The Palliative Care Registered Nurse demonstrates the delivery of comprehensive nursing care through collaborative strategies with nursing, physicians, care providers, and other disciplines. The Palliative Care RN uses the nursing process and evidence-based practice to collaborate with the Palliative Care Team providers and the expanded healthcare teams in developing the patient-driven holistic care plan for life.

Duties

The Palliative Care RN works with providers in other services to address the discipline specific, health-related challenges encountered in frail, chronically ill Veterans. The RN will communicate with the population served, including Veterans and their caregivers. Additionally, the RN will inform patients about lab/test results, recommend necessary medication changes, follow-up testing, and other notifications as assigned/ delegated. The RN will facilitate medication renewal with the prescribing physician after discussion with the palliative provider making recommendations and actively managing the palliative patient panel by reviewing clinic schedules for appropriate visits and timely access, as well as proactively following up and assessing high-risk patients and other Veterans as assigned/ delegated. The RN will assist with coordinating and scheduling appointments for the Palliative Patient with primary care, mental health, and other disciplines. Duties include, but are not limited to: Ongoing, continuous care of one or more assigned panel(s) of Veterans. Provides direct and indirect patient care and collaborates with primary and specialty care providers to ensure continuity of care both inpatient and outpatient. Assesses learning needs of patients and families and plans implements, evaluates, and documents individual teaching plans according to established protocols. Assesses learning needs of patients and families and plans implements, evaluates, and documents individual teaching plans according to established protocols. Recognizes complex situations that impact patient care and intervenes, using sound judgment, professional attitude, and appropriate channels. Participates in team performance improvement and sustainment activities to optimize team efficiency and patient care delivery. Engaging patients in using health care, encouraging patients to engage personal support persons, and receiving input from patients and personal support persons regarding VA care. Collaborating with informatics technology staff to develop and implement systematized, electronically supported, standardized tools to support the care delivery processes (e.g., pre-visit reminder calls, post-hospitalization follow-up calls, recall scheduling procedures, new patient orientation, disease registries. Ensures the RNCM has same-day access for face-to-face and telephone care visits unless it is too late in the day. Uses nursing expertise, evidence-based guidelines, standardized nursing protocols, and professionally accepted practice standards to promote patient engagement, self-care, and wellness, provide care to patients and determine care management requirements for individuals or cohorts of patients. 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: Monday - Friday; 8:00am-4:30pm 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/Education: Palliative Care experience; 2 years Case Management experience; Master's prepared 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. For foreign education equivalency the only certifying body the VA recognizes is CGFNS and its' subsidiary, International Consultants of Delaware (ICD). Without certification of BSN-equivalency, the VA can only consider the degree at the associates level and pay will be determined accordingly. 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: VIII. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS The following medical requirements for this position are frequent walking, bending, light lifting, light carrying, reaching above the shoulder, use of fingers with both hands, near vision correctable to 20/20 in one eye and to 20/40 in the other, ability to distinguish primary colors, hearing (aid permitted), emotional and mental stability, ability to wear a face mask for prolonged periods, and the ability to complete repetitive computer entry.

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 Raymond G Murphy Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 1501 San Pedro Drive, Southeast Albuquerque, NM 87108 US
• Name: John Starks
• Phone: (505) 256-2760
• Email: [email protected]