Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System (EOVAHCS) Muskogee, Oklahoma is seeking a highly qualified candidate for the position of Chief Registered Nurse for the Sterile Processing Service (SPS). EOVAHCS is a Joint Commissioned accredited Level 1c complexity that consists of a 61-bed hospital located in Muskogee, OK, as well as six community based outpatient clinics located in Tulsa, Bartlesville, Claremore, Vinita, McAlester and Idabel, OK.

Duties

The Chief, SPS directs SPS personnel and supports/directly affects the operations of a complex Medical Center providing services to a large Veteran population within multiple geographical areas. The management responsibility of the Chief, SPS Service involves ensuring the availability of recurring and non-recurring medical, surgical, dental, and specialty items, proper decontamination, infection control, sterilization of a large number of medical instruments and equipment and ensuring the availability of all medical, surgical, dental, and scopes and instrumentation necessary to support all medical, dental, procedural, specialty, and subspecialty clinics. The incumbent is responsible for investigating and analyzing a variety of unusual problems or questions unable to be resolved at lower levels within SPS. This employee's work directly effects Veteran care within the Medical Center and CBOCs. This position holds significant responsibility for purchase and sterilization of RMD that involves other clinical leaders, equipment manufacturer's sales representatives, biomedical engineering staff, and the need to keep the ADPCS apprised. The incumbent is responsible for SPS's organizational structure to ensure the Medical Center's needs are met by providing timely and accurate service. This may include addressing scheduling issues, providing additional coverage during off tours and weekends, and ensuring proper position classification/management. This individual must be knowledgeable of SPS policies and programs. A thorough understanding of technical medical equipment, therapeutic and diagnostic apparatus and accessories is required. The incumbent must have a thorough knowledge of the methods used in sterilizing various types of patient care equipment and instrumentation, so as to ensure bacteriologically safe processing. An understanding of microbiology is necessary in order to implement infection control and standard precaution practices. The incumbent must be familiar with decontamination procedures, blood borne pathogen exposure control plans, infection control principles, and the preparation requirements of various complex surgical, procedural, and/or dental instrument sets, medical and diagnostic equipment. He/she must also have knowledge of personnel regulations, EEO principles, the union negotiated bargaining (master) agreement and other personnel management regulations. He/she must be knowledgeable of SPS automated computer program applications, IFCAP, GIP, and SPS Inventory databases in support of the Veteran care mission. The SPS Chief maintains continuous high quality services by establishing processing procedures that are developed by reading, interpreting, and implementing appropriate regulatory guidelines, policies, and recommended practices. This individual in this position evaluates equipment for purchase, leads the RMD Committee (or delegates this responsibility to the Assistant Chief, SPS Service) that is responsible for evaluation of RMD equipment and needs to assure adequacy of equipment to meet VA RMD guidelines. In addition, he/she further determines appropriate guidelines by attending seminars, conferences, and workshops, and through membership in pertinent professional organizations. The incumbent will develop appropriate guidelines, using information gained from the sources listed above. The incumbent must have a working knowledge of Food & Drug Administration (FDA), the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), the Joint Commission (JC), the Association of Operating Room Nurses (AORN), the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the American Society for Healthcare Central Services Professionals (ASHCSP), and the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) regulatory guidelines. 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-Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: 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: Sterile Processing Services and Operating Room experience 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 IV - Master's degree in nursing or related field with BSN and approximately 4-5 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing or related field and appropriate basic or advanced certification desired, and approximately 3-4 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 potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, and sitting. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing. 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. Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as an annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment. In the performance duties, the incumbent may be required to drive and/or ride in GSA-vehicles.

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 Jack C Montgomery VA Medical Center 1011 Honor Heights Drive Muskogee, OK 74401 US
• Name: Amanda Nelson
• Phone: 405-456-5528
• Email: [email protected]