The Mental Health Nurse will be assigned to work in the Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM) Program located in the Mental Health Service Line. The purpose of this program is to provide assertive community treatment services to veterans with serious mental illnesses with multiple psychiatric hospitalizations.

Duties

The RN is directly responsible to the Nurse Manager for clinical nursing practice and to the MHICM Program Coordinator for implementation of the daily responsibilities of the patient's treatment plan. The function of the Registered Nurse is to supervise the delivery of quality nursing care to a culturally diverse veteran population. He or she will collaborate with the team physicians as well as prepare and administer prescribed medications for the patients in the MHICM program. The RN must possess the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively apply the nursing process within a collaborative, interdisciplinary practice setting. Broad clinical knowledge enables the RN to effectively implement health care and manage acute and chronic mental illnesses. The MHICM nurse demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to provide appropriate care to the population served. The incumbent provides case management services to the chronically mentally ill patients in the community. He/ she must be able to assess and interpret data relating to the patient's current health status which will facilitate the delivery of case management of the chronically mentally ill. This position may entail functioning as charge nurse and other duties as assigned. The RN will be required to attend meetings/programs/etc. at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center as assigned. The assignment catchment area for this position includes a 35-mile radius for both the Adam Benjamin Jr. CBOC and Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. In addition, the RN may need to provide coverage for the MHICM program located at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center to include all affiliated CBOCs within a 35-mile radius for each facility as needed. The incumbent is responsible for maintaining Basic Life Support (BLS) certification and a valid driver's license for driving in the assignment catchment area per the local facility policies. The percentage of travel required for this position is approximately 75%. If the incumbent does not have a valid driver's license in good standing, the RN may be reassigned to a different position. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm, Scheduling flexibility required. 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 Telework: Ad Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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 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). The approving official may authorize a waiver of the requirement for ACEN or CCNE accreditation of any degree in nursing provided the college or university has regional accreditation from an accrediting body recognized by the Department of Education at the time of the candidate's graduation and the composite qualifications of the applicant warrant such consideration. 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: Master's Degree in Nursing or related field with a BSN - National certification related to position assignment - Strong psychiatric assessment skills - 2-3 years of experience working with the mentally ill population - Excellent interpersonal skills - Previous experience in program development - Works well with interdisciplinary team. - Evidence of good communication skills verbally and in writing - Computer program skills - Demonstrated leadership, self-directed and rational problem-solving skills 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. Note regarding MSN degrees: If your MSN was obtained via a Bridge Program that qualifies for professional nursing registration, a BSN is not required. 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: Walking, bending, stooping, and some lifting in the direct care of patients. There may also be extended periods of sitting.

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.

Contacts

• Address Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 820 South Damen Avenue Chicago, IL 60612 US
• Name: Cherri Varisco
• Phone: 414-530-4548
• Email: [email protected]