Charge Nurse - Acute Psychiatric Unit (Departmental Promotional Only)

Job Description:

Charge Nurse - Acute Psychiatric Unit (Departmental Promotional Only)

Description

Description

San Mateo Medical Center is seeking one experienced full-time Charge Nurse for its Acute Psychiatric Unit, day shift!

Unit 3AB is a 34 bed, 24-hour unit. It is staffed by registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, licensed psychiatric technicians, and MSA2 staff, hospital unit coordinators, and a full interdisciplinary psychiatric team Patients present multiple problems ranging from crisis intervention needs and drug-related issues to chronic medical conditions.

Under general supervision, the Charge Nurse for the Acute Psychiatric Unit coordinates the functioning of the nursing unit for all three shifts; supervises 10 to 18 licensed and non-licensed nursing staff and may perform all aspects of patient care; and participates in the development and implementation of unit goals. The day shift charge nurse participates in the daily treatment team meeting and facilitates communication of the treatment plan to nursing staff. The daytime charge nurse coordinates admissions and discharges and participates in performance activity improvement on the unit. The daytime charge nurse is responsible for ensuring the staff has completed their assignments and that important safety information is communicated to staff.

The ideal candidate has several years of acute psychiatric nursing experience and at least one year of supervisory experience, or experience as an acting charge nurse. The ideal candidate is also experienced in providing education and updates to staff, as well as in scheduling for multiple shifts, review of timecards, and excellent communication skills. Knowledge of quality improvement processes is strongly preferred. A Crisis Prevention Institute certification is strongly preferred. Current BLS certification is a must.

The ideal candidate will bring:

• Strong clinical background in high-acuity psych care, crisis intervention, and de-escalation protocols.
• Proven ability to supervise diverse nursing teams (RNs, LVNs, LPTs) and translate daily treatment plans into actionable staff assignments.
• Experience managing fast-paced admissions/discharges and executing detailed safety pass-offs between shifts.
• Proficient in shift scheduling, timecard review, and managing staffing ratios across multiple shifts.
• Familiarity with Quality Improvement processes to drive performance metrics, safety standards, and operational improvements on the unit.
• Strong communication skills with a track record of educating, updating, and mentoring unit staff.

NOTE: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies.

Examples Of Duties

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Assess, evaluate and direct nursing activities on an assigned shift to provide quality care to patients in compliance with prescribed standards and in conjunction with nursing management.
• Supervise and perform nursing assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation and documentation of patient care on the unit.
• Work in conjunction with nursing management to coordinate adequate unit staffing for the assigned shift.
• Participate with unit or clinic nursing management in interviewing, hiring, completing evaluations and performing disciplinary counseling of staff.
• Supervise the work of professional and paraprofessional nursing staff.
• Work with nursing management to identify staff development needs and to implement continuing education programs.
• Assist nursing management in planning unit or clinic budget.
• Interpret policies and procedures to nursing staff.
• Participate in staff meetings.
• Coordinate with ancillary support departments to coordinate total patient care.
• Maintain and evaluate records.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

License/Certification:

• Must possess and maintain a California license as a Registered Nurse.
• Possession and maintenance of BLS certification.
• Possession and maintenance of a Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) certificate within three months of hire.

Knowledge of:

• Nurse Practice Act and professional and governmental standards or regulations pertaining to nursing.
• Nursing theories, principles, methods and practices.
• Safety and infection control principles.
• Clinical systems, supplies and equipment.
• Principles of staff development.
• Supervisory principles.

Skill/Ability to :

• Perform and evaluate the performance of nursing procedures required for the assigned shift and clinical setting.
• Plan, organize, supervise and evaluate the work of nursing staff.
• Comprehend, interpret, and implement nursing policies and procedures.
• Instruct and train professional and paraprofessional employees.
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Maintain professional nurse-patient and nurse-physician relationships.
• Prepare reports and maintain accurate records.

Education and Experience :
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying.

Application/Examination

Departmental Promotional Only. Only current County of San Mateo employees in San Mateo County Health with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, or extra-help/limited term position prior to the final filing date may apply.

Responses to the supplemental questions must be submitted in addition to our regular employment application form. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required employment application and supplemental questionnaire.
The examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: pass/fail) based on the candidates' application and responses to the supplemental questions. Candidates who pass the application screening will be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%). Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations or further evaluation of work experience may be conducted to group applicants by level of qualification. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. All examinations will be given in the County of San Mateo, California and applicants must participate at their own expense.

IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button. If you are not on the County's website, please go to https://jobs.smcgov.org/ to apply. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.

Tentative Recruitment Timeline
Final Filing Date: Thursday, August 13, 2026, at 11:59 PM PST
Application Screening: August 14, 2026
Panel Interviews: Week of August 17, 2026

About the County

San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities.

The County of San Mateo, as an employer, is committed to advancing equity to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. We seek to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community, and we encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply. Eighty percent of employees surveyed stated that they would recommend the County as a great place to work.

The County of San Mateo is an equal opportunity employer.

Analyst: Priscilla Bermudez (073026) (Charge Nurse - F012)

Salary:

$172,494.40 - $203,860.80 Annually