Registered Nurse (RN) - Behavioral Health

Modesto, California

This one is per diem, so you pick up the shifts you want. Doctors Medical Center of Modesto is hiring for its own floors, with no agency in between.

Posted Oct 29

Unit and setting: Psych
License: RN license
Term: Per Diem

Do you qualify?

Also asks: Ability to adjust vision sufficiently to perform position accountabilities
Also asks: #LI-ML2

What it pays

Against similar roles: In range for California PRN rolesCalifornia PRN postings that state pay run $35/hr to $92/hr, the middle half $45/hr to $75/hr, across 1,078 postings.

The workplace

Doctors Medical Center of Modesto

Hospital

2.8 Google rating

Facility profile

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On your path

Psychiatric is open from year one. Behavioral health spans inpatient, emergency, and community settings.

See your route →Check first: New-grad residency fine print

Original listing

Posted on Doctors Medical Center of Modesto’s careers page.

Read full text

Job Type: Per Diem Job Shift: Days Holiday Rotation: N/A Department: Behavioral Health Reporting to the Nursing Director/Shift Manager, the Registered Nurse (RN) is responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, and providing high quality, individualized patient care using the components of the nursing process. This position is subject to overtime, shift work, working holidays and weekends, standby, and callback assignments. Minimum

Education

Graduation with an Associate Degree in Nursing Minimum Experience/

Skills

Knowledge of psychodynamic principles and fundamentals of psychotherapy; Knowledge of basic diagnostic categories of mental illness; Knowledge of psychopharmacology and disease entitles and interventions, and nursing skills and procedures; Ability to interact and manage patients who may be combative.

License/Certificates/Credentials

Current: CA Registered Nurse license, BLS for Healthcare Providers, Behavioral management training defined as Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) is required within 30 days of hire and must be maintained. Physical Demands: Frequent standing/walking. Lift/position up to 50 lbs. Push/pull up to 50 lbs of force. Reaching, stooping, bending, kneeling, crouching, manual dexterity and mobility, ability to move quickly. Vision

Requirements

Ability to adjust vision sufficiently to perform position accountabilities Working Conditions: Regularly exposed to the risk of contagious and blood borne diseases, subject to varying and unpredictable situations, exposure to unpleasant elements (accidents, injuries, illness), emergency and crisis situations, subject to irregular hours, occasional pressure due to multiple calls and inquiries, occasional exposure to radiation hazards, radioactive substances, and biohazards #LI-ML2

What's around it?

In Modesto, CA

Modesto, CAFrom Census ACS 2024.

Living costs about 4% above the US average

Median rent: $1,690/mo
Household income: $79,891/yr, all local households, not nurse pay

Life in Modesto, CA

NeighborhoodsYoung professionals often land in Downtown Modesto, a walkable revival (walk score 82) of restored theaters, galleries, and mixed-income housing in the roughly $320k–$480k range, or along the McHenry Avenue Corridor ($340k–$520k, walk 71), a suburban strip of newer retail, restaurants, and services. Established residential pockets include the Orangeburg Area’s tree-lined streets and mixed single-family homes ($330k–$450k), historic bungalows around Graceada Park, Village One’s newer amenities, Sherwood Forest’s quieter streets, plus named areas such as Northwest, Northeast, North, Southeast, and Southwest Modesto, Country Ranch, Sonoma Plaza, Westwood Manor, Sherwood Manor South, and La Loma. Locals on Reddit frequently tell newcomers they would rather live in nearby Turlock, Manteca, or Ripon as the nicer towns around Modesto.

Young professionals often land in Downtown Modesto, a walkable revival (walk score 82) of restored theaters, galleries, and mixed-income housing in the roughly $320k–$480k range, or along the McHenry Avenue Corridor ($340k–$520k, walk 71), a suburban strip of newer retail, restaurants, and services. Established residential pockets include the Orangeburg Area’s tree-lined streets and mixed single-family homes ($330k–$450k), historic bungalows around Graceada Park, Village One’s newer amenities, Sherwood Forest’s quieter streets, plus named areas such as Northwest, Northeast, North, Southeast, and Southwest Modesto, Country Ranch, Sonoma Plaza, Westwood Manor, Sherwood Manor South, and La Loma.

Locals on Reddit frequently tell newcomers they would rather live in nearby Turlock, Manteca, or Ripon as the nicer towns around Modesto.

