Registered Nurse

Summary

The Registered Nurse works in the Surgical and Procedural Care Nursing Department in Patient Care Services and executes position responsibilities that delivers fundamental knowledge-based care to assigned clients while developing technical skills. Assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates care based on age-specific components. Assumes responsibility for the coordination of care focused on patient education, self-management, and customer satisfaction throughout the continuum of care.

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Duties

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• Responsible and accountable for all elements of the nursing process when providing and/or supervising direct patient care.
• Assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates care based on age specific components.
• Assumes responsibility for the coordination of care focused on patient education, self-management, and customer satisfaction throughout the continuum of care.
• Administers medications and assists in the performance of procedures per established policies and guidelines. Influences care outcomes by collaborating with members of the interdisciplinary team.
• Functions with a high degree of teamwork, utilizes critical thinking, and demonstrates exceptional communication skills with the interdisciplinary team.
• Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches to management of complex patient care.
• Demonstrate expert leadership, experience, and creative approaches to delivery and management of complex inpatient and outpatient patient care including those undergoing therapeutic and diagnostic cardiology procedures.
• Assesses the patients physical and mental status prior to procedures, educates on procedural and pre/postprocedural care, and documents responses to interventions, findings, and reports any changes.
• Partners with the patient, family, and interdisciplinary team to promote effective and safe transitions across the health care continuum, including the Veteran's goals of care.
• Assumes responsibility for patient and family education, patient self-management after discharge, and supporting factors that impact customer satisfaction.
• Demonstrates performance and leadership that is broad enough to improve the care for a group of patients.
• Addresses psychosocial, as well as nursing and medical needs of patients and their families/caregivers, through participation with the interdisciplinary care team.
• Care coordination includes assuring services interface within the Veterans Affairs (VA) and community programs to provide continuity of care to patients.
• Evaluates care and outcomes to ensure timely and appropriate provision of services.
• Advocates for holistic care through patient/family education and provider interaction and implements an educational plan to meet the patient care needs.
• Collaborates in the development, implementation, evaluation, and revision of policies, procedures, and/or guidelines.
• Accountable for the effective management and coordination of care for patients with Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device (CIED), including pacemakers, implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICDs), and implantable loop recorders.
• The RN has a strong knowledge base of cardiovascular care and advanced heart diseases.
• Collaborates with the Electrophysiology (EP) team, Cardiologists, heart failure team, surgical team, and other clinical staff to coordinate the care of patients with CIEDs, and to provide and improve quality patient outcomes for the patient and families.
• Provides peers with formal or informal constructive feedback for improvement.
• Supports colleagues and other nurses through knowledge sharing to provide safe, quality outpatient nursing care.
• Fosters a safe and supportive environment conducive to the professional development of health care professionals.
• Evaluates outcomes of evidence based decisions and practice changes for individuals, groups, and populations.
• Responsible for the documented outcomes at the program or service level.
• Program or service level outcomes must be broad and complex and can be demonstrated at any organizational level within a facility.
• The RN may function in several roles to include, pre-procedure assessments, post procedural recovery, and assisting physicians during procedures.
• Maintain proficiency on the maintenance, cleaning, and preparation of cardiology specific equipment, as well as assisting the planning of end-of-life equipment replacement and future needs.

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: 8:00am - 4:30pm, May have last call assignments as needed.

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized

Requirements

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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.
• 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 evaluation/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

Basic Requirements :

• English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• 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); OR Individuals attending a master's level bridge program in nursing who have completed coursework equivalent to a bachelor's level degree in Nursing may have opportunity to become registered as a nurse with a state licensing board prior to completion of the bridge program. Upon achievement of a State license, the individual may be appointed on temporary basis and later converted to a permanent appointment upon successful completion and graduation from the bridge program. (Reference VA Handbook 5005, Appendix G6); OR In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of a current, full, active, and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement for graduation from an approved school of professional nursing to warrant an appointment as a Nurse who has completed an associated degree/entry level Nursing education program. Credit for foreign nursing education higher that associate degree/entry level requires a formal degree equivalency validation from a recognized equivalency evaluation accepted by VA such as International Consultants of Delaware (ICD).
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or the District of Columbia. Graduate Nurse Technician (GNT) Exception: Candidates who otherwise meet the basic education requirements, but do not possess the required licensure, may be appointed at the entry step of the grade and level applicable to the completed nursing education as a GNT on a 120-day temporary appointment while actively pursuing licensure (may be extended up to two years on a case-by-case-basis.)

NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and 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.

Grade Determinations: The following Scope, Education and Dimension criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade. The Dimension requirements (Practice, Veteran/Patient Driven Care, Leadership, Professional Development and Evidence-Based Practice/Research) are detailed for each grade and level within the online assessment:

Grade/Level

Scope

Education

Nurse I, Level I

Delivers fundamental, knowledge-based care to assigned clients while developing technical competencies.

An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional professional nursing required.

Nurse I, Level II

Demonstrates integration of biopsychosocial concepts, cognitive skills and technically competent practice in providing care to clients with basic or complex.

An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 1 year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 1 ; OR a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional professional nursing experience required.

Nurse I, Level III

Demonstrates proficiency in practice based on conscious and deliberate planning. Self-directed in goal setting for managing complex client situations.

An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 2 years of professional nursing experience in which one year is equivalent to Nurse I, Level 2; OR a BSN and 1 year of professional nursing experience equivalent to the Nurse I, Level 2; OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) and no additional professional nursing experience; OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and no additional professional nursing experience.

Nurse II

Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others.

A BSN with 2 years of professional nursing equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR an MSN with one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with no professional nursing experience; OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN with no additional professional nursing experience.

Nurse III

Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience and creative approaches to management of complex client care beyond the immediate practice setting.

MSN and 2 years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Master's degree in *related field with BSN and two years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III.

* Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees.

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

Preferred Experience: Cardiology or Cath Lab Experience Preferred

Physical Requirements: This clinical position includes a level of physicality normally associated with inpatient care, including bending, grasping, kneeling, performing moderate lifting, carrying tasks of up to 35 pounds per Safe Patient Handling and Mobility (SPHM) guidelines and using an appropriate mechanical lift. Candidates must possess the ability to pivot their waist and neck, push and pull items not greater than 35 pounds and reach within a five-foot distance or above shoulder height. The position requires sitting, squatting, standing, walking, and twisting, alongside wrist flexion and extension. Employees are expected to employ proper body mechanics during lifting. Requires adequate vision to accurately perform the assigned duties, distinguish basic colors and assess patients and the environment safely. The position requires the ability to hear at a level to perform the assigned duties, and the use of hearing aids is permitted.

Additional information

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.

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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.

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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.