This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Duties

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00AM - 4:30PM Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized. Telework: Not Authorized. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. EDRP Authorized: Contact Caronda Slocum, [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required. The Nurse Practitioner will be fully qualified and certified to function in both a clinical and administrative role and in accordance with the guidelines and policies of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. This individual is delegated the authority and responsibility in his/her area of expertise to assume major clinical, consultative, educational, research, and administrative duties and assignments related to the care of patients with cardiovascular disease. Clinical: Primary focus of practice is the clinical management of health care for patients in the Cardiology Consult Clinic, a general Cardiology clinic. Initiates referrals to Interventional Cardiology, Electrophysiology, and Heart Failure clinic when warranted. Collaborates with other health care resources to ensure continuity of care. Evaluates patients with dysrhythmias that potentially warrant cardioversions and then arranges/performs outpatient direct current cardioversions when clinically indicated. Evaluates patients for cardiology preoperative assessments, expedites the evaluation when indicated, and makes cardiology preoperative recommendations. Carries the functional Cardiology pager during normal business hours to help the inpatient Cardiology team triage inpatient consults, to expedite urgent outpatient cardiology consults, and to serve as a resource person to members of the medical staff and at outside medical centers (VA and non-VA) regarding the patient care and logistics of VA patients with cardiovascular disease. Provides coverage in the cardiac stress lab on a consistent basis for exercise tolerance tests, exercise tolerance tests with myocardial perfusion, and pharmacologic stress tests with myocardial perfusion. Assists a team of Cardiology Fellows in informing patients of tests done in the Cardiology clinic in a timely manner and in arranging appropriate cardiovascular testing and follow up. Administrative: Assists the Chief of Cardiology in the care and management of patients with cardiovascular disease receiving care at the VAMC Directs Cardiology program support and Cardiology clinic nursing staff regarding patient flow in the Cardiology Consult clinic and oversees patient care delivery in the Cardiology Consult clinic. Screens and triages Atrial Fibrillation/Atrial Flutter Cardioversion and Cardiology Preoperative Evaluation consults Serves on the interview board when Cardiology Section is attempting to hire new staff for open positions Initiates, coordinates and participates in interdisciplinary meetings as needed to address issues of quality of care, documentation and delivery of services; attends meetings on-site or off-site when appropriate and relevant to the facilitation and delivery of Cardiology services. Duties: Performs history and physical examinations, diagnosing, treating, and managing acute and chronic health care problems, ordering appropriate testing and consults, performing adult care check-ups, prescribing medication and treatments, and teaching health promotion and disease prevention to patients. Responsible and accountable for all elements of the nursing process when providing and/or supervising direct patient care. Assesses, plans, implements and evaluates care based on age-specific components. Assumes responsibility for the coordination of care focused on patient transition through the continuum of care, patient and family education, patient self-management after discharge, and supporting factors that impact customer satisfaction. Considers all characteristics of the individual, including age and life stages, state of health, race and culture, values, and previous experiences. Administers and/or orders medications and procedures per established policies and guidelines. Influences care outcomes by collaborating with members of the interdisciplinary team. Obtains and document informed consent for the treatment or procedure for which the NP is responsible. Core elements of performance include knowledge and active participation in quality improvement processes and initiatives as well as customer service programs.

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. 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. Master's or Doctoral Degree from a program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing or the Commission (ACEN-Formerly NCLAC) or the Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). 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. Nurse Practitioners must be licensed or otherwise recognized as a nurse practitioner in a State and maintain full and current certification as a nurse practitioner from the American Nurses Association or another nationally recognized certifying body. The certification must be in the specialty to which the individual is being appointed or selected. Preferred Experience and Certifications - 2 years outpatient Cardiology clinic experience. 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 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 year's of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master's degree in nursing or related field with a BSN and approximately 1-2 year's 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 year's of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree and approximately 2-3 year's 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 mostly 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. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients/residents 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 stakeholder needs.

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 Durham VA Medical Center 508 Fulton Street Durham, NC 27705 US
• Name: KARI LEPINE
• Phone: 906-396-9895
• Email: [email protected]