Advanced Practice Nurse - Chief Nurse (Clinical Education)

Summary

The Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) IV, Chief Nurse, Clinical Education at San Francisco VA Health Care System provides a full range of services emphasizing quality, timeliness, and advancing the Veterans Affairs (VA) mission. Executes leadership that is characterized by substantial and continuous responsibility and accountability for population groups or integrated programs that cross services and/or disciplines and influence the organization's mission and health care.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

Functions of Assigned Duties:

• Responsible for leadership of service and programmatic operations, both clinical and administrative.
• Specializes as an administrator, educator, and consultant in collaboration with all clinical services/programs at the facility or network level, interdisciplinary service leaders, and executive leadership.
• Establishes and maintains effective relationships with all levels of medical center personnel and relates effectively with customers, families, and the community.
• Assists Nurse Leaders, APNs, and interdisciplinary clinicians in carrying out the functions and activities expected of them.
• Contributes ideas and recommendations for the establishment of standards of care, policies, and objectives for the enhancement of clinical practice.
• Leads and collaborates in policymaking activities related to customer service and the overall functioning of administrative and clinical programs.
• Collaborates with other health care staff to establish and maintain programs that cross services and/or disciplines that influence organizational mission and health care.
• Provides senior leadership and oversight for daily clinical and administrative operations within the Clinical Education Service within Nursing as directed by the Associate Director for Patient Care Services/Nurse Executive (ADPCS/NE).
• Responsible for Nursing New Employee Orientation. Demonstrates creative approaches in the provision of education and training for patients and staff within the main facility and Community Based Outreach Clinics (CBOCs).
• Oversee the budget planning, forecasting, management, coaching and supervision of nursing and administrative support staff, program development, performance improvement leadership, labor management activities and participation in the interdisciplinary team.
• Consults with VHA's Employee Education System (EES) as needed to ensure compliance with staff education functions such as mandatory training.
• Supports the integration and collaboration of nursing with other professional disciplines and functional areas in the mutual achievement of patient-centered and organizational goals.
• Provides leadership and assumes continuing and substantial responsibility for the coordination and evaluation of a program of research and evidence-based practice to influence the organizational mission and improve patient care outcomes.
• Works collaboratively with Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA) which serves as the focal point in VHA for the development, analysis, and evaluation of policies, guidelines, and programs related to academic affiliations and the professional education of HPTs.
• Provides policy development, analysis, decision making, and implementation activities affecting the VA health care system.
• Prepares publications with partners in VHA to disseminate information about health professions training, practices, and outcomes.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards

Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards

Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(f), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

Qualifications

Advanced Practice Nurse IV

Basic Requirements

• Education: A post-master's certificate or master's or doctoral degree as a Nurse Practitioner. (Applicants pending the completion of educational requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until the education requirements are met.) Must be a graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate accrediting agency and accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies at the time the program was completed by the applicant:
  • The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or
  • The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
  • NOTE: Foreign Education. Graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing programs, the nurse practitioner degree equivalency must be validated through an Agency recognized degree equivalency evaluation agency, such as the International Consultants of Delaware (ICD). Candidates with equivalent nurse practitioner masters or doctorate level degrees who possess current, full, active, and unrestricted registration and certification will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing to warrant appointment.
• License and Certification:
  • License. All APN (NPs) must possess and maintain an active, current, full, and unrestricted APN license to practice as an NP in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.
  • Basic Certification. All APN (NPs) must maintain full and current board certification in an area of clinical specialty from one of the following: The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), or The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB), or other nationally recognized certifying body in the area in which the Nurse Practitioner is academically prepared.

NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and an APN (NP) assignment that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the standard (1/29/2024) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/certification.

The following Scope, Education and Experience, and Dimension criteria must be met to qualify for Advanced Practice Nurse IV:

• Scope: Executes leadership that is characterized by substantial and continuous responsibility and accountability for population groups or integrated programs that cross service and/or discipline lines and influence organizational mission and health care.
• Education and Experience Requirement:
  • Meets basic education requirement for an APN (NP) AND
  • Four years of APN (NP) experience, one of which is specialized experience equivalent to Nurse III AND
  • Meets all Nurse IV dimension requirements
• Dimension Requirement: APNs (NPs) at Level IV must meet ALL the following dimension requirements.
  • Practice. Practices at an associate executive level, utilizing clinical, leadership and administrative skills, demonstrating continuing responsibility that influences the organizational mission, health care delivery and policy at the local and/or regional level
  • Outcome Focus. Leads the application of clinical/business models, incorporating research/evidence-based practices, designed to achieve and sustain excellence in the delivery of health care at the service and organization levels.
  • Leadership. Creates and implements a shared vision and successfully leads change to improve organizational performance and attain measurable performance outcomes.
  • Professional Development. Establishes innovative, current and future healthcare delivery models, policy/regulation and governance to cultivate a healthy lifestyle, improving health outcomes.
  • Professionalism/Collegiality. Facilitates effective relationship management, communication, customer service experiences and negotiation across lifestyles using a broad range of technology platforms to influence, inspire and motivate others within their program/service or beyond.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.

Education

Additional information

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.