Jen Costa
Dalton,USA
Summary
Master's-prepared Registered Nurse with 20 years of nursing experience, including extensive psychiatric nursing and 17 years of Charge Nurse leadership in a 65-bed inpatient psychiatric treatment facility. Experienced in patient acuity and risk assessment, treatment-response evaluation, clinical documentation, care coordination, and complex clinical decision-making across behavioral health and acute-care settings. Seeking to transition established clinical judgment, documentation expertise, and interdisciplinary leadership into a utilization management or clinical-review role.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
Work History
Charge Nurse – Residential Psychiatry
Austen Riggs Center
Stockbridge, USA
01.2009 - Current
- Direct overnight nursing operations for a 65-bed inpatient psychiatric hospital, coordinating care according to patient acuity, safety risks, and changing clinical needs.
- Conducted comprehensive psychiatric assessments, including mental-status examinations, suicide and homicide risk evaluations, and substance-use screenings, to inform treatment planning and enhance patient safety.
- Communicate significant clinical findings and changes in patient status to psychiatrists and multidisciplinary treatment-team members to support timely care decisions.
- Administer and monitor psychiatric medications, evaluating therapeutic efficacy and adverse effects in collaboration with attending psychiatrists.
- Identified emerging clinical and safety concerns, prioritized interventions, and escalated cases to medical and administrative leadership to ensure timely and effective care.
- Supervised, trained, and mentored nursing and support staff, ensuring adherence to clinical standards and policies to maintain high-quality patient care.
- Evaluated patient acuity to prioritize staffing and assignments.
- Assigned responsibilities to mental health workers and support staff based on their qualifications and patient requirements.
- Maintain thorough electronic clinical documentation in accordance with organizational, regulatory, and accreditation standards.
Charge Nurse / Staff Nurse — Behavioral Sciences
Berkshire Medical Center
Pittsfield, USA
01.2007 - 01.2009
- Acted as charge nurse and staff nurse on voluntary and involuntary inpatient psychiatric units.
- Performed comprehensive nursing and psychiatric assessments using patient interviews, observation, physical examination, and clinical judgment to guide individualized plans of care.
- Ensured patient and staff safety during psychiatric emergencies by implementing de-escalation and restraint interventions, effectively managing crisis situations.
- Coordinated safe admissions from emergency department through effective communication with emergency and on-call clinical staff, ensuring timely and safe transitions for patients.
- Conducted routine physical, psychiatric risk, and substance-use assessments while monitoring patients for clinical condition changes, facilitating timely interventions.
- Administered medications and evaluated therapeutic response and adverse effects while maintaining accurate clinical documentation.
Staff Nurse — Telemetry Unit
Berkshire Medical Center
Pittsfield, USA
01.2006 - 01.2007
- Provided nursing care on a fast-paced cardiac telemetry unit with high patient turnover and rapidly changing clinical needs.
- Assessed patient vital signs and cardiac rhythms and responded efficiently to changes in condition.
- Administered intravenous and oral medications, monitoring therapeutic responses and adverse effects to ensure patient safety and comfort.
- Collaborated with acute-care team to ensure safe, timely, coordinated patient care; enhancing overall patient outcomes.
Education
Master of Science - Nursing Leadership
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA01-2020
Bachelor of Science - RN to BSN
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA01-2009
Associate Degree - Nursing
Berkshire Community College
Pittsfield, MA01-2006
Skills
- Behavioral Health Nursing
- Acuity assessment
- Treatment Response Evaluation
- Safety Assessment
- Care coordination
- Quality & Patient Safety
- Clinical Documentation
- Electronic Health Records
- Acute Care
- Clinical Leadership
- Staff mentorship
- Patient advocacy
Personal Information
Title: MSN, RN
Licensure And Credentials
Registered Nurse, RN, Massachusetts, Active
Professional Development
Comprehensive Introduction to Managed Care Nursing, American Association of Managed Care Nurses (AAMCN), 01/01/26
Timeline
Charge Nurse – Residential Psychiatry
Austen Riggs Center
01.2009 - Current
Charge Nurse / Staff Nurse — Behavioral Sciences
Berkshire Medical Center
01.2007 - 01.2009
Staff Nurse — Telemetry Unit
Berkshire Medical Center
01.2006 - 01.2007
Master of Science - Nursing Leadership
University of Massachusetts
Bachelor of Science - RN to BSN
University of Massachusetts
Associate Degree - Nursing
Berkshire Community College