Are you an experienced nurse looking to take the next step in your career? Are you interested in remaining in direct patient care but also wish to assist with leading members of a clinical team? The Clinician Fellow, BH/Clinician role may be an ideal step forward in your career. UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital is seeking dynamic leaders to assist in the clinical care and management of our inpatient units. All positions will support our Main Campus location in the Oakland neighborhood in the city of Pittsburgh.
Millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental illness. This is nearly one in five adults. For more than 70 years, UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital has been a national leader in the treatment of mental health and addictive disorders throughout the lifespan. In conjunction with the Department of Psychiatry of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, we continue to strive to be one of the nation’s foremost academic- based psychiatric care facilities and remain dedicated to providing professionals with state-of-the-art training and assistance.
The Clinician Fellow is an advanced nursing role focused on expert clinical practice, education, and evidence-based care. This position collaborates with leadership to promote excellence in nursing and patient outcomes. Responsibilities include delivering high-quality care, mentoring staff, coordinating clinical activities, and contributing to hiring and performance evaluations. The Clinician Fellow provides education, consults on practice issues, and ensures care is age-appropriate and developmentally informed. They demonstrate strong clinical judgment and a commitment to both the profession and the community.
We are seeking multiple Clinician Fellow, BH/Clinician candidates for the following departments:
Atrium (ATR) on the 13th floor is a 15 bed is psychiatric unit specializing in the treatment of Trauma/PTSD patients and mood and anxiety disorders.
Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders (CADD) on the 6th floor The John Merck Program (JMP) is a 11-bed inpatient program designed to treat adults with both intellectual disabilities as well as acute psychiatric illness.
Child and Adolescent, I Unit (CAI) on the 3rd floor is a 22-bed unit which specializes in the treatment of behavioral and emotional problems of children and adolescents typically between 3 and 18 years old.
Child and Adolescent, II Unit (CAII) on the 5th floor West Wing is a new 12-bed unit specializing in the care of adolescent patients between the ages of 13 and 18 years old with special focus on bipolar disorder.
Comprehensive Recovery Services (CRS) on the 9th floor is a 24-bed unit which provides comprehensive specialized services to individuals diagnosed with suffering from Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective disorder, and related psychotic illnesses.
Co-Occurring Disorders Unit (CDU) on the 10th floor is an Adult Drug Abuse and Psychiatric Treatment Unit consisting of a 24-bed inpatient service. The focus is on treating adults with a primary psychiatric disorder and co-occurring chemical dependency problem.
General Adult I on the 7th Floor is a 24-bed inpatient behavioral unit. Similarly General Adult II on the 11th floor is a 20-bed unit. Both provide care to individuals in acute crisis with a range of diagnoses, including, but not limited to: Bipolar Disorder, Major Depression, psychotic disorders, anxiety disorders and comorbid personality disorders.
Integrated Health and Aging Program (IHAP) on the 12th floor is one of the largest inpatient geriatric mental health units in the country, designed to support older adults facing psychiatric challenges later in life. Acknowledging the high rates of coexisting conditions, IHAP’s multidisciplinary team is expertly equipped to address chronic health conditions and basic activities of daily living alongside psychiatric treatment, ensuring a truly comprehensive, person-centered care approach.
Transitional Recovery Unit (TRU) on the 8th floor is the only Extended Acute Treatment program in Allegheny County. This 10-bed program serves individuals with serious and persistent mental illness. These patients require the intensive structure and support of an inpatient program but will also benefit from developing skills and supports for living in the community. Psychiatric Rehabilitation is the primary treatment model. There is also a general adult psychiatric wing with 10 beds located on this unit.
Clinician level candidates will be considered for this role. The title and pay rate (minimum rate for the Clinician is $43.19) for these positions may vary depending on nursing education level and years of nursing/leadership experience.
Responsibilities:
Serves as a leader in clinical nursing practice, identifying patient and staff focused opportunities for improvement and leading the change process. Identifies, educates and supports the psychological and learning needs of staff during change and transition. Works in direct clinical care (70% of role) as well as administrative duties (30% of role). Practices participatory leadership and is an active member of shared leadership at the unit, facility or system level. Assumes formal leadership responsibilities for one or more of the following: quality improvement, evidence-based practice, GN or new hire on-boarding. Assists the Unit/Department Leader with the peer review process. Applies nursing knowledge and skills within the framework of Relationship Based Care, using the nursing process to meet the clinical, psychosocial and spiritual needs of the patient and family. Practices solid verbal and written communication skills and is able to articulate and translate the patient’s condition to other care providers and to negotiate and make recommendations for changes in patient care and unit practices. Patient documentation is comprehensive and promotes communication between caregivers. Demonstrates critical thinking in the analysis of clinical, social, safety, psychological and spiritual issues for the patient care within an episode of care. Incorporates national professional organization as well as business unit and health system’s goals to improve patient safety, quality and satisfaction of the patient experience in daily work. Creates a caring and compassionate patient focused experience by building healing relationships with patients, families and colleagues. Disseminates new knowledge and innovations through presentations, posters, and publications. Develops and maintains productive working relationships internally and externally by building teams and relationships through mentoring and modeling uplifting and positive communication. Coaches colleagues on cultural diversity and addresses workplace horizontal violence and impairment. Demonstrates accountability to self and others for safe work hours, time management and healthy lifestyles. Demonstrates interest in the development of others and positively impacts the lives of patients/families, peers, and members of the healthcare team through mentoring, education, and knowledge sharing. Actively participates in the role of preceptor for student nurses, nurse interns, graduate and experienced nurses and assists with the development of new preceptors in their role. Mentors and role models quest for continuous learning through formal education and the development of others. Seeks opportunities to share expertise with other members of the healthcare team within and beyond the clinical unit/department. Demonstrates knowledge of performance improvement tools and techniques. Continuously improves the quality of care and the work environment of outcomes and the integration of research and best practices into daily work. Shares learning from improvements with other units and/or spreads across the business unit or system.