Duties

This position includes covering inpatient areas such as Mental Health, PCU/ICU, Med/Surg Telemetry and the Community Living Center (Extended Care). The following duties and responsibilities for this position include but are not limited to the following:

• Skilled inpatient assessment with the ability to communicate appropriate concerns regarding patient's condition based on sound theoretical and technical basis.
• Demonstrated knowledge and ability to apply theories of aging as a scientific basis for practice.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate Gerontological theories in their nursing practice.
• Skilled in preventive maintenance, restorative, rehabilitative and palliative nursing care.
• Psychosocial assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of health care needs and care of specific patients and families/significant others.
• Restraint or seclusion treatment modalities are applied by nursing staff if patient is a danger to self or others.
• Order emergent diagnostic test such as Radiologist - x-rays; Laboratory - blood gases, CBC, Electrolyte; Electrocardiogram- (12 lead).
• Interpret cardiac arrhythmia and administer appropriate drugs per physician orders.
• IVs and approved IV medication administration.
• Initiate use of pressure infusers per physician orders.
• Identify indications for temporary pacemaker, mode selection, rhythm recognitions, interpret pacemaker functions and properly adjust temporary pacemaker settings.
• Titration of ordered medication according to establish parameters.
• Assist with cardio-version.
• Assist with insertion of hemodynamic monitoring and analyzing and interpretation of cardiac profiles and wave-forms.
• CVP monitoring; management and care of PICC line; management and care of recovery patients.
• Manages care of patient on mechanical ventilation following policy/protocols.

Work Schedule: Full Time
Tour of Duty: All Shifts/Tour TBD based on needs of facility
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases.
Paid Time Off: Receive 13 to 26 days paid time off per year, not to include 10 paid federal holidays; and 13 sick days annual with no limitation on accumulation.
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).
For More Information on Benefits: https://www.vacareers.va.gov/Benefits/EmploymentBenefits

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 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 Department of Veterans Affairs Personnel

Qualifications

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.
• 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 ADN, BSN or 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:

• BLS Certification
• ACLS Certification
• PCU/ICU or Resource/Float experience preferred

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

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.

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.

As required by Executive Order 14043 , Federal employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law. 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 exception 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 .