The Assistant Head Nurse (Assistant Unit Manager), for the 5 East (Inpatient Ward) with PCS Mental Health service is a professional RN with clinical experience and demonstrated skill related to clinical and administrative nursing practice. They exercise administrative & clinical oversight to ensure optimal healthcare delivery to Veterans receiving care through Veteran Health Indiana, and is accountable for writing and adhering to established policies, standards of care, and standards of practice

Duties

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Duties of the Assistant Head Nurse (Assistant Unit Manager) are to include, but not limited to: Serves as an assistant with line authority to the unit Head Nurse (Nurse Manager) in providing leadership, supervision, and direction to nursing staff. Performs delegated duties, i.e., develops time schedules, completes performance evaluations, and initiates or recommends disciplinary actions, responsible for performance improvement, customer service/patient satisfaction, patient and employee safety, employee relations, standards of care and practice, the work environment, and accreditation and regulatory standards. Actively develops and manages collaborative partnerships with physicians and other clinicians, and influences care outcomes by collaborating with members of the interdisciplinary team. The incumbent demonstrates expert knowledge and active leadership in unit, program, and service level quality improvement processes and initiatives as well as customer service programs As delegated by the Nurse Manager to which he/she directly reports, the Assistant Unit Manager exercises line supervisory authority, responsibility, and accountability for the 24/7 operations of the unit(s) to which they are assigned, ensuring that subordinate personnel provide timely nursing care which complies with generally accepted standards of clinical practice. This includes the authority to accept, amend, or reject the work of subordinates. Has continuing responsibility for all the following functions: Planning work to be accomplished by subordinates, setting priorities and preparing schedules for completion of work; Assigning work to subordinates based on priorities, selective consideration of the difficulty and the requirements of the assignments, and the capabilities of subordinates;(3) Evaluating the performance of subordinates; Making recommendations for appointments, advancements or reassignments of subordinates; Giving advice, counsel, or instruction to subordinate personnel on work and administrative matters; Hearing and resolving complaints of subordinates and referring more serious complaints not resolved to higher level supervisors; Recommending and/or taking disciplinary action where appropriate Identifying developmental and training needs of subordinates and providing or making provision for such development and training Responsible for maintaining continuous accreditation readiness of his/her units. Responsible for performance improvement data, customer service/patient satisfaction, patient and employee safety, interviewing applicants, employee relations, standards of care and practice, the work environment, and accreditation and regulatory standards. Actively develops and manages collaborative partnerships with physicians and other clinicians. At the direction of and in collaboration with the Nurse Manager, the Assistant Unit Manager shares responsibility for staffing their units on a continual basis (24/7), ensuring staffing meets established nursing hours per patient day requirements, and working with other supervisory nurse leaders to identify and share resources. As delegated by his/her direct supervisor, the Assistant Unit Manager is responsible for time scheduling of unit staff, coaches staff, deals with employee conduct and performance issues, completes recurring reports and performance evaluations in a timely manner. Participates on service and medical center committees and task forces to improve nursing practice and patient care. Identifies educational needs of staff and ensures that these needs are addressed. Works in partnership with the union and adheres to EEO principles. May occasionally be required to provide direct patient care 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: Days/Nightstour with flexibility to management and department needs with rotating holidays and weekends Telework: Not Available 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: Mental Health experience Leadership 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 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: This 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 patients and objects may be required. Mechanical inpatient lifts are provided. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations, operative/invasive procedures, or home settings. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment. The incumbent who provides care in home settings or other off-site locations may be required to drive and/or ride in GSA-vehicles.

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 Richard L Roudebush VA Medical Center 1481 West Tenth Street Indianapolis, IN 46202 US
• Name: Maria Thornton
• Phone: 317-709-4017
• Email: [email protected]