The Registered Nurse - Registered Nurse Referral Coordination Initiative(RCI) position is located at the VA Texas Valley Health Care System in Harlingen, TX.

Duties

- Takes responsibility for Consult coordination and patient flow management, including appointment management, triage of patients, patient education, monitoring of patient progress toward predetermined goals and timely follow-up - Participates in clinic for setting patients' goals of care as part of the interdisciplinary team. Utilizes the nursing process in managing, developing, implementing, and evaluating each patient's individual plan in collaboration with the interdisciplinary care team to attain specific clinical outcomes in the outpatient specialty clinic settings. - Communicates with Veterans: health care options including local VA, other VA Medical Centers, and the community based on eligibility criteria for community care per National Directives (i.e. MISSION Act). - Works closely with other VA Medical Centers, contracted facilities, and community facilities to remove obstacles that would impede the Veteran from utilizing the services of other VA Medical Centers or community not available at our facility - Participates in the development and implementation of recommended policies and procedures as related to Consult Referral Coordination and/or designated clinical area. - Maintains and upgrades own knowledge base and skills regarding Consult Referral Coordination and/or specific clinical areas and applies this knowledge to nursing practice. - Receives alerts for consults, assists with ordering and coordinating appropriate tests, obtaining reports and communications with the referring provider, private institutions, and physicians, to expedite patient appointments. - Collaborates with clinic staff to ensure patients are given timely appointments and expedites consults. - Assists in the coordination of Care in the Community (CITC) between the VA and outside facilities and physician offices. - Provides documentation to HIMS staff for scanning into the patient's medical record. - Assists in reviewing and approving consults based on established criteria and service agreements. - Communicates with patients and other staff as needed to confirm consult status and care received, triages and applies a collaborative team approach in identifying, analyzing, and resolving patient care problems. - Collects patient data by interview, examination, and review of records systematically; completes data collection forms as required and documents in the electronic health record as needed. - Establishes work priorities to accomplish assignments timely, achieve program and system goals, and meet established criteria. - Demonstrates proficiency in advanced and highly technical skills necessary for the CITC Program specifically related to consults review and approval, appointment verification and obtaining appropriate documentation if needed. - Completes assignment and evaluates data in relation to the health system's goals and objectives. - Initiates, provides, maintains, and analyzes accurate documentation and databases. - Works collaboratively with other services and refers questions about eligibility to appropriate staff, notifies appropriate service when problems or issues occur. - Demonstrates the ability to communicate through role modeling and instruction of positive communication skills to promote an environment of acceptance, openness, and feedback. - Recognizes the need for assistance, clinical and administrative, and requests assistance as appropriate. - Maintains effective working relationship with professionals and support personnel within or outside of the service. Serves as a resource for other team members and participates in planning for program improvements at the local level. - Consults with provider with questions regarding consults and for quality of care issues. - Creates consults from Secondary Authorization Requests from Community Providers by transcribing requests to an electronic health record order for VA PCP to sign and authorize 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: Full-Time, Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: 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: This position is part of the Bargaining unit.

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. HPTs who are on track to graduate/complete the requirements should respond as if they have met the requirements. Provide details in the narrative sections of the assessment. 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: 2-3 Years Case Management 2-3 Years Medical-Surgical experience preferred Ability to coordinate care with internal and external providers and facilities 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 position requires compliance with VA Handbook and VANTHCS Policy related to physical requirements. Moderate Lifting of 15-44 pounds, Light lifting under 15 pounds, Moderate carrying of 15-44 pounds, Light carrying under 15 pounds, Pulling hand over hand for 8-12 hours, Pushing for 8-12 hours, Reaching above shoulder, Use of fingers, Both hands required, Walking 8-12 hours, Standing 8-12 hours, Kneeling 8 to 12 hours, Repeated bending for 8-12 hours, Climbing, legs only for 8-12 hours, Climbing and use of both legs and arms, Both legs required, Near vision at 13 to 16" Jaeger 1 to 4, Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other eye, Ability to distinguish basic colors, Hearing (aid may be permitted)

Education

The Associate Degree Nursing (ADN), Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN), or Master of Science degree in Nursing (MSN) must be fully accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission On Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Verification of accreditation may be obtained from http://www.acenursing.us/accreditedprograms/programsearch.htm or https://directory.ccnecommunity.org/reports/accprog.asp

• If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.
• 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: 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 VA TX Valley Coastal Bend HCS 2601 Veterans Drive Harlingen, TX 78550 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]