Registered Nurse (Outpatient Mental Health)

Summary

The Nurse III Outpatient Mental Health (MH) Registered Nurse (RN) executes position responsibilities to improve patient and organizational outcomes. The psychiatric MH RN executes their position duties by providing patient-centered and recovery-oriented care and maintaining self-awareness while caring for patients living with MH conditions.

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Duties

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Order of Referral: Applications received up to 11:59p.m. EST on the date in which 50 minimally qualified applications is reached will receive first consideration. Applications received after 11:59p.m. EST on the date in which 50 minimally qualified applications are received may not receive consideration unless otherwise requested by management. Additional applications will be reviewed in one day increments at management request.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• 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.
• Follows procedures per established policies and guidelines. Influences care outcomes by collaborating with members of the interdisciplinary team.
• Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches to management of complex client care.
• This clinical position includes a physicality normally associated with direct patient care: the physical requirements of this position include lifting, prolonged standing, sitting, frequent bending, stooping, walking, reaching, repetitive motion, and climbing stairs.
• The mental/sensory requirements include logical thinking, processing and retaining information, reading, recall, reasoning, complex problem solving, hearing, clear distinct speech, writing, keyboarding, use of a telephone, and use of video connectivity.
• This position requires face-to-face patient care, use of available IT software and equipment for virtual visits, and timely and accurate navigation of and documentation in electronic medical records.
• The environment's pace can vary from steady to fast-paced requiring handling multiple priorities in a single day, frequent, sometimes intense customer interactions, and the ability to adapt to frequent changes in a sometimes-noisy environment.
• There may be the need to use personal protective equipment to prevent exposure to disease, illness, and hazardous materials.
• This position involved working with persons with communication difficulties, cognitive loss including dementia, behavioral challenges, altered mentation and caregivers that are stressed.
• Collaboration with multiple stakeholders is essential.
• This position requires compliance with VHA-mandated vaccinations and meeting employee health requirements.
• The incumbent who provides care in home settings or other off-site locations may be required to drive and/or ride in GSA-vehicles

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

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 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: 3-5 years recent Nursing, 3-5 years in Mental Health.

Physical Requirements: This position includes a physicality normally associated with direct patient care: the physical requirements of this position include lifting, prolonged standing, sitting, frequent bending, stooping, walking, reaching, repetitive motion, and climbing stairs. Requires consistent use of computer, typing and Microsoft systems. The mental/sensory requirements include logical thinking, processing and retaining information, reading, recall, reasoning, complex problem solving, hearing, clear distinct speech, writing, keyboarding, use of a telephone, and use of video connectivity. This position does not require face-to-face patient care, however it does require frequent/consistent communication with patients and family members, use of available IT software and equipment for virtual visits, and timely and accurate navigation of and documentation in electronic medical records. The environment's pace can vary from steady to fast-paced requiring handling multiple priorities in a single day, frequent, sometimes intense customer interactions, and the ability to adapt to frequent changes in a sometimes-noisy environment. There may be the need to use personal protective equipment to prevent exposure to disease, illness, and hazardous materials. This position involved working with persons with communication difficulties, cognitive loss including dementia, behavioral challenges, altered mentation and caregivers that are stressed. Collaboration with multiple stakeholders is essential. This position requires compliance with VHA-mandated vaccinations and meeting employee health requirements.

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.