Patient Observation Job Jobs in Baton Rouge, LA (NOW HIRING)

Salary : $4,876.00 - $8,788.00 Monthly
Location : Jackson, LA
Job Type: Classified
Job Number: ELMHS8.21.26RN3
Department: LDH-Office of Behavioral Health
Opening Date: 08/21/2026
Closing Date: 8/28/2026 11:59 PM Central
About this Job
Division: Within the Nursing or SFF Departments at ELMHS, Located in Jackson, LA
The Mission of ELMHS is to provide mental health evaluation, treatment, habilitation, and consultation for adults. Programs include inpatient interventions, jail-based evaluations, supervised group home and residential programs, forensic evaluation, care, custody, and aftercare; intermediate and long-term psychiatric care are coordinated with the total system of care in Louisiana.
ELMHS is looking for a motivated, detail-oriented individual to come and join the team in the Nursing Department as a Registered Nurse! This position will assist physicians with patient examinations and record patient data according to policy/procedure. Preparation and administration of medication per the physician's orders, for both medical and psychiatric reasons.
Minimum Qualifications
Possession of a current Louisiana Registered Nurse license or a temporary permit or multi-state license issued by a Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC/eNLC) state to practice as a registered nurse plus one of the following:
Two years of experience as a licensed registered nurse; OR
A bachelor's degree in nursing plus one year of experience as a licensed registered nurse; OR
A master's degree in nursing or public health plus one year of experience as a licensed registered nurse; OR
A doctorate in nursing or public health.
Job Specification
The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here.
Job Duties and Other Information
Job Duties:

• Provide direct patient care and develop a nursing plan of care for patients on the assigned unit.
• Assist other professional personnel in developing and maintaining a therapeutic environment and improving patient care
• Review medications/supplies stored in the medicine room for expiration date. Count/document controlled drugs with the incoming shift and account for their use during the shift.
• Disinfect/clean surfaces and equipment to ensure that infection control standards are met in the medicine room and examination room.
• Initiates or responds to hospital codes and demonstrates the ability to provide nursing assistance appropriate to code situations.
• Assists and/or conducts patient care groups conducted by staff, monitors patient accountability sheets and makes unit rounds every 2 hours to ensure patient observation is maintained according to policy and procedure.
• Communicates verbally and in writing with pharmacy and central supply personnel.
• Maintains open and accurate communication with department personnel; reports incidents, accidents or injuries to supervisor and documents on appropriate forms; reports patient abuse/neglect immediately; ensures patient safety.

Position-Specific Details:
Appointment Type: WAE(not to exceed 1,245 hours in a 12-month period)
This posting may be used to fill any RN 3 WAE position within ELMHS
How To Apply:
No Civil Service test score is required in order to be considered for this vacancy.
To apply for this vacancy, click on the "Apply" link above and complete an electronic application, which can be used for this vacancy as well as future job opportunities. Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their application to determine where they are in the recruitment process. Further status message information is located under the Information section of the Current Job Opportunities page.
*Information to support your eligibility for this job title must be included in the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).Resumeswill not be accepted in lieu of completed education and experience sections on your application. Applications may be rejected if incomplete.
Contact Information:
For further information about this vacancy, contact:
Leigh Moore
ELMHS HR
ELMHS-HR@LA.GOV
225-634-0680
Louisiana is a State As a Model Employer (SAME) that supports the recruitment, hiring, and retention of individuals with disabilities.
Louisiana State Government represents a wide variety of career options and offers an outstanding opportunity to make a difference through public service. With an array of career opportunities in every major metropolitan center and in many rural areas, state employment provides an outstanding option to begin or continue your career.
As a state employee, you will earn competitive pay, choose from a variety of benefits, and have access to a great professional development program:
Insurance Coverage More information can be found at
Parental Leave - Up to six weeks paid parental leave
More information can be found at
Holidays and Leave - State employees receive the following paid holidays each year:

• New Year's Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,
• Mardi Gras,
• Good Friday,
• Memorial Day,
• Independence Day,
• Labor Day,
• Veteran's Day,
• Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

***** Additional holidays may be proclaimed by the Governor
State employees earn sick and annual leave which can be accumulated and saved for future use. Your accrual rate increases as your years of service increase.
Retirement- State of Louisiana employees are eligible to participate in various retirement systems (based on the type of appointment and agency for which an employee works). These retirement systems provide retirement allowances and other benefits for state officers and employees and their beneficiaries. State retirement systems may include (but are not limited to):

• Louisiana State Employees Retirement System (). LASERS has provided this video to give you more detailed information about their system
• Teacher's Retirement System of Louisiana (),
• Louisiana School Employees Retirement System (), among others

01
Are you a current, permanent employee at Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System?

• Yes
• No

02
Do you possess a current Louisiana Registered Nurse license or a temporary permit or multi-state license issued by a Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC/eNLC) state to practice as a registered nurse?

• Yes
• No

03
If you answered 'YES' to the question above, please list the license TYPE, NUMBER, ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE, and EXPIRATION DATE. If you answered 'NO', enter N/A.***NOTE***ORIGINAL issue date must be provided (NOT most recent renewal) as your professional nursing experience will be credited from the date you put here when you attained your RN license.
04
Do you have a preference between working days or nights?

• Days
• Nights
• No Preference

Required Question