This Registered Nurse - Chief of Sterile Processing is a supervisory position at the Manchester location. This position is a full-time at 40 hours per week.

Duties

Included but are not limited to: The Chief Nurse of Sterile Processing Service position is characterized by substantial and continuous responsibility and accountability for population groups or integrated programs that cross service and/or discipline lines that influence the organizational mission and health care. Responsible for the planning, direction, and management of all SPS programs for the Manchester VA Health Care System (MANHCS). Collaborates with areas who utilize SPS services. Designated as the primary point of contact to work with all services from which patient care medical/surgical supply inventory, instruments, and equipment are received. Responsible for assessing, monitoring, developing, and implementing corrective action plans for instrument processing, decontamination, sterilization, biological monitoring, and high-level disinfection monitoring through an SPS Quality Assurance Program. Assesses the environment, analyzes trends, transmits data, communicates ideas, develops, and implements policies, initiates programs and systems, and collaborates in the management of resources. Management of sterile processing services which includes general decontamination, sterile processing, GI scope decontamination, and GI scope high level disinfection areas. Collaborates in the development and implementation of standard operating procedures relating to sterile processing and infection control practices throughout the healthcare system. Co-chairs the Reusable Medical Devices (RMD) Committee and provides reports to local leadership, VISN, and the National Program Office for Sterile Processing. Demonstrates leadership with accountability over the RMD program that includes tracking of all equipment and preventative maintenance scheduling/management of a large inventory of SPS technology. Provides health system-wide leadership for critical and semi-critical RMD, including reprocessing, SOP's, competency assessment, selection, operation, and maintenance of reprocessing equipment, staff education program for RMD and quality management of SPS. Subject matter expert for all SPS activities and provides consultation and expertise to executive leadership when called upon. Collaborates with surgical vendors to ensure SPS operations are maintained. Responsible for the administrative functions of the SPS program Oversight and availability for consultation of non-critical RMD. Maintains all equipment assigned to SPS Work Schedule: Full time, Monday - Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Notifications: This is not a Bargaining Unit Position This position is in the Excepted Service The Professional Standards Board (a peer-review group) will recommend the grade and salary for new appointments based on the candidate's education and experience. For internal selectees being promoted, the board will determine grade and HR will determine step in accordance with policy Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. This position is covered by a special rate. 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 VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards

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: 5+ years Nursing experience in the VA Medical Center Sterile Processing Experience Contracting/construction experience Project management 2 years Leadership and Management Experience Knowledge of microbiology, asepsis, disinfection/sterilization process, infectious diseases, epidemiology, and evidence-based practice (EBP) infection control relating to sterile processing standards. 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: All applicants must be physically able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position. A pre-placement physical examination shall be completed prior to appointment.

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 Manchester VA Medical Center 718 Smyth Road Manchester, NH 03104 US
• Name: Laurie Diefenbach
• Phone: 4012737100 X26702
• Email: [email protected]