Nurses for R5 – use your full professional expertise

In February 2027 we open R5 in Skejby - a new forensic psychiatric inpatient ward at Aarhus University Hospital. We are looking for nurses who want to help shape a new ward where somatic and psychiatric nursing go hand in hand. You can be newly qualified or come from the somatic or psychiatric field. Your professional competence is relevant – even if you have not previously worked in forensic psychiatry.

What is forensic psychiatry?

With us, we focus equally on the person as on the judgment and diagnosis. Since our patients are here for longer-term treatment and rehabilitation, we have the opportunity to establish important and sustaining relationships with the patients. Our staff have a unique opportunity to develop trust, create hope and build confidence in people who have often faced and still face difficulties.

The core elements of our treatment work are medical treatment, relationship development and a particular focus on environmental-therapeutic principles and the patient’s recovery.

The ward’s wish is that patients, as far as possible, have an active daily life - with the possibility to influence the various treatment measures and activities. Everyday life should be experienced as safe and secure for both patients and staff, which is why we work with risk assessment tools that can help the daily life in the ward to run as predictably and calmly as possible.

The ward has capacity for 16 patients and provides specialized, intensive treatment for patients with a sentence to treatment and/or a sentence to placement.

Your nursing professional task

We work person-centered with Fundamentals of Care (FoC) as a conceptual framework and focus on both the patient’s physical, mental and relational needs. In close multidisciplinary collaboration with doctors, social educators, social- and health care assistants and other colleagues you will work, among other things, with:

• Early detection of somatic disease, metabolic risks (including diabetes and cardiovascular disease) as well as health promotion, nutrition and physical activity.
• Medication management, clinical observations and assessment of treatment effect and side effects.
• Therapeutic relationships, environmental therapy, recovery and rehabilitation as well as conflict prevention, de-escalation and the least possible coercion.
• Professional documentation, coordination of patient pathways and systematic clinical assessments.

As a nurse you contribute to creating stability, trust and development in the patient’s course. You do not need to know forensic psychiatry in advance – we will provide an introduction to both the treatment task and the special safety framework. Even small progress can have great significance for the patient’s life.

Systematic assessments and professional development

We use PANSS-6 to monitor schizophrenia symptoms, START for structured assessment of risks, vulnerabilities and protective factors as well as GAF to assess psychosocial functioning. The tools are intended to support clinical decisions and treatment planning – not merely documentation. You do not need to have experience with the tools beforehand. We provide training and professional sparring.

We prioritize evidence-based practice, reflection and quality improvements. There is an opportunity for relevant after- and continuing education, specialization (e.g., psychopathology, psychopharmacology, psychometrics, somatics and environmental therapy) and, in time, professional key roles. Opportunities are adapted to your interests, ward needs and the organizational framework.

A safe start and a strong workplace community

You will receive a structured onboarding and mentoring program with introduction to the patient group, workflows and safety. We offer interdisciplinary sparring, an accessible and inclusive leadership, and a focus on well-being, respect and a safe working environment. You will have influence on our professional culture and workflows in new physical spaces with outdoor areas that are part of the environmental-therapeutic work. Establishing this role requires flexibility and shared responsibility.

We are looking for you who

• is a licensed nurse, professionally curious and interested in both somatic and mental health.
• meet the patients with dignity and respect, prioritizes relationships and can maintain an overview in complex situations.
• work independently, contribute to the multidisciplinary collaboration and want to develop practice together with colleagues.

Working hours and practical information

The position is 37 hours per week with the possibility of 32 hours. You will enter into mixed shifts, where we aim for two-shift coverage with occasional night shifts and every-other-weekend on-call. You will have influence on the roster, taking into account operations, continuity and balance between work and private life.

Workplace: Forensic Psychiatric Inpatient Ward R5, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby.

Start: January 1, 2027 in preparation for opening in February.

Application deadline: Nov. 11. Interviews are expected to take place in week 47.

Salary and employment terms according to the current collective agreement.

Want to know more?

You are welcome to an informal discussion about R5, also if you come from somatics and are curious about how your experience can be used with us.

Jonas Lisius Martinussen, Chief Nursing Officer, tel. 51 37 12 83 or Mette Munk Poulsen, Chief Physician, tel. 29990831

Forensic Psychiatric Department

The position is essentially a full-time role.

As Region Midtjylland continuously carries out savings and reorganizations, employees in redeployment who apply for the position will have priority.

Region Midtjylland is, in accordance with the EU directive on wage transparency, which came into effect on 7 June 2026, obliged to inform you of a starting salary or a salary interval for a position before offering employment.

Here you will find Region Midtjylland’s salary catalog for most professions and positions found in Region Midtjylland: Transparency before employment - Employee.rm.dk