Clinical Nurse Leader

Job Title

The Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) oversees clinical operations, supports staff development, facilitates care transitions, monitors performance measures, and ensures compliance with Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), accreditation, and regulatory standards while fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, and continuous quality improvement.

Duties include:

• Provides clinical leadership and oversight for nursing care delivered within the Community Living Center (CLC).
• Coordinates and evaluates comprehensive, individualized plans of care for Veterans residing in skilled nursing, rehabilitation, hospice, palliative, memory care, and long-term care units.
• Leads interdisciplinary team collaboration to ensure coordinated, Veteran-centered care that promotes quality outcomes and safe transitions across the continuum of care.
• Utilizes evidence-based practice, clinical guidelines, and quality improvement methodologies to improve patient safety, clinical outcomes, and operational performance.
• Monitors clinical quality indicators, performance metrics, and compliance with VA, VHA, accreditation, infection prevention, and regulatory requirements.
• Identifies opportunities for process improvement and leads initiatives to reduce adverse events, prevent hospital readmissions, improve resident satisfaction, and enhance quality of care.
• Conducts clinical rounding, case reviews, chart audits, and documentation reviews to ensure adherence to professional standards and organizational policies.
• Serves as a clinical resource and mentor to registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, nursing assistants, and other healthcare staff through coaching, education, and competency development.
• Facilitates staff education regarding evidence-based practices, clinical protocols, patient safety initiatives, and quality improvement activities.
• Collaborates with physicians, rehabilitation therapists, pharmacists, social workers, dietitians, psychologists, and other members of the interdisciplinary team to address complex resident care needs.
• Participates in root cause analyses, performance improvement projects, and patient safety investigations to identify system improvements.
• Supports admission, discharge, and transfer planning while coordinating continuity of care with inpatient units, outpatient clinics, home health, and community partners.
• Promotes resident and family engagement by providing education, facilitating shared decision-making, and addressing concerns in a timely and professional manner.
• Assists nurse managers with staffing coordination, workload management, policy implementation, and operational planning as assigned.
• Demonstrates leadership in emergency preparedness, infection prevention, fall prevention, pressure injury prevention, medication safety, and behavioral health management.
• Maintains current knowledge of geriatric nursing, long-term care regulations, quality standards, and VA initiatives affecting Community Living Centers.
• Participates in committees, accreditation surveys, quality councils, and organizational initiatives that support continuous performance improvement.
• Serves as a role model for professional nursing practice, ethical decision-making, and the VA ICARE Values of Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence.

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: Full-time; 7:30am-4:00pm; Compressed Tours may be considered.

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized