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Per Diem Psychiatric Rn Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Ventura County, CA

Psychiatric Technician - IPU

Ventura, CA · On-site

$47K - $84K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

... and registered nurses. This is more than just a job, it's a unique opportunity to combine ... and Per Diem Senior Psychiatric Technician are represented by the California Nurse's Association ...

HCS 247

Travel Psychiatric RN

Saint Helena, CA · On-site

$2.2K - $3.0K/wk

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

Psychiatric * Discipline: RN * Start Date: 08/31/2026 * Duration: 13 weeks * 36 hours per week ... Lodging Per-Diem for those who qualify * Meals and Incidentals Allowance for those who qualify

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Per Diem Psychiatric Rn information

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How much do per diem psychiatric rn jobs pay per week?

As of Aug 15, 2026, the average weekly pay for per diem psychiatric rn in California is $2,028.88, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $1,707.69 and $2,344.23 per week, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a per diem psychiatric RN?

A Per Diem Psychiatric Registered Nurse (RN) is a licensed nurse who works on an as-needed or on-call basis in mental health settings such as hospitals, clinics, or psychiatric facilities. Instead of having a fixed schedule, per diem nurses fill in for staff shortages, cover busy shifts, or help with temporary increases in patient volume. Their responsibilities include assessing patients’ mental health, administering medications, providing therapeutic interventions, and collaborating with the healthcare team. This role offers flexibility and often pays a higher hourly wage compared to full-time positions, but typically does not provide benefits like health insurance or paid time off.

How does a per diem psychiatric RN typically integrate with full-time staff and multidisciplinary teams in a mental health facility?

As a Per Diem Psychiatric RN, you will often collaborate closely with full-time nurses, psychiatrists, social workers, and therapists. While you may not have a fixed schedule, strong communication skills are key to quickly understanding patient needs and care plans during each shift. You'll be expected to adapt to different team dynamics and contribute valuable insights, ensuring continuity of care for patients. Flexibility and the ability to work independently are important, as you'll frequently acclimate to new units or patient populations.

What is the difference between Per Diem Psychiatric Rn vs Staff Psychiatric Nurse?

AspectPer Diem Psychiatric RnStaff Psychiatric Nurse
CertificationsRN license, possibly specialized in psychiatric careRN license, often with psychiatric certification
Work EnvironmentVaries; hospitals, clinics, mental health facilities, on a per-diem basisFull-time or part-time in psychiatric units or mental health settings
Employment TypePer diem, flexible schedulingTypically salaried or hourly, with scheduled shifts
Job FocusProviding psychiatric nursing care on an as-needed basisProviding ongoing psychiatric nursing care and patient management

Per Diem Psychiatric Rns work on a flexible, as-needed basis, often filling in for staff shortages or covering shifts. Staff Psychiatric Nurses usually have a regular schedule, providing consistent patient care. Both roles require RN licensure and psychiatric knowledge, but differ mainly in employment structure and scheduling.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a per diem psychiatric RN, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Per Diem Psychiatric RN, you need a valid RN license, psychiatric nursing experience, and a strong understanding of mental health disorders and crisis intervention. Familiarity with EHR systems, psychiatric assessment tools, and de-escalation techniques is typically required. Excellent communication, flexibility, and emotional resilience are critical soft skills for engaging with patients and adapting to varying shift assignments. These skills ensure safe, effective patient care and help manage the unique challenges of psychiatric settings on a flexible, per diem basis.

What cities in California are hiring for Per Diem Psychiatric Rn jobs?

Cities in California with the most Per Diem Psychiatric Rn job openings:

Per Diem Psychiatric Rn jobs near you
Infographic showing various Per Diem Psychiatric Rn job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 3% As Needed, 58% Full Time, 14% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 23% Contract. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $105,502 per year, or $50.7 per hour.