Sources

As of Sep 11, 2026Source 1: ficustree.ai Source 2: apartments.com Source 3: reddit.com Source 4: apartmentguide.com Source 5: nelsonwesterberg.com

Getting aroundTypical in-city commutes run about 20.65 minutes, but a transit score of 38 means a car is essential for most errands and hospital shifts; Modesto Area Express buses exist, yet coverage is thin versus larger metros. Drivers use CA-99, CA-132, and CA-108; the Modesto BART Commuter Train reaches Turlock, Patterson, and Dublin, Amtrak stops at the Modesto Train Station toward Sacramento and other cities, and Greyhound serves Tracy and Merced. Major healthcare employers named in local guides include Doctors Medical Center and Sutter Health. The Bay Area is 90-plus minutes west and the Sierra Nevada foothills 60-plus minutes east, so weekend trips are planned drives, not casual hops. Sources do not describe hospital parking.

Typical in-city commutes run about 20.65 minutes, but a transit score of 38 means a car is essential for most errands and hospital shifts; Modesto Area Express buses exist, yet coverage is thin versus larger metros. Drivers use CA-99, CA-132, and CA-108; the Modesto BART Commuter Train reaches Turlock, Patterson, and Dublin, Amtrak stops at the Modesto Train Station toward Sacramento and other cities, and Greyhound serves Tracy and Merced.

Major healthcare employers named in local guides include Doctors Medical Center and Sutter Health. The Bay Area is 90-plus minutes west and the Sierra Nevada foothills 60-plus minutes east, so weekend trips are planned drives, not casual hops.

Sources do not describe hospital parking.

Sources

As of Sep 11, 2026Source 1: realestate.usnews.com Source 2: ficustree.ai Source 3: apartmentguide.com Source 4: extraspace.com Source 5: nelsonwesterberg.com

OutdoorsThe city lists 70-plus parks, including historic Graceada Park (designed by Golden Gate Park’s John McLaren), Dry Creek Regional Park, Roosevelt Park, and John Muir Park. A short drive to Knights Ferry adds river hiking, picnics, and Rivers Edge restaurant overlooking the water. Modesto markets itself as halfway to Yosemite and as a farm-stand town: Ott Farms, Rodin Farms, and Dutch Hollow Farms sell produce year-round. July through September heat regularly over 95°F pushes outdoor life to early mornings or indoors unless you have strong air conditioning.

The city lists 70-plus parks, including historic Graceada Park (designed by Golden Gate Park’s John McLaren), Dry Creek Regional Park, Roosevelt Park, and John Muir Park. A short drive to Knights Ferry adds river hiking, picnics, and Rivers Edge restaurant overlooking the water.

Modesto markets itself as halfway to Yosemite and as a farm-stand town: Ott Farms, Rodin Farms, and Dutch Hollow Farms sell produce year-round. July through September heat regularly over 95°F pushes outdoor life to early mornings or indoors unless you have strong air conditioning.

Sources

As of Sep 11, 2026Source 1: apartments.com Source 2: ficustree.ai Source 3: apartmentguide.com Source 4: reddit.com Source 5: visitmodesto.com Source 6: extraspace.com

Others hiring in Modesto, CA

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Moving for this role?

Employer relocation terms

Relocation assistance available for select positions

Doctors Medical Center of Modesto · eligibility varies by role

Sources

As of 2026Source: talents.vaia.com

Living in Modesto

Modesto is a Central Valley farm town of about 218,000 that still feels like George Lucas’s American Graffiti hometown—cruise nights on 10th and 11th, Gallo’s winery, and almond orchards—while offering California homeownership at medians roughly $380k–$460k and one-bedrooms around $1,470–$1,500. Nurses will find healthcare employers such as Doctors Medical Center and Sutter Health, typical drives near 21 minutes, and a car-mandatory layout (transit score 38) on Highways 99, 132, and 108. Downtown’s revival—Camp 4, the Gallo Center, Art Walk, food-truck pavilion—and neighborhoods from walkable Downtown and McHenry Corridor to Graceada bungalows and Village One give young professionals real choices; locals still often recommend Turlock, Manteca, or Ripon as quieter. Tradeoffs are blunt: summers over 95°F, air quality, and crime above national averages (safety grade C) mean you pick streets carefully and budget for AC. Seventy-plus parks, Knights Ferry on the river, and a location marketed as halfway to Yosemite round out weekends. It is not coastal California; it is affordable, agricultural, and car-first.

AI area guide

Sources

As of 2026Source 1: ficustree.ai Source 2: realestate.usnews.com Source 3: apartments.com Source 4: visitmodesto.com Source 5: hitraveltales.com Source 6: apartmentguide.com Source 7: reddit.com Source 8: extraspace.com Source 9: nelsonwesterberg.com Source 10: youtube.com

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Do you qualify?

What it pays

The workplace

Ask Mira

Your fit

Questions to ask

On your path

Original listing

Education

Skills

License/Certificates/Credentials

Requirements

What's around it?

Modesto, CAiFrom Census ACS 2024.

Life in Modesto, CA

Moving for this role?

Nurses on this role

Nurses on this role

Life in Modesto, CA

Moving for this role?

Nurses on this role

Modesto, CAFrom Census ACS 2024.