The Patient Safety Specialist (PSS) works with the Patient Safety Nurse Manager to provide leadership in maintaining a culture of quality and safety throughout the organization. The Patient Safety Specialist is committed to continuously improving patient safety and reducing healthcare errors. This position is located within the Central Texas VA Health Care System in Temple, TX.

Duties

The Patient Safety Specialist executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches to management of patient safety principles and National Patient Safety Goals required for specific practice settings. S/he performs staff support work in short and long-range planning efforts. The Patient Safety Specialist collaborates with the Patient Safety Nurse Manager and other stakeholders to coordinate employee education activities to ensure effective implementation of CTVHCS' Patient Safety program. This nurse monitors and analyzes changes in mission, goals, new legislation, and technological advances to assess the impact of these changes on work methods/procedures and develops new systems which will address these changes. The Patient Safety Specialist advises and assists the Patient Safety Nurse Manager in the planning, development, and operation of the CTVHCS' program. Duties Include but are not limited to: Serves as the facility's key person to help build and implement patient safety systems and promote the culture of safety within VA facilities and for VA patients in all healthcare settings by establishing criteria for internal reviews. Engages, collaborates, consults, coaches and integrates with service lines to provide the safest, most effective and efficient results. Knowledge of electronic applications, as applicable, for data entry, report/document development, and report generation. Leads interdisciplinary teams and work groups. Sharing expertise and providing education using project and or change management techniques. Continuous improvement, benchmarking, learning and discovery are keys in providing excellence and value for patient centered care. Works to create a safe patient environment by disseminating patient alerts lessons learned regarding effective system modifications from other facilities. Provides technical expertise in the field of healthcare planning and comprehensive advice and assistance to management regarding possible need for revision of regulations and policies governing patient safety activities to meet healthcare delivery needs. Provides comprehensive evaluation and improvement of clinical practice and health care delivery systems to improve patient safety, including individuals, significant others and/or communities. Practice is based on current and anticipated trends in healthcare. Provides leadership and has continuing responsibility for the development, implementation, coordination, maintenance, and evaluation of the Falls program and serves as a resource to the Quality, Safety, and Value service for Process Improvement, Patient Safety, and Quality Management. Works with all services to develop, implement, and evaluate appropriate Falls program goals, to include planning and initiating systems and process changes across the organization encompassing all services. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 0800 - 1630 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 Bargaining Unit Status: This position is part of the bargaining unit. 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

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. 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. License: 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: Evidence of Belt/Systems Redesign training/experience/certification SNT/GNT/RNTTP completion

Education

EDUCATION ACCREDITATION: The Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN), or Master of Science Degree in Nursing (MSN) must be recognized by the appropriate State-accrediting agency and accredited by either of the following accrediting agencies at the time the program was completed by the applicant:

1. The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) OR
2. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
3. ACEN/NLNAC or CCNE program or degree accreditation may also be found under the U.S. Department of Education

NOTES:

• Department of Education: 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/.
• Foreign Education: 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.
• School Name: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.
• No longer on accreditation site: 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 - Transcript: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Contacts

• Address VA Central Texas Health Care System 1901 Veterans Memorial Drive Temple, TX 76504 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]