Opening Date:   April 2, 2024

Closing Date:  April 30, 2024

Job Class Code:  4134 
Grade:  20  
Salary:  $34.63 - $42.08/hr (Salary is inclusive of stipends) 

The starting salary is based on education and experience.  Starting salary for promotional candidates will follow contractual requirements. 

• Additional shift differential $3.00/hour while working 2nd shift hours

• Additional shift differential $4.50/hour while working 3rd shift hours

• Additional weekend differential $2.10/hour while working weekend hours 

In addition, the selected candidate may qualify for a $200/month nursing student loan reimbursement.

A Typical Day Includes:

As our newest Hospital Nurse II, you will oversee and provide psychiatric nursing care at Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center (DDPC). Supervision may be exercised over paraprofessional staff or assigned as a unit group leader. You will apply proper nursing principles, practices, and techniques in the care and custody of hospital patients who are emotionally, mentally, and/or physically ill.

These positions require a highly-motivated individual who can adapt quickly in a fast paced, demanding work situation.  You must demonstrate a high level of critical-thinking skills that allow you to process a large amount of information, discern the overall scope of a situation, and make sound decisions based on the information, experience, and knowledge of systems and your scope of practice.

You must demonstrate good communication skills, exceptional attention to detail, and be able to articulate and employ the Mission, Vision, and Values of DDPC with our staff as well as with community providers.

To be successful you must be able to:

• Plan and oversee work on the unit including psychiatric nursing care in accordance with nursing practices. 
• Administer medications and treatment to ensure patients receive proper medication and treatment in a timely manner.
• Write patient progress reports to maintain patient medical records and document unusual behavior.
• Assess emergency situations and take appropriate action to overcome and resolve patient issues. 
• Intervenes therapeutically when patient exhibits signs of behavioral escalation to overcome situation. 
• Assesses patient's health status, plans care, or makes appropriate referrals to ensure patient needs are met. 
• Recommends changes to patient treatment plans, if applicable.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

A Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing or related field -OR- graduation from an accredited school of nursing plus one (1) year of professional nursing experience.

A license as a Registered Nurse as issued by the Maine State Board of Nursing.

Agency information:

Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center (DDPC) is a 69-bed psychiatric hospital serving the entire State of Maine that provides services for people with severe mental illness.   As a member of a statewide community of care givers, DDPC collaborates with individuals with severe and persistent mental illness, their community and personal supports, to provide recovery-oriented, respectful, compassionate, and effective psychiatric care and treatment in the least restrictive, safest, and most therapeutic environment we can create.

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is dedicated to promoting health, safety, resilience, and opportunity for Maine people. The Department provides health and social services to approximately a third of the State's population, including children, families, older Mainers, and individuals with disabilities, mental illness, and substance use disorders. The Department also promotes public health, operates two state psychiatric hospitals, and provides oversight to health care providers.

APPLICATION INFORMATION:

For additional information about this position please contact Jennifer Iverson at 207-561-5425 or email jennifer.iverson@maine.gov. 

To apply, please upload a resume and cover letter. To request a paper application, please contact Theresa Peppard at theresa.m.peppard@maine.gov.

Benefits of working for the State of Maine:

No matter where you work across Maine state government, you find employees who embody our state motto—"Dirigo" or "I lead"—as they provide essential services to Mainers every day. We believe in supporting our workforce's health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package, including:

• Work-Life Fit – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays, 12 days of sick leave, and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.
• Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays 85%-100% of employee-only premiums ($10,523.28-$12,380.40 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State. 
• Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($350.40 annual value).
• Retirement Plan – The State contributes the equivalent of 13.41% of the employee's pay towards the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS).
• Parental leave is one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a child—including non-birthing parents and adoptive parents—receive six weeks of fully paid parental leave. Additional, unpaid leave may also be available, under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

State employees are eligible for an extensive and highly competitive benefits package, covering many aspects of wellness. Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness.

Note: Benefits may vary somewhat according to specific collective bargaining agreements and are prorated for part-time employment.

There's a job and then there's purposeful, transformative work. Our aim is to create a workplace where you can learn, grow, and continuously refine your skills. Applicants demonstrate job requirements in differing ways, and we appreciate that many skills and backgrounds can make people successful in this role. 

As an Equal Opportunity employer, Maine State Government embraces a culture of respect and awareness. We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for all team members, and our process ensures an inclusive environment to applicants of all backgrounds including diverse race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, familial status or genetics. 

If you’re looking for a great next step, and want to feel good about what you do, we’d love to hear from you. Please note reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

Thinking about applying?

Research shows that people from historically excluded communities tend to apply to jobs only when they check every box in the posting. If you’re currently reading this and hesitating to apply for that reason, we encourage you to go for it! Let us know how your lived experience and passion set you apart.