This position is located at Lebanon VA Medical Center within Nursing Services, Surgical Specialty Clinics.

Duties

The Surgical Specialty Clinic RN uses the nursing process and evidence-based practice to collaborate with the Core Team (patient, nurses, specialty care providers, and medical support assistants) and Expanded Team (family/caregiver, internal and community-based services involved in providing care to the patient) in developing the patient-driven, holistic care plan for life. The RN possesses good organizational skills which enable completion of work; a demonstrated ability to assume leadership in a patient centered program; and the ability to establish effective communication with patients, families, visitors, and members of the interdisciplinary team (IDT). As a member of the core team, the RN is responsible for collaborating with services, internal and external to Veterans Affairs (VA) to facilitate care transition in order to effectively meet the patient's needs. This includes coordinating care (procedures, labs, teaching, patient visits, etc.). The RN provides patient and family health education with a focus on self-management, prevention, and wellness, based on the patient's goals. The RN demonstrates leadership by serving as an advocate for patients, team player to colleagues as he/she continues to enhance his/her own and the team's professional growth, development, and practice. The RN promotes access with non-face-to-face visits, when appropriate, through answering patient calls/triage messages and performs scheduled clinic visits, walk-in or urgent visits, and telephone visits. Major duties include, but are not limited to: Make arrangements for timely appointments, follow ups, and initiates orders/recommendations made by the provider. Manages the flow of the of the specialty clinic to which he/she is assigned. Ensures the transfer or receipt of medical information, imaging, and pertinent records for Interfacility consults (IFCs) and other outside agencies that are providing care for surgical specialty patients occurs in a timely manner. Tracks care of patients and follows up to promote compliance with medical care, identify any issues creating challenges for the patient population and analyzing the process and offering creative solutions. Collects, maintains, and analyzes workload data for their specialty area(s). Able to apply data and have outcomes improve processes within the clinic. Responsible for acquiring and demonstrating clinical expertise and knowledge in their care area(s) to improve the quality of patient care, the use of resources, and to facilitate compliance with internal and external requirements and standards. Communicates and collaborates with IDT to develop and coordinate the treatment plan for patients in the outpatient setting. Identifies opportunities for improvement in the patient care processes, clinics, and actively participates in the improvement process; collecting data, suggesting improvements, and implementing changes. Provides direct care of patients in the facility, provides patient and family education, and assists in the daily flow of the clinic and workload. Provides coverage to other specialty clinics as needed. Technical functions include electrocardiography (EKG), Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) administration urinary catheterizations, wound dressings, etc. Performs other duties as assigned. 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: 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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. 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: At least one year experience as an RN. 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 potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application.

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 Lebanon VA Medical Center 1700 South Lincoln Avenue Lebanon, PA 17042 US
• Name: Melanie Johnson
• Phone: (412) 822-2048
• Email: [email protected]