Nurse Practitioner-Surgical Service
- Employer
- USAJobs
- Location
- Hampton, Virginia
- Closing date
- Sep 25, 2021
View more
- Industry
- Government and Public Services, Federal
- Function
- Nurse
- Hours
- Full Time
- Career Level
- Experienced (Non-Manager)
You need to sign in or create an account to save a job.
Duties
Summary
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNED DUTIES
A NP is a credentialed health care professional who provides patient centered medical care to assigned patients as a member of a health care team. NPs practice with clinical oversight, consultation, and input by a designated collaborating physician. Although NPs are not Licensed Independent Practitioners, they are authorized to practice with defined levels of autonomy and exercise independent medical decision making within their scope of practice.
Learn more about this agency
Responsibilities
Scope of practice:
The APN in all areas of clinical practice is defined in the nine (9) dimensions outlined in the Nurse Qualification Standards, dated March 17, 2009, and is specific to the Grade and Level:
Nurse I, II, or III: Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches in the management of complex patient care.
FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES
The core elements for a NP Scope of Practice may include, but are not limited to:
(1) Obtaining medical histories and performing physical examinations.
(2) Providing and coordinating medical care for assigned patients in any care setting, including establishing diagnoses, formulating and implementing care plans, and providing follow-up care.
(3) Evaluating outpatients to determine the need for further health care.
(4) Ordering diagnostic studies and other special tests, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computerized Tomography (CT) scans, etc.
(5) Carrying out health promotion, disease prevention, and patient education activities.
(6) Ordering or obtaining laboratory specimens.
(7) Ordering ancillary services, such as, pharmacy, social services, physical medicine and rehabilitation therapies, prosthetic services, etc.
(8) Ordering VA specialty service consults and initiating requests for non-VA medical care and consults in accordance with VHA and local facility policy and procedures.
(9) Ordering patient care supplies.
(10) Writing orders for or prescribing medications (see paragraph c. of this App
(11) Admitting and discharging patients in consultation with, and on behalf of, the collaborating physician, obtaining admission history and performing physical examinations, conducting patient rounds, documenting progress notes and summaries in the patient record, and writing patient orders on assigned patients. NPs may be delegated the responsibility of documenting operative notes if the NP was present for the procedure, but the operative surgeon must review and co-sign the note. The NP may also be delegated the task of documenting the discharge summary, but the collaborating physician must write a discharge note, or co-sign the discharge summary written by the NP in accordance with The Joint Commission standards that are applicable.
(12) Other patient record entries by NPs, including medical histories, physical examinations, progress notes, service consults, Compensation and Pension evaluations, and patient orders do not require physician co-signature unless specifically required by Federal law, VA policy, or the standards of applicable external accrediting bodies.
(13) Obtaining and documenting informed consent for treatments and procedures for which the NP is responsible. The NP's Scope of Practice must authorize obtaining informed consent for the treatment or procedure being performed. In addition, the Scope of Practice must authorize the NP to perform the procedure or provide the treatment for which the consent is being obtained or to actively participate as an integral member of the treatment team performing the procedure such as assisting the primary surgeon. NOTE: The NP need not participate in the particular procedure the patient is scheduled to undergo but the NP must be authorized to perform or participate in the procedure by their Scope of Practice and must have sufficient knowledge and training in the treatment or procedure, its indications, risk and benefits, complications, and alternative treatments, to effectively counsel the patient.
(14) Providing education and counseling of patients and families in preventive care, medical conditions, and the use of prescribed treatments and drugs.
(15) NPs may prescribe or order all medications listed in the VA National Formulary
consistent with the NP's level of prescribing authority and practice setting. Exceptions include medications restricted to specific clinical services outside of the NP's practice setting and those specifically restricted by VHA or local VA medical facility policy. An individual medication formulary included in the Scope of Practice is not required.
(16) Controlled Substances. Authorization for medication prescribing or inpatient ordering of controlled substances can only be granted in accordance with the Federal Controlled Substances Act and applicable regulations contained in Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Chapter II, Part 1306. NPs may be authorized to prescribe or order controlled substances utilizing the PA's individual Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration when:
(a) The schedules of drugs the NP is authorized to prescribe by their Scope of Practice is consistent with the schedules established by the NP's State licensure or those included on the NP's individual DEA registration certificate, whichever is more restrictive.
Work Schedule: 8:00AM - 4:30PM - Monday - Friday
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Travel Required
Not required
Supervisory status
No
Promotion Potential
3
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
Qualifications
Basic Required Qualifications (Per Handbook 5005) Nurse Practitioner
MSN with Adult, Family or Primary NP or DNP
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Preferred Certification(s) BLS, ACLS
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: The 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. Transferring Veterans and objects may be required. May be required to don protective equipment in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. Responsible for the reprocessing of reusable medical equipment, according to the medical center policies. Required to use available safe patient handling lifting devices in all clinical areas. May also be exposed to Veterans who are combative, secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders.
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
Testing Designated Position: 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.
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 or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, 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, scope, 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
Credentialing , Suitability/Fitness
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
VA Form 10-2850a - Application for Nurses and Nurse Anesthetists can be found at: https://www.va.gov/vaforms/medical/pdf/vha-10-2850a-091998-fill.pdf .
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.
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.
Summary
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNED DUTIES
A NP is a credentialed health care professional who provides patient centered medical care to assigned patients as a member of a health care team. NPs practice with clinical oversight, consultation, and input by a designated collaborating physician. Although NPs are not Licensed Independent Practitioners, they are authorized to practice with defined levels of autonomy and exercise independent medical decision making within their scope of practice.