Psychiatric RN-Per Diem- Sylmar

Kaiser Permanente

Los Angeles, CA • On-site

$72.34 - $93.16/hr

Other

Posted 4 days ago

Job description

Description:
Job Summary:
Responsible for the delivery of psychiatric nursing care/services to members being treated in the behavioral health service departments. Positions assigned to this classification are characterized by providing interventions that: promote and foster health; assess dysfuntion; assist patients to regain or improve their coping abilities; maximize patient strengths and prevent further disability. These interventions focus on the psychiatric-mental health patient and include: health promotion and health maintenance; monitoring patients and assisting them with self-care activities; monitoring psycho-biological treatment regimens; providing triage decisions and facilitating patient movement into appropriate services. Essential Responsibilities:
  • Coordinates with pharmacy regarding approved medications.
  • Provides information and education to members in a variety of forums.
  • Documents Services rendered utilizing standard nursing procedures in member chart.
  • Triage phone calls and refer to appropriate staff or community resources.
  • Assist Psychiatrists with coordinating internal and external hospitalizations of members.
  • Performs basic physical assessments of patients including vital signs and monitoring for side effects of psychiatric active medications and referring information to physicians as appropriate.
  • Provides prescribed medications to patients per physicians orders following appropriate protocol.
  • Utilizes electronic medical record for medication refills.
  • Reviews lab results and refers to physician within protocols and guidelines.
  • Performs other duties as assigned by the Department Administrator and/or Chief of Psychiatry.
Basic Qualifications:
Experience
  • Minimum one (1) year recent (within the last three (3) years) RN Psychiatric experience.
Education
  • Graduate from an accredited Nursing School.
License, Certification, Registration
  • Registered Nurse License (California)
  • Basic Life Support from American Heart Association
Additional Requirements:
  • Psychiatric and chemical dependency knowledge.
  • Able to triage and evaluate various aspects of the psychiatric population.
  • Group leadership skills, excellent verbal & written communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications:
  • Telephone triage experience.
  • BSN preferred.
  • Bilingual Spanish preferred.
  • Outpatient Psych experience is preferred.

Notes:
- The employee will go to SCL, as needed for coverage.
- One Saturday per month.
Primary Location: California,Sylmar,Sylmar Behavioral Health
Scheduled Weekly Hours: 1
Shift: Day
Workdays: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri
Working Hours Start: 12:01 AM
Working Hours End: 11:59 PM
Job Schedule: Per Diem
Job Type: Standard
Worker Location: Onsite
Employee Status: Regular
Employee Group/Union Affiliation: B11-PSC|NUHW|NUHW Psych Social Chapter
Job Level: Individual Contributor
Department: Sylmar Medical Offices - Mental Hlth/Psychiatry-RegClin - 0806
Pay Range: $72.34 - $93.16 / hour Kaiser Permanente strives to offer a market competitive total rewards package and is committed to pay equity and transparency. The posted pay range is based on possible base salaries for the role and does not reflect the full value of our total rewards package. Actual base pay determined at offer will be based on labor market data, internal alignment, and a candidate's years of relevant work experience, education, certifications, skills, and geographic location.
Travel: Yes, 20 % of the Time
On-site: Work location is on-site (KP designated office, medical office building or hospital). Worker location must align with Kaiser Permanente's Authorized States policy. Kaiser Permanente is an equal opportunity employer committed to fair, respectful, and inclusive workplaces. Applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic or status. For jobs where work will be performed in unincorporated LA County, the employer provides the following statement in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
  • Consistently supports compliance and the Principles of Responsibility (Kaiser Permanente's Code of Conduct) by maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of information, protecting the assets of the organization, acting with ethics and integrity, reporting non-compliance, and adhering to applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, accreditation, and licensure requirements (where applicable), and Kaiser Permanente's policies and procedures.
  • Models and reinforces ethical behavior in self and others in accordance with the Principles of Responsibility, adheres to organizational policies and guidelines; supports compliance initiatives; maintains confidences; admits mistakes; conducts business with honesty, shows consistency in words and actions; follows through on commitments.
  • Job duties with at least occasional or possible access to: (1) patients, the general public, or other employees; (2) confidential protected health information and other confidential KP information (including employee, proprietary, financial or trade secret information); (3) KP property and assets, for example, electronic assets, medical instruments, or devices; (4) controlled substances regulated by federal law or potentially subject to diversion.

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