Outpatient Mental Health Registered Nurse

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

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Duties

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The Hampton VA Medical Center Outpatient Behavioral Clinic located at the North Battlefield Location in Chesapeake, VA is currently looking a Outpatient Mental Health (RN) to join our Team. The Outpatient Mental Health RN directly reports to the Nurse Manager or designee of the Outpatient Behavioral Health Unit. He/She demonstrates competency in providing care for Veterans presenting behavioral health disorders including depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, substance dependence, and related medical conditions. The incumbent will work independently providing patient- center and recovery oriented care to our Veterans.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Responsible for administering medications at the direction of ordering provider.
• MH RN attends and participates in MH interdisciplinary team huddles and meetings, uses therapeutic communication techniques, practices de-escalation techniques, utilizes recovery-oriented language, and provides Veterans, their family members, and/or significant others with education regarding their illness, medications, and treatment plan.
• Participates in warm hand-off, care coordination, liaising with Inpatient MH Units to facilitate continuity of care, and responds to psychiatric and medical emergencies as directed.
• Documents nursing triage assessments, risk screens, clinical reminders, and patient plan of care in accordance with facility policy.
• Maintains professional boundaries to protect patient vulnerabilities and act in the best interest of the patient.
• Reports and addresses safety concerns, document nursing triage assessments, risk screens, clinical reminders, and patient plan of care, according to facility policy. The
• Maintains professional boundaries to protect patient vulnerabilities and act in the best interest of the patient. Fosters a safe and supportive environment conducive to the professional development of healthcare professionals.
• Supports colleagues through knowledge sharing to provide safe, quality nursing care. Questions clinical practices for the purpose of providing evidence-based care.
• Reviews Veterans to be seen by providers for the day/week to identify high risk patients, if there are follow up appointments needed with other providers, status of pending consults for BH Services, etc
• Track and follow up with Veterans with High Risk (Behavioral and Suicide) Flags and those identified for Reach Vet (in collaboration with Suicide Prevention)
• Complete suicide screens and safety plans as appropriate
• Provide outreach to High-Risk Veterans who no-show, did not schedule follow up appointments as indicated
• Work with Specialty Clinics (HUD/VASH, CWT, PRRC, PTSD Clinic, STAR) to assist with establishing Veterans in needed care. Provide walk in clinic coverage
• Provide Veteran outreach to provide support as needed, obtain additional information for treatment (i.e., medication side effects, therapy/treatment goals, etc.) and report back to treatment providers.
• ID Veterans who are utilizing emergency services frequently and provide outreach and help connect them to the appropriate level of care/get in contact with regular provider, such as CCICM referrals.
• Be the front-line responder for MHV messages and phone calls from Veterans for triage and address issue if needed/within scope (i.e., getting re-connected with services, needing to reschedule appointments, sending request to provider for medication refills, etc.) if outside of scope, refer to appropriate team member.
• Track clinical reminders, complete reminders that are within their scope, and inform providers of alerts/reminders that need completed.
• Place consults as appropriate/within scope.
• Follow up on progress of community care referrals.

Preferred or Specialized Experience:

• At least 2-3 of Mental health direct patient care experience as RN

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: 08:00-1630 M-F

Compressed/Flexible:

Telework: No.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Approved.

EDRP Authorized : Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact , View email address on click.appcast.io the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not authorized

PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO) : 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.
• 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

Physical Requirements: Physical Requirements: It is VA policy to ensure that all selected applicants and employed personnel are physically, mentally and emotionally fit to perform the duties of the position to which assigned. A pre-placement physical examination is required for all fulltime, part-time and intermittent employees identified by VA Directive and Handbook 5019. The pre-placement physical examination shall be completed prior to appointment to determine the physical and mental fitness for candidates for appointment in VA. The examination will be concerned with the mental and physical ability of the applicant to satisfactorily perform the duties of the proposed assignment and will include requisite laboratory and other screening as required by Federal regulatory agencies. This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. This position requires that you are able to lift at least 50 lbs. Transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on organizational needs. Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual Influenza vaccination, TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment.

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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