Registered Nurse - RN Intake Coordinator - Psychiatric Medical Unit

About the role

Employment Type: Full time

Shift: Night Shift

Position Summary

The RN Intake Coordinator serves as the clinical gatekeeper for admissions to the Inpatient Psychiatric Medical Unit (PMU). This role is responsible for coordinating the patient intake and admission process, conducting clinical assessments, reviewing referrals, determining appropriateness for admission, facilitating communication between referral sources and providers, and ensuring timely placement of patients requiring psychiatric hospitalization.

The RN Intake Coordinator collaborates closely with emergency departments, medical units, crisis services, community providers, physicians, social workers, and behavioral health teams to ensure patients receive the appropriate level of psychiatric care.

The position requires strong clinical judgment, knowledge of psychiatric and medical conditions, effective communication skills, and the ability to coordinate care in a fast-paced environment.

What you will work

• Full time
• 40 hours per week
• Night Shift
• 11:00 PM - 7:30 AM
• Remote

What you will do

Admission Coordination

• Serve as the primary point of contact for all inpatient psychiatric admission referrals.
• Receive, review, and process referrals from emergency departments, medical units, transfer centers, community agencies, outpatient providers, and external hospitals.
• Evaluate referrals for admission criteria, medical stability, psychiatric acuity, and unit appropriateness.
• Coordinate admission decisions with psychiatrists, advanced practice providers, and interdisciplinary team members.
• Facilitate timely acceptance, denial, or redirection of referrals based on clinical criteria and available resources.
• Maintain awareness of census, bed availability, staffing, and unit capabilities.

Assessment and Clinical Review

• Conduct comprehensive psychiatric and nursing assessments to determine level-of-care needs.
• Review patient records, laboratory results, diagnostic findings, medication histories, and risk assessments.
• Assess patients for suicide risk, homicidal risk, aggression, elopement risk, substance use concerns, and medical comorbidities.
• Identify patients requiring medical clearance or additional evaluation prior to psychiatric admission.
• Ensure compliance with applicable admission criteria and regulatory requirements.

Communication and Collaboration

• Collaborate with psychiatrists, nursing leadership, social work, case management, emergency department staff, and referring providers.
• Communicate admission decisions and bed status updates to referral sources.
• Coordinate patient transfers from referring facilities and internal departments.
• Participate in multidisciplinary discussions regarding patient placement and continuity of care.
• Provide consultation regarding behavioral health level-of-care determinations.

Quality and Performance Improvement

• Participate in quality improvement initiatives related to patient access, admissions, and throughput.
• Monitor trends related to referrals, denials, transfers, and patient placement.
• Assist with policy development and process improvement efforts.
• Participate in audits, regulatory surveys, and performance improvement activities.

What you will need

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
• Current State of Michigan Registered Nurse License
• Current BLS Certification - American Heart Association
• Three years acute care as a RN
• Preferred: Two years recent acute care utilization management experience, experience in facility audits/appears and processes
• Ability to work autonomously with little direction and be accountable for outcomes