This position is for a Registered Nurse (RN) in the Emergency Room at the Lexington VA Health Care System. The RN is directly responsible to the designated manager and will be accountable for the provision of direct patient care and for the delivery of quality nursing care to a culturally diverse Veteran population with complex needs. Must possess the knowledge and skills to effectively apply all aspects of the nursing process within a collaborative and interdisciplinary practice setting.

Duties

Duties and responsibilities for the position include but are not limited to the following: Leads and provides Triage based on established Emergency Care Standards utilizing the accepted Emergency Severity Index (ESI) system of acuity. Demonstrates skill in Implementing Nursing and Physician Orders for patients with complex needs. Individual practice follows the ANA code of Ethics for Nurses. Independently initiates consults to Diabetes Clinic, Education, Dietary, Pharmacy, Psychology, Smoking Clinic, and Social Work Service. Recognizes and expects changes in patient behavior may be an outcome of part of the disease process and interventions. Identifies and reports all unsafe conditions to appropriate personnel to ensure a safe environment for all patients, medical center personnel, and visitors. Able to identify potential problems involving resources and/or safety and take action to avert or manage the situation in a manner that meets the needs of patients in a safe therapeutic environment. Assesses patient acuity, staffing mix, and workload for unit staffing. Attends in-services/continuing education programs to improve or enhance skills and knowledge in a self-directed manner as well as reviews current literature. Remains alert to latest professional trends and incorporate into practice as required. Manages Triage, Evaluation/Processing, and Emergency Department with collaborative support from the physician. Self-directed in evaluating progress towards professional career goals. Demonstrates working practices that include adherence to Infection Control standards and the safe use and operation of equipment. Provides direct input to departmental management regarding strengths and weaknesses of staff under her/his charge. Readily displays positive effective communication skills and professional behaviors that elicit cooperation and teamwork with both internal and external customers. Communicates relevant information to appropriate personnel in a timely manner. Provides direct feedback to subordinates, peers, and management regarding the practice of co-workers. Educates and/or advises personnel regarding policy and practice/procedures as well as documents and reports deviations when required. Demonstrates leadership in unit level performance and provides suggestions for improving patient care. Incorporating critical thinking regarding the identified issue. Conforms with all medical center and service/service line safety policies, procedures and protocols to avoid injury and/or illness to self and others. Demonstrates knowledge and ability to apply standards of care for triage of a large volume of presenting patients in various age groups. Prepares all reports and documentation pertaining to employee injuries within established time frames utilizing the ASISTS Program. Pay Scale: NU85 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: Day Rotation Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required for this position.

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: BSN preferred Emergency Department Nursing experience preferred At least one (1) year Nursing experience preferred Certification in area preferred 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. 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. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs.

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 Lexington VA Health Care System 2250 Leestown Road Lexington, KY 40511 US
• Name: Tevis Blanton
• Phone: 859-233-4511 X4624
• Email: [email protected]