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Nurse Practioner (Mental Health)

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Salem, Virginia
Closing date
Sep 17, 2019

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Duties

Summary

This position is for a Nurse Practitioner (NP) in the Mental Health Service Line (MHSL) at the Salem VA Medical Center. The NP is directly responsible to the residential program psychiatrist(s) and the Chief Nurse in Mental Health. NP is accountable for the provision of direct patient care and for the delivery of quality care to a culturally diverse Veteran population with complex needs. NP provides support services in performing the administrative and residential services in the MHSL.
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Responsibilities

Responsibilities and duties include but are not limited to the following:
  • Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches in delivering primary and comprehensive health care, incorporating selected medical services into the management of individual, families, and group with an emphasis on the promotion of health and prevention of disease.
  • Accountable for the care of designated patients and/or clinical programs.
  • Functions autonomously, as guided by functional statement/scope of practice, and collaboratively with other health care providers to manage patient care needs.
  • Serves as a liaison throughout the continuum of care between clinical and administrative services and other health care facilities within the VHA and the community.
  • Uses sound clinical judgment in assessing, planning, implementing, documenting, and evaluating care for individuals and/or population groups.
  • Completes initial assessments and reassessments of patient's condition and response to treatment and other clinical findings. Initiates follow-up as needed and documents using clear, concise, and objective data.
  • Prescribes and/or recommends laboratory tests, diagnostic studies, and/or medications based on current medical center, VHA, and DEA policy and within scope of practice.
  • Displays leadership in identifying and evaluating issues and implementing processes to improve clinical programs.
  • Assumes leadership role in identifying policies, procedures, standards, guidelines, and protocols requiring review or revision.
  • Provides meaningful learning experiences for students and orientees, and promotes the exchange of clinical expertise among colleagues on a regular basis.
  • Functions as a consultant and mentor to other nurses and/or clinicians.

Work Schedule: Full Time
Tour of Duty: 7:30 am to 4:00 pm
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Incentives:
Education Debt Repayment Plan (
EDRP): This position is eligible for Education Debt Repayment Plan (EDRP) based upon the availability of funds. Award amounts is determined after review of complete EDRP application and supporting documentation. Final approval by the Under Secretary for Health or designated official verifies EDRP.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
3

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • Designated and/or random drug testing required
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period
  • Subject to a background/security investigation
  • Must be proficient in written and spoken English
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
  • Must pass pre-employment physical examination


Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/20/2020.

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.
    Education: Graduation from School of Nursing
  • 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 current, full, active, and unrestricted registration (see paragraph 2a(3)) will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing.
  • Licensure: 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.
    BLS and ACLS required
Preferred Experience:
  • Demonstrated psychiatric experience

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 year's of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master's degree in nursing or related field with a BSN and approximately 1-2 year's 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 year's of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree.
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:
Lifting/carrying - 45 lbs or more; Standing; Sitting; Walking; Kneeling; Bending/Stooping; Twisting; Pushing/pulling, Both legs required; Simple grasping; Use of fingers, Both hands required; Fine manipulation (includes keyboarding); Reaching above shoulders; Near vision correctable at 13-16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, Far vision correction in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other eye; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Ability to distinguish shades of colors; Hearing whispered voice (with or without aid); Emotional/mental stability; Walking on slippery or uneven walking surfaces; Working with hands in water; Working closely with others; and Protracted or irregular hours of work.

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

Annual leave shall accrue for full-time Nurses, and Nurse Anesthetists at the rate of 8 hours for each full biweekly pay period.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

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.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, résumé, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

NOTE: Candidate's education and length of nursing practice (experience) will be considered by a Nurse Professional Standards Board in determining the grade and salary of the applicant selected. The recommended salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy.

Experience as an RN will be evaluated to determine if the experience is of an acceptable level of quality with regard to the following four dimensions of nursing: Practice, Professional Development, Collaboration and Scientific Inquiry. Each dimension of practice has criteria that demonstrate essential core competencies for VHA Nursing Personnel.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

  • Resume

Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:
    Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible) Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008) Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week) Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail. Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications.

VA Form 10-2850a - Application for Nurses and Nurse Anesthetists can be found at: http://www.va.gov/vaforms/search_action.asp?FormNo=2850&tkey=&Action=Search . This is not required at time of application.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.
  • Cover Letter
  • DD-214/ Statement of Service
  • Disability Letter (VA)
  • License
  • Misc.
  • Resume
  • SF-15
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript


If you are basing your qualifications on education (or a combination of education and experience) or if the position requires a college education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your transcripts with your application.


Veterans' Preference:
When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx .

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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