years of full-time Registered Nurse (RN) experience, of which one (1) year must have been within the last three (3) years, in an accredited hospital, clinic, or healthcare setting.
and
One (1) year of full-time RN experience, within the last three (3) years, in the nursing specialty area. A nursing specialty is a field of nursing that focuses on either a particular patient population or a health condition.
Possession of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and possession of a nationally recognized certification in a specialty area is preferred.
Special Requirements
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Must possess and maintain the following certification(s) during employment:
o Basic Life Saving Certification (BLS)
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For clinical specialty areas, must possess and maintain the following certification(s) during employment:
o Advance Cardiovascular Life Saving Certification (ACLS)
o Other identified specialty area certification(s) for specialty patient populations at appointment, as required.
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Ability to travel to alternate locations in the course of work. If driving, possession of a valid California driver’s license prior to appointment and the ability to qualify for and maintain a County driver authorization.
As a condition of employment, pursuant to California Government Code Sections 3100-3109 and Local Ordinance, all County of Santa Clara employees are designated Disaster Service Workers (DSWs), including extra help. A DSW is required to complete all assigned DSW-related training, and in the event of an emergency, return to work as ordered.
Knowledge of:
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California Nurse Practice Act;
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American Nursing Association Code of Ethics;
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Nursing Professional Practice Model;
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Federal and State healthcare laws and regulations appropriate to the operation of California hospitals;
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Current nursing and related medical theory necessary to administer nursing care within assigned clinical setting;
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Principles, practices, and methods of acute and primary care clinical nursing, including community aspects and continuity of patient care;
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Diagnosis and treatment of common medical problems as related to a clinical specialty area;
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Clinical systems, supplies, and equipment;
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Safety and Infection Control practices;
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Sciences basic to nursing (anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, microbiology);
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English usage, style, grammar, punctuation, and spelling;
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Common computer systems and charting applications.
Ability to:
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Establish relationships with patients/families in difficult or crisis situations;
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Advocate for the patient/family perspective and work toward resolution of conflict;
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Develop and implement complex teaching plans;
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Be a subject matter expert and be recognized by other staff nurses and physicians for their expert knowledge;
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Support less experienced Registered Nurses;
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Recognize and report subtle variations in patient responses;
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Anticipate and identify the needs of other patients and the capabilities of the nurses assigned to them;
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Develop innovative strategies to enhance patient care;
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Model high performance leadership behaviors (e.g., thoughtful listening, effective questioning, and empowerment);
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Act as a change agent and facilitate implementation and evaluation of change;
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Perform skillfully under pressure;
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Juggle and integrate needs and requests of multiple patients without losing important information or overlooking significant needs;
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Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people of diverse backgrounds and cultures;
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Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work, at all levels, including colleagues, the public, and representatives of other agencies.
