The Quality Safety Value Department is responsible for maintaining oversight and ensuring compliance with all VHA Directives and specifically maintains direct oversight over VHA Directive 1108.02 "Inspection of Controlled Substances". This oversight encompasses the appointment of a Controlled Substance Coordinator and an alternate from the cadre of Quality Safety Value Consultant RNs working in The Quality Safety Value Department.

Duties

The Quality Safety Value Consultant Nurse demonstrates leadership and mastery of practice in delivering efficient, comprehensive, and continuous patient-driven holistic care through active collaboration, communication and coordination of resources. He/she considers all characteristics of the individual, including gender and role identification, age, life stage, state of health, race, culture, socio-economic status, values and beliefs to assist each patient with the improvement of his/her health status to the maximum potential. He/she utilizes core elements of performance including knowledge and active participation in unit/service level quality improvement processes, such as the customer service program. He/she promotes the medical center mission, vision and values; compiles the Equal Employment Opportunity programs, partnerships, customer service standards and Veterans Affairs policies and procedures. Major duties/functions include, but are not limited to: Applies to nursing process to systems or processes at the unit/team/work group level to improve care. Demonstrates leadership by involving others in improving care. Supports and enhances patient self-determination. Serves as a resource for patients and staff in addressing ethical issues. Identifies and assesses resource utilization and safety issues, taking appropriate action. Acquires knowledge and skills to maintain expertise in area of practice. Participates in educational activities to improve clinical knowledge and enhance role performance. Evaluates practice of self and others using professional standards, relevant statutes, and regulations. Takes action to improve performance. Educates colleagues and/or students and servers as a preceptor or mentor. Initiates/participates in quality improvement studies and/or activities that result in measured outcomes. Uses a body of knowledge to validate and/or change work group practice. Uses group process to identify, analyze, and resolve care problems. All other duties as assigned, pertaining to this occupation, to meet the needs of the Agency, Department, Facility, and/or Service. 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 thru Friday; 7:30AM - 4:00PM 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: Minimum of 5 years of nursing experience Experience in working with regulatory requirements or preparing an area for a regulatory site visit Experience in reviewing VHA guidance or national standards of care and providing guidance on implementing or executing said guidance Experience in leading a group through a performance/quality improvement project 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 population of male and female Veterans served ranges from the adult, age 18, to the elderly adult, age 65 and over. DCVAMC is a major interdisciplinary teaching facility, serving medical, surgical, and neurological inpatients and outpatients. There is a large outpatient psychiatric population with visits to the Emergency Department and admissions for medical co-morbidities. This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of sitting and computer work with some walking required. The incumbent will rarely be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials yet there may be occasions where the incumbent 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. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, and able to shift priorities based on facility needs.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. VA Health Professional Trainees (HPT) 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.

The professional school of nursing must be accredited at the time of graduation by either the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). 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.

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 Washington VA Medical Center 50 Irving Street, Northwest Washington, DC 20422 US
• Name: Haley Wilson
• Phone: 443-831-5353
• Email: [email protected]