Registered Nurse-Outpatient Mental Health-Education Debt Reduction Program Approved (Hiring Immediately)

Registered Nurse - Outpatient Mental Health - Education Debt Reduction Program Approved The Veterans Health Administration was seeking a Registered Nurse for Outpatient Mental Health at the West Texas VA Health Care System in Big Spring, TX. The Outpatient Mental Health Registered Nurse provides patient-centered and recovery-oriented psychiatric nursing care, coordinates continuity of care, supports interdisciplinary treatment planning, facilitates nurse-led psychoeducational groups, uses therapeutic communication and de-escalation techniques, and supports patient safety, education, and program outcomes for Veterans living with mental health conditions. Agency: Veterans Health Administration Facility: West Texas VA Health Care System Location: Big Spring, TX Vacancies: 1 Salary: $82,714 - $153,177 per year Salary Note: Education, scope, and length of nursing practice experience are considered in determining grade and salary. Selected salary may be at any point within the listed range. Pay Scale & Grade: VN-00 Promotion Potential: None Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Appointment Type: Permanent Telework: Not available Remote/Virtual: Not available Travel Required: Not required Relocation Expenses: Not reimbursed Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized EDRP: Authorized; student loan reimbursement may be available up to $200,000, subject to VHA approval and eligibility requirements. Former EDRP participants are ineligible. PCS: Not authorized Drug Test: Required Security Clearance: Other Position Sensitivity/Risk: Non-sensitive / Low Risk Background Check: Credentialing and suitability/fitness required Financial Disclosure: Not required Federal Service: Excepted Service Union Representation: Yes Supervisory Status: No Announcement Number: CAZM-12993099-26-WI Key Responsibilities: Provide patient-centered and recovery-oriented care for Veterans living with mental health conditions. Facilitate care coordination with inpatient mental health units to support continuity of care. Participate in mental health interdisciplinary treatment team huddles and meetings. Coordinate warm hand-offs between care settings and providers. Develop content for and facilitate nurse-led psychoeducational groups. Use therapeutic communication techniques and recovery-oriented language. Practice de-escalation techniques when caring for patients with mental health needs. Educate Veterans, family members, and significant others about illness, medications, and treatment plans. Report, assist with, and/or direct resolution of safety concerns. Collaborate with program leadership to improve patient and program outcomes. Direct team response to psychiatric and medical emergencies. Document nursing triage assessments, risk screens, measurement-based care tools, clinical reminders, and patient plans of care according to facility policy. Maintain professional boundaries to protect patient vulnerabilities and act in the patient's best interest. Provide peers with formal or informal constructive feedback for improvement. Support colleagues and other nurses through knowledge sharing to provide safe, quality nursing care. Foster a safe and supportive environment for professional development of health care professionals. Basic Qualifications: Must be a U.S. Citizen. Non-citizens may only be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy. Must be proficient in basic written and spoken English. Must be a graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate accrediting agency. Nursing education must have been accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education at the time the program was completed, unless otherwise covered by VA policy. Must have a current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a U.S. State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia. Graduate Nurse Technician candidates may be appointed temporarily while actively pursuing licensure if they meet education requirements, subject to VA policy. Must be subject to a background/security investigation. Must pass a pre-employment physical examination. Must pass pre-employment drug testing and remain subject to testing requirements for this testing designated position. Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959. Must complete all application requirements and online onboarding requirements. Must provide acceptable identification for employment eligibility verification. Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as required for Department of Veterans Affairs health care personnel. Selected applicant may be required to serve a probationary period. Eligibility: This announcement was open to the public and current federal employees of the hiring agency. The two-page resume requirement did not apply to this position. This position was limited to 50 applications and could close earlier than the listed closing date once that limit was reached. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Preferred Experience: 3 to 4 years of Registered Nurse experience preferred. 3 to 5 years of mental health experience preferred. Suicide prevention or crisis intervention skills preferred. Previous case management experience preferred. Experience providing face-to-face care and virtual care preferred. Experience with computerized or electronic charting preferred. Education and Licensure Requirements: Must meet professional nursing education requirements under the VA Nurse qualification standard. Foreign nursing education above the associate degree or entry-level nursing education requires formal degree equivalency validation from a recognized evaluation agency accepted by VA. Current, full, active, and unrestricted RN registration is required unless appointed under the Graduate Nurse Technician exception. Transcripts must be submitted if using education to qualify or support grade determination. Nurse Grade Determination: Nurse I Level I: ADN or diploma in nursing with no additional professional nursing experience required. Nurse I Level II: ADN or diploma in nursing plus one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I Level I, or BSN with no additional professional nursing experience required. Nurse I Level III: ADN or diploma in nursing plus two years of professional nursing experience with one year equivalent to Nurse I Level II; or BSN plus one year of professional nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I Level II; or MSN with no additional professional nursing experience; or related master's degree with BSN and no additional professional nursing experience. Nurse II: BSN plus two years of professional nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I Level III; or MSN plus one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I Level III; or related master's degree with BSN plus one year of specialized experience; or doctoral degree in nursing or related field with BSN and no additional professional nursing experience. Nurse III: MSN plus two years of specialized nursing experience including one year equivalent to Nurse II; or related master's degree with BSN plus two years of specialized nursing experience including one year equivalent to Nurse II; or doctoral degree in nursing plus one year of specialized experience equivalent to Nurse II; or related doctoral degree with BSN plus one year of specialized experience equivalent to Nurse II. Grade and salary are determined by education, scope, length, and quality of nursing practice experience. Physical Requirements: Requires intermittent lifting up to 35 pounds for 8 to 12 hours. Requires intermittent moderate carrying of 15 to 35 pounds for 8 to 12 hours. Lifting over 35 pounds requires assistive devices under Safe Patient Handling Policy, except in emergent situations requiring prompt patient care. Requires intermittent pulling, pushing, reaching above shoulders, walking, standing, kneeling, repeated bending, climbing, twisting, simple grasp, and fine manipulation. Both hands, both legs, and use of both arms and legs are required. Near vision, far vision, ability to distinguish basic colors, and hearing are required; hearing aid is permitted. Required Documents: Resume Standard Clinical Resume Document uploaded into the restricted resume field Full resume or CV may be uploaded separately into the Other document upload field without page limitation License, if applicable or required Transcript, if using education to qualify Professional certification, if applicable SF-50 / Notification of Personnel Action, if current or former federal employee Performance appraisal, if applicable DD-214 / Statement of Service, if claiming Veterans' preference SF-15 and supporting documentation, if claiming 10-point Veterans' preference Cover letter, disability letter, and other supporting documents, if applicable Benefits and Incentives: Competitive salary with regular salary increases and potential performance awards. 50 days of paid time off per year, including 26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays. Federal retirement benefits, including a traditional pension and 401(k)-style plan with up to 5% VA contributions. Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance options. One full and unrestricted license from any U.S. State or Territory is accepted for VA practice. Education Debt Reduction Program eligibility may provide student loan reimbursement up to $200,000, subject to VHA approval and eligibility requirements. Application Deadline: July 2, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET Status: Closed; reviewing applications This announcement for a Registered Nurse - Outpatient Mental Health position at the West Texas VA Health Care