Ray Rinaldi

Dedicated psychiatric registered nurse with significant experience in the acute inpatient psychiatric setting. I work with people ages 18+ with a variety of different psychiatric diagnoses and believe that developing and establishing a strong therapeutic rapport with my patients is one of the key factors in being able to effectively implement their individualized treatment plan as well as provide the necessary care. I take interest in the various psychosocial and/or comorbid medical concerns that can add to a patient's presentation or hinder their treatment progression. 
I don't just help my patients, I encourage self education and give them the tools to continue to help themselves. I currently work inpatient behavioral health at Waterbury Hospital.

I have just over 8 years experience in an acute inpatient psychiatric setting; 4 years as a psychiatric technician and a little over 4 years as an RN. It is a 30 bed unit that treats adults (including geriatric) but at one point we also treated adolescents.

REGISTERED NURSE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, WATERBURY HOSPITAL—WATERBURY, CT JULY 2019- PRESENT

• Develop a therapeutic rapport with patients and facilitate their treatment of various psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, socioeconomic, substance abuse and developmental concerns.
• Administer medications (both scheduled and unscheduled) through various routes of administration including oral and intramuscular.
• Collaborate with other disciplines in the development and implementation of individual treatment plans for patients.
• Assess patients to determine their treatment progress, treatment compliance, their thought process, determine the presence of suicidality and/or psychosis, discover any adverse reactions to their medications and to help determine any barriers to treatment progression.
• Provide patient education regarding their medications, diagnosis as well as any comorbid medical and/or social factors that impact their overall treatment.
• Facilitate admissions and discharges.
• Utilize critical thinking skills to prioritize patient care in order to ensure safe yet efficient care.
• Utilize a variety of de-escalation skills and assist with take downs, restraints and restraint monitoring when necessary.
• Attend and participate in multidisciplinary rounds to share and receive information regarding my patients.
• Monitor patients that are in detox/withdrawing and provide the appropriate level of care.
• Address and manage patient’s comorbid physical/medical conditions that are within my scope of practice and level of competence such as diabetic care, wound care, patients with respiratory/cardiac disease, autoimmune disease, minor post- surgical care, etc.
• Collaborate and coordinate care with professionals from other hospital departments for patients with comorbid medical/physical conditions that require a higher level of care or more extensive care.
• Stay up to date with various continuing education units that are provided which relate to our patient population.
• Frequently assume the charge nurse role which includes making the schedule for the day; assigning nurses and ancillary staff to various patients, patient care tasks and groups; being the point of contact person for any patient issues or work flow issues; facilitating morning huddle with the multidisciplinary team to discuss goals and objectives for the day as well as potential patient candidates for admission and discharge; ensuring all tasks and interventions for the shift are completed; making sure the environment is safe and secure for our patient population and giving report on all patients to the next shift and well as relaying to them any concerns or issues.

MILIEU COUNSELOR, YALE NEW HAVEN HOSPITAL-- NEW HAVEN, CT (Per Diem) MARCH 2017-2018 PSYCHIATRIC TECHNICIAN, WATERBURY HOSPITAL-- WATERBURY, CT APR. 2015- JULY 2019

• Develop a therapeutic rapport with patients and assist in their treatment of various psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, socioeconomic, substance abuse and developmental concerns.
• Direct psychoeducational groups where patients are oriented to the treatment environment and guided with setting individual therapeutic goals.
• Coordinate various substance abuse, recovery and behavioral management groups.
• Carry out 1:1 patient evaluations to assess for patient safety, changes in behavioral/mental status, determine if they are meeting treatment goals and assess efficacy of medications.
• Assist with direct patient care such as ADL’s, vitals and ambulating.
• Monitor and address safety concerns on the unit to ensure a safe and therapeutic environment for all patients.
• Utilize a variety of de-escalation skills and assist with take downs, restraints and restraint monitoring when necessary.
• Assist in medical rounds via telehealth with the rounding Psychiatrist and each patient individually.

Bachelor's of science degree in Social Sciences- Western Connecticut State University 

Associate's of science degree in Nursing- Northwestern Connecticut Community College