The Minneapolis VAHCS operating room is a 20-bed operative suite that serves as an important component in the continuum of care in the Medical Center. The purpose of the unit is to provide intra operative nursing care to veterans requesting elective surgical interventions in addition to meeting the urgent and emergent surgical needs of our veteran population. Intra operative patient care is available 24/7 with on call coverage including nighttime, weekends and holidays.

Duties

The Minneapolis VA operating room is classified as delivering complex surgical care including cardiothoracic (including open heart), neurosurgical, orthopedic, ENT, GYN, general, colorectal, podiatry, ophthalmology, urologic, vascular and oral surgery. The operating room is located on the 2nd floor in close proximity to the Surgery Center, Pre Op Holding Area, PACU and SICU. The Operating Room suite has twenty operating rooms, two which are dedicated to cardiothoracic procedures, two are dedicated hybrid rooms, two which are dedicated to urologic suites with the remaining fourteen rooms used as multi- purpose rooms. Intra operative care is provided by registered nurses and OR scrub technicians. Registered Nurse competencies unique to this clinical area include circulating and scrub nurse duties consisting of peri operative core competencies as well as surgical subspecialty competencies in cardiovascular/thoracic surgery, Vascular, ENT surgery, Dental/oral surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Ophthalmology Surgery, GYN surgery, General/Colorectal Surgery, Neurosurgery, Gynecology Surgery, Urology surgery, Plastic, and Podiatry Services. Staff clean RME (Reusable Medical Equipment) per SOP (Standard Operating Procedure). The clinical skills and competencies are outlined by the Peri operative Standards and Recommended Practices created by the Association of Operating Room Nurses (AORN). Major Duties include but are not limited to: Provides direct intraoperative patient care within the operating room department. Works collaboratively with key interdisciplinary team members including the following: Anesthesia department (CRNA and MDA), Surgeons, Physician assistants/Nurse Practitioners, Nurse Coordinators, Surgery Center and PACU nursing. Maintains required competencies related to specific surgical procedures. Advanced Vascular Access Care and Maintenance. BLS certification is required for this position and can be obtained upon hire. Demonstrates professional communication and conduct. Recognizes and supports Suicide Prevention initiatives. Work collaboratively with all levels of health care professional and support staff to facilitate positive patient care outcomes. Compliance with various Isolation Precautions and Infection Control Guidelines Skills in time management, priority setting, assessment and urgent intervention are essential for this unit. This is an open continuous announcement until March 19, 2024.The initial cut-off date will be 1/5/2024 with subsequent cut-off dates every other Friday. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic requirements must be met by the time of application. 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: Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN). Operating Room Experience. 2 years Medical-Surgical Experience. Basic Life Support (BLS). Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). 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: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of examination.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Minneapolis VA Medical Center One Veterans Drive Minneapolis, MN 55417 US
• Name: Clarissa Baccam
• Phone: 515-699-5693
• Email: [email protected]