Duties

The VA Medical Center of Salem, Virginia is located adjacent to Roanoke, both of which are nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwest Virginia. The Salem & Metropolitan area provides its residents with a reasonable cost of living, affordable housing, low taxes, some of the finest public and private schools in Virginia, and many urban amenities traditionally expected of larger areas, including art and entertainment venues, museums and galleries, symphony, ballet, and competitive youth sports for the family. In addition to the rich diversity of metropolitan experiences available to our residents, the Roanoke Valley also offers numerous opportunities for the outdoor enthusiast, including the Roanoke Star and its overlook of the Roanoke Valley, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Appalachian Trail, Smith Mountain Lake, beautiful mountainside wineries and golf courses, and a variety of National parks and wildlife areas.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards

• Utilizes protocols to initiate diagnostic tests.
• Independently initiates consults to Diabetes Clinic, Education, Dietary, Pharmacy, Psychology, Smoking Clinic, and Social Work Service.
• Manages Triage, Evaluation/Processing and Emergency Department with collaborative support from the physician. Maintains emergency department unit specific competencies (POC testing, ESI, Phlebotomy, EKG recognition, etc.)
• Maintains working knowledge of EMTALA. Teaches patients by establishing patient care goals; teaching individuals and families to understand condition, medication, and self-care skills, answering questions and by promoting patient independence.
• Identifies needs for care at home, or alternatives such as outpatient treatment, extended care facility with discharge planner.
• Implements clinical and technical aspects of care and nursing orders in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Intervenes with proper technique, procedure and safety precautions to meet individual needs of patient.
• Demonstrate ability to prioritize.
• Utilizes SBAR tool for transitions of care for patients being admitted or transferred. Responds and provides leadership during medical codes and rapid responses. Remain with the patient during emergency support.

Work Schedule: Full-time
Compressed/Flexible: Not available
Telework: Not authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS):Not authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

*Incentives: Recruitment Incentive:

• RN's- $20k recruitment incentive for 3 year service agreement authorized for highly qualified candidates

Requirements

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.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• 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).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), 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 State-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 ). In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of current, full, active and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing. OR The completion of coursework equivalent to a nursing degree in a MSN Bridge Program that qualifies for professional nursing registration constitutes the completion of an approved course of study of professional nursing. Students should submit the certificate of professional nursing to sit for the NCLEX to the VA along with a copy of the MSN transcript. (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.
• 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.

Preferred Experience: CED experience, at least 2 years

Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade:

• Nurse I Level I - An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional nursing practice/experience required.
• Nurse I Level II - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 1 year of nursing practice/experience; OR an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a bachelor's degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience; OR a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional nursing practice/experience.
• Nurse I Level III - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a Bachelor's degree in a related field and approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a BSN with approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) or related field with a BSN and no additional nursing practice/experience.
• Nurse II - A BSN with approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a Bachelor's degree in a related field and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master's degree in nursing or related field with a BSN and approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing or meets basic requirements for appointment and has doctoral degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience required.
• Nurse III - Master's degree in nursing or related field with BSN and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience.

Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-6 Nurse Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.

Physical Requirements: This position is required to meet the physical standards as outlined on the OF 178 Certificate of Medical Examination. The position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. The position requires long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, pulling, assisting with transferring patients to wheelchairs/stretchers, cars, and transporting to other departments. The ED RN may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing/equipment in isolation situations or during day-to-day department functions and procedures.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ . If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .

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.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .