Registered Nurse
Psychiatric Nurse – Night Shift
About the Role
The facility is seeking an experienced psychiatric nurse for its behavioral health units. You'll work nights (11 PM – 7 AM), Monday through Friday, on a 13-week contract with a start date of September 28, 2026.
Unit & Patient Population
You'll float across multiple behavioral health units caring for acute psychiatric patients with major mental illness, including those presenting with violence, aggression, mania, and self-harm behaviors. You'll work with diverse age groups—adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients. Patient ratios range from 1:4 to 1:6 depending on the unit and shift.
Schedule & Float
- 40 hours/week, nights only (no call)
- Every other weekend
- Float requirement across all Des Moines campus behavioral health units
Requirements
- Active Iowa RN license or current multistate/compact license
- 15 months minimum behavioral health/psychiatric nursing experience (12 months acceptable for first-time travelers)
- Recent or current inpatient psychiatric experience strongly preferred
- BLS certification (AHA or ARC)
- De-escalation certification (MOAB, MAB, CPI, or SAMA) highly preferred; can be obtained during onboarding
- Competency with patient restraints
- Current professional reference from supervisor/manager/director within last 24 months preferred
Additional
Navy blue solid scrubs required. Holiday work (1–2 of 3 summer/winter holidays) required unless units close.