The incumbent serves as the Chief of Sterilization Processing Service (SPS) at the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks (VHSO) and related Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCS). The Chief of SPS plans, organizes, directs, and evaluates all SPS activities as necessary to administer SPS operational requirements.

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to: Application of problem-solving skills at the unit level and use of team approaches to identify, analyze and resolve problems. Responsible, effective leadership in identifying programs or staff performance that create opportunities for improvement. Collaboratively works with the Assistant Chief to evaluate staff performance and take appropriate action as needed. Serves as a resource and advocate in resolving legal ethical issues such as, Advanced Directives and the protection of patient/family rights. Serves as a consultant and role model in providing clinical care and assures needed staff and supplies are present. Promotes effective communication among health care team members, including the patient, family, and significant others. Participates in frequent team meetings. Integrates recommendations of the multidisciplinary team members into service line operations. Completing tasks such as, but not limited to, employee proficiencies/competencies, leading staff meetings, Omnicell/Pandora report investigations, VATAS Time and Attendance approvals, staff education, employee counseling, tracers, audits, schedules, staffing methodology reports, and attending management meetings/participate in committees per assignment. Maintains professional knowledge and skills based on currently published or communicated information though reading, workshop, etc. Maintain records for call-ins (AL, SL, CB), Overtime (OT) and service computation dates (seniority). Serves as a Leave Granting Official Assesses educational needs to implement program or service practice changes, develops, and implements and education plan to meet needs for self or other staff in program/service. Actively evaluates practice for a program or service, based on established professional, community or regulatory standards (i.e., JC) and recommending/implementing changes to meet those standards. Responsible for staff compliance with Service & Medical Center goals and Network performance standards. Ensures all staff completed annual mandatory review and facilitates unit-in-service education programs. Responsible for individualized orientation and staff development based on staff's abilities and required competencies. Collaborates with other disciplines and caregivers and uses group processes for decision making in interdisciplinary team, consistently demonstrating skilled communication techniques. Identifies problem areas for monitoring and evaluation, active in analyzing findings and changing practice based on patient outcomes with resultant improvement in a patient care. 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 through Friday, 7:00 AM- 3:30 PM Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be 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: MSN or BSN 3-4 years Sterile Processing and/or Operating Room experience 2 years leadership experience, VHA leadership experience preferred Ability to work independently with minimum supervision Certification(s) in one or more of the following: IAHCSMM, AORN, CNOR, APIC 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: Eligible applicants must be physically and mentally able to perform the following: Heavy lifting, 45 pounds and over; heavy carrying, 45 pounds and over; straight pulling one (1) hour; pushing; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking seven (7) hours; standing seven (7) hours.

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 Fayetteville AR VA Medical Center 1100 North College Avenue Fayetteville, AR 72703 US
• Name: Jason Purcell
• Email: [email protected]