The Registered Nurse, Charge At Large incumbent must be poised and articulate in communicating with people of varied educational levels and varied ethnic backgrounds. Works cooperatively as a team member in all assignments. Makes caring for the veteran his/her priority while in the work setting and demonstrates high reliability/customer service principles in all aspects of work.

Duties

The Registered Nurse for the Medical Surgical Unit will manage the care of patients with complex nursing care needs, and guide and direct others who provide care, to include: assessing the patients response to invasive procedures, incisional care/dressing changes, cardiac, hemodynamic, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, psychosocial, neurological, pulmonary toilet, pain management and electrolyte alterations and maintain a safe environment. You will demonstrate proficiency in the use of equipment in the pre/post procedure patient such as, SCD's, PCA pumps, Bucks Traction and pacemakers both temporary and internal/external. You will demonstrate proficiency in the care of patients with NG tubes, small bore feeding tubes, IV's, pacing wires, wound vacs, colostomies, urostomies, chest tubes, pleurovacs, Jackson-Pratts, central line and TPN/PPN nutrition. You will demonstrate proficiency in suctioning patients to include set-up and care of tracheostomies. Other essential duties include: nursing assessments, administering medication, admissions, discharge and transfer activities, patient and family teaching, developing nursing care plans, administering prescribed treatment, patient care coordination and documentation. The Medical Surgical Section is a Dedicated Education Unit as such all nurses are expected to become Lead Teachers and actively participate in the education of nursing students. The Charge At Large serves as the Medical/Surgical clinical resource for all inpatient Acute Care Areas. The Charge at Large will assist with conflict resolution, serves as a clinical liaison between Unit Charge Nurses, Nursing Officers on Duty and the clinical liaison between Acute Care clinical staff and providers. As Charge at Large, you will be collaborating with Nursing Supervisors on Duty after hours to ensure staffing is adequate to meet the approved Nursing Hours Per Patient Day (NHPPD) benchmarks for each Acute Care Unit. The Charge at Large offers clinical support during unit emergencies such as DARRTs or Codes. 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 Work Schedule: Rotating Shifts, Evening and Nights, 3:30pm-12am; 11:30pm-8:00am Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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: BSN 2 years of Med-Surg/ Patient care experience Certification in med-surg Telemetry experience/ Nursing certifications BLS and 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. 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: The position requires compliance with VA Handbook and VASTHCS Policy related to physical requirements. Moderate Lifting of 15-44 pounds, Moderate carrying of 15-44 pounds, Straight pulling for 1 hour, Pushing for 1-3 hours, Reaching above should, Use of fingers, Both hands required, Walking 4 hours, Standing for 2-7 hours, Kneeling for 2 hours, Repeated bending for 2 hours, Climbing and use of both legs and arms, Both legs required, Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, Near vision at 13 to 16" Jaeger 1 to 4, Specific visual requirement of 20/40 DVA; corrected, Both eyes required, Ability to distinguish basic colors, Ability to distinguish shades of colors, Hearing (aid may be permitted), Sitting for 8 hours, Simple grasping for 2-4 hours, Fine manipulation (including keyboarding for 4-6 hours), Twisting for 2 hours, Mental and emotional stability.

Education

The Associate Degree Nursing (ADN), Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN), or Master of Science degree in Nursing (MSN) must be fully accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission On Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Verification of accreditation may be obtained from http://www.acenursing.us/accreditedprograms/programsearch.htm or https://directory.ccnecommunity.org/reports/accprog.asp

• If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.
• If your school was accredited by ACEN or CCNE at the time of graduation, but is no longer listed on the websites, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.

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 Audie L Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital 7400 Merton Minter Boulevard San Antonio, TX 78229 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]