Registered Nurse Care Coordinator

Surgical Care Coordinator

The Surgical Care Coordinator (SCC) is a vital member of the Surgical Specialty Service responsible for coordinating safe, timely, and patient-centered perioperative care for Veterans undergoing surgical procedures. The SCC ensures readiness for surgery, collaborates across multidisciplinary teams, and guides Veterans throughout the pre-operative and post-operative process. The Surgical Care Coordinator provides direct operational support to surgical specialty clinics, ensuring smooth daily flow, safe patient care, and consistent communication across teams.

Responsibilities include: Cross-coverage for high-volume or understaffed surgical clinics, collaborating with nurse managers to stabilize clinic workloads, coordinating with clinic LPNs and RNs to maintain efficient patient movement, reinforce coverage plans, and minimize clinic flow disruptions. The Care Coordinator Registered Nurse (RN) is 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.

Core elements of performance include knowledge and active participation in the unit/program level quality improvement process and initiatives as well as customer service programs.

• Providing competent, evidence-based care to assigned patients.
• Provides patient management, care coordination, and discharge/disposition planning for inpatient and outpatient settings.
• The Care Coordinator assists Veterans, family members, and caregivers with receiving the most appropriate options and services to meet their complex health care needs. This includes, but is not limited to, acute, chronic, multiple, complex, catastrophic, or life-threatening illnesses; combat stress, residuals of traumatic brain injury; community adjustment; addictions and other health problems.
• Coordinates care with multiple providers across all levels and sites of care. Coordination also includes assuring services interface within the Veterans Affairs (VA) and community programs to provide continuity of care to patients.
• Addresses psychosocial, as well as nursing and medical needs of patients and their families/caregivers, through participation with the interdisciplinary care team.
• Coordinates and expedites care from diagnosis to treatment.
• Analyzes and manages laboratory and radiology results and provides information to the providers.
• Utilizes databases to provide population management to track patient care through all episodes of care.
• 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.
• Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others.
• Evaluates practice in an ongoing process, based on best evidence.
• Provides peers with informal constructive feedback for improvement.
• Fosters a safe and supportive environment conducive to the professional development of healthcare professionals.
• Contributes professional nursing perspective in discussions with the interdisciplinary team.
• Partners with others to effect change and produce optimal outcomes.
• Supports colleagues through knowledge sharing to provide safe, quality nursing care.
• Shares educational findings, experiences, and ideas with peers.
• Questions clinical practices for the purpose of providing evidence-based care.
• Participates in activities and strategies to sustain an evidence-based-practice culture.
• Other duties as assigned

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: Based on the needs of the service

Telework: Ad Hoc

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

US Department of Veterans Affairs