Department Overview

About The Department of Psychiatry
Link https://www.ohsu.edu/school-of-medicine/psychiatry

The fundamental purpose of OHSU and The Department of Psychiatry is to improve well-being.

The OHSU Department of Psychiatry is part of the OHSU Brain Institute, and focuses on providing excellent clinical treatment to our patients, leading innovative research, and offering hands-on training for the next generation of psychiatrists. Our specialists care for people of every culture and background and it is our mission to value and show appreciation for diversity, showing respect for all people who we treat, teach, and serve.

Function/Duties of Position

The Outpatient Behavioral Health Registered Nurse (BH RN) is an integral member of the Adult Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic, working within a multidisciplinary team that includes psychiatrists, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, physician associates, psychologists, care coordinators, social worker, and Patient Access Specialists. This role is designed to strengthen clinical operations, enhance patient access, and support high-quality behavioral health care delivery across a growing and dynamic outpatient setting. The BH RN plays a central role in bridging clinical care and operational workflows, ensuring patients receive timely, coordinated, and clinically appropriate support throughout their care journey.

The BH RN is responsible for managing and supporting key clinical workflows, including MyChart message management, triage, medication refills, prior authorizations, medication clarification, referral coordination, and care navigation to support timely patient access, strengthens care coordination, and ensures continuity across care transitions, including hospitalization follow-up and coordination of IOP admissions when appropriate.

As a core member of the care team, the BH RN contributes to a therapeutic, collaborative, and patient-centered environment. This role requires strong clinical judgment, clear communication, and the ability to navigate complex patient needs within an ambulatory behavioral health setting.

The Adult Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic includes multiple specialty areas, including Psycho-Oncology, Electroconvulsive Therapy, and the Resident Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic, with continued growth planned through the expansion of Interventional Psychiatry services. The BH RN role is foundational to supporting this expansion, helping to build sustainable workflows and ensuring readiness for increasing clinical complexity and volume.

Required Qualifications

Education:

• BSN Graduates: Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing from a program accredited by Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA) 30 days before start date.

Experience:

• Minimum 2 Years RN Experience in an inpatient or outpatient Behavioral health setting.

Job Related Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (Competencies):

• Basic medical terminology understanding.
• Demonstrated ability to work with a wide variety of diverse customers in difficult situations.
• Experience with an electronic health record.
• Strong problem solver who can evaluate a situation and ask the critical questions to understand the problem and then select a solution resulting in problem resolution.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Clear verbal and written communication skills.
• Active listening skills; ability to deal with customers in stressful situations; ability to remain calm under pressure.
• Excellent customer service skills both in person and on the telephone.
• Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access.
• Attention to detail.
• Ability to complete multiple tasks within inflexible and rapidly changing deadlines.
• Good organization, follow through and time management skills; ability to prioritize.
• Ability to create and maintain quality working relationships with staff and faculty at all levels of the organization, using good judgment in recognizing the scope of authority.

Performance Factors:

• Attendance and dependability: Consistent and regular attendance to work.
• Can be depended upon to complete work in a timely, accurate and thorough manner and is conscientious about assignments.
• Willing to work overtime as necessary depending on volume of work.

Registrations, Certifications and/or Licenses:

• Current, unencumbered Oregon State Registered Nurse License.
• BLS at time of hire and must be issued by the American Heart Association (AHA)
• BLS must not expire during orientation.
• Must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without accommodation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Epic.

Additional Details

Apply here online:

Upload cover letter and resume. Please be sure to include months and years (MM/YYYY format) to the resume for jobs/work experience.

*OHSU Employees be sure to apply using your OHSU email.*.