Learn more about this agency
Responsibilities
Scope of practice:
The APN in all areas of clinical practice is defined in the nine (9) dimensions outlined in the Nurse Qualification Standards, dated March 17, 2009, and is specific to the Grade and Level:
Nurse I, II, or III: Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches in the management of complex patient care.
FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES
The core elements for a NP Scope of Practice may include, but are not limited to:
(1) Obtaining medical histories and performing physical examinations.
(2) Providing and coordinating medical care for assigned patients in any care setting, including establishing diagnoses, formulating and implementing care plans, and providing follow-up care.
(3) Evaluating outpatients to determine the need for further health care.
(4) Ordering diagnostic studies and other special tests, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computerized Tomography (CT) scans, etc.
(5) Carrying out health promotion, disease prevention, and patient education activities.
(6) Ordering or obtaining laboratory specimens.
(7) Ordering ancillary services, such as, pharmacy, social services, physical medicine and rehabilitation therapies, prosthetic services, etc.
(8) Ordering VA specialty service consults and initiating requests for non-VA medical care and consults in accordance with VHA and local facility policy and procedures.
(9) Ordering patient care supplies.
(10) Writing orders for or prescribing medications (see paragraph c. of this App
(11) Admitting and discharging patients in consultation with, and on behalf of, the collaborating physician, obtaining admission history and performing physical examinations, conducting patient rounds, documenting progress notes and summaries in the patient record, and writing patient orders on assigned patients. NPs may be delegated the responsibility of documenting operative notes if the NP was present for the procedure, but the operative surgeon must review and co-sign the note. The NP may also be delegated the task of documenting the discharge summary, but the collaborating physician must write a discharge note, or co-sign the discharge summary written by the NP in accordance with The Joint Commission standards that are applicable.
(12) Other patient record entries by NPs, including medical histories, physical examinations, progress notes, service consults, Compensation and Pension evaluations, and patient orders do not require physician co-signature unless specifically required by Federal law, VA policy, or the standards of applicable external accrediting bodies.
(13) Obtaining and documenting informed consent for treatments and procedures for which the NP is responsible. The NP's Scope of Practice must authorize obtaining informed consent for the treatment or procedure being performed. In addition, the Scope of Practice must authorize the NP to perform the procedure or provide the treatment for which the consent is being obtained or to actively participate as an integral member of the treatment team performing the procedure such as assisting the primary surgeon. NOTE: The NP need not participate in the particular procedure the patient is scheduled to undergo but the NP must be authorized to perform or participate in the procedure by their Scope of Practice and must have sufficient knowledge and training in the treatment or procedure, its indications, risk and benefits, complications, and alternative treatments, to effectively counsel the patient.
(14) Providing education and counseling of patients and families in preventive care, medical conditions, and the use of prescribed treatments and drugs.
(15) NPs may prescribe or order all medications listed in the VA National Formulary
consistent with the NP's level of prescribing authority and practice setting. Exceptions include medications restricted to specific clinical services outside of the NP's practice setting and those specifically restricted by VHA or local VA medical facility policy. An individual medication formulary included in the Scope of Practice is not required.
(16) Controlled Substances. Authorization for medication prescribing or inpatient ordering of controlled substances can only be granted in accordance with the Federal Controlled Substances Act and applicable regulations contained in Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Chapter II, Part 1306. NPs may be authorized to prescribe or order controlled substances utilizing the PA's individual Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration when:
(a) The schedules of drugs the NP is authorized to prescribe by their Scope of Practice is consistent with the schedules established by the NP's State licensure or those included on the NP's individual DEA registration certificate, whichever is more restrictive.
Work Schedule: 8:00AM - 4:30PM - Monday - Friday
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
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
- 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
- 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
- Participation in the seasonal influenza and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination programs are requirements for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
Qualifications
Basic Required Qualifications (Per Handbook 5005) Nurse Practitioner
- U.S. Citizenship, Birth or Naturalized (appropriate documentation required)
- Master's degree from an NLN or CCNE accredited Nurse Practitioner program
- National Certification as a Nurse Practitioner
- Current, full, unrestricted license as a Registered Nurse
- State approval to practice as an NP
- At least one year of successful medical practice with demonstrated knowledge and awareness of health needs of patients in Internal Medicine and/or Primary Care
- Health care professional or other allied health professional who provides health care services to Surgical Service patients as part of their regular responsibilities
- Minimum of at least two years of successful practice as a Nurse Practitioner providing medical care to patients
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively with other disciplines
- Demonstrated excellence in written/verbal communication and time management
- Demonstrated ability to use computer systems in support of patient care delivery
- At least five-years' experience of medical practice with demonstrated knowledge and awareness of health needs of patients in Surgical Service
MSN with Adult, Family or Primary NP or DNP
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Preferred Certification(s) BLS, ACLS
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: The 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. Transferring Veterans and objects may be required. May be required to don protective equipment in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. Responsible for the reprocessing of reusable medical equipment, according to the medical center policies. Required to use available safe patient handling lifting devices in all clinical areas. May also be exposed to Veterans who are combative, secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders.
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
Testing Designated Position: 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.
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 or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, 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, scope, 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
Credentialing , Suitability/Fitness
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- VA Form 10-2850a
- Resume
VA Form 10-2850a - Application for Nurses and Nurse Anesthetists can be found at: https://www.va.gov/vaforms/medical/pdf/vha-10-2850a-091998-fill.pdf .
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)
- VA Form 10-2850a
- Performance Appraisal
- Professional Certification
- Resume
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
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.
You need to sign in or create an account to save a job.
Get job alerts
Create a job alert and receive personalized job recommendations straight to your inbox.
Create alert