The Assistant Chief Nurse SPS assists the Chief Nurse in assessing, planning, and evaluating the processes and daily operations for SPS and patient care programs and manages nursing and GS personnel as a first- or second-line supervisor. The ACN has oversight for at Lee County Healthcare Center in Cape Coral, and Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). The ACN SPS provides executive leadership and direct supervision of staff including Registered Nurses and Medical Supply Technicians.

Duties

The ACN demonstrates (a) Leading and organizing delivery of care to assure continuity of care and peer accountability for practice, including access to care and discharge planning; (b) Using advanced clinical knowledge/judgment to promote staff involvement in planning, decision-making, and evaluating outcomes, (c) Functioning as an expert in clinical practice and/or areas related to the assigned roles and responsibilities, (d) Systematically evaluating current practice, and formulating outcomes for groups of patients and/or organizational processes within the Outpatient arena, (e) Guiding, developing, and supporting staff from a management perspective, and (f) Using professional standards of care, scientific evidence, and practice to evaluate programs and/or service activities. The Assistant Chief Nurse assists the Chief Nurse in assessing, monitoring, developing, and assisting with the implementation of action plans for instrument and Reusable Medical Device (RMD) processing, decontamination, sterilization, biological monitoring, and high-level disinfecting monitoring. The RMD program encompasses equipment at all facilities and off-site locations. This responsibility additionally includes overseeing the full range of preoperative and procedural reprocessing of critical and semi-critical instruments to support the surgical service programs. The Assistant Chief Nurse assists the Chief Nurse with the responsibility for the efficient and effective management of resources within SPS. The Equipment Inventory List (Ell) at the medical center. The Assistant Chief Nurse may assist the Chief Nurse with staff who manage contracts and orders through the Contracting services of VHA. The Assistant Chief Nurse provides leadership by identifying and maintaining SPS standards for the practice of all services and care lines and contributes to the fulfillment of the mission of the clinical areas. The Assistant Chief Nurse participates in assessing the environment, analyzing trends, transmitting data, communicating ideas, developing, and implementing policies, initiating programs and systems, and collaborating in the management of resources. The Assistant Chief Nurse has knowledge in the areas of patient care practices, asepsis, disinfection/sterilization, education, communication, and program administration. The Assistant Chief Nurse demonstrates expertise and comprehensive understanding of the decontamination/sterilization process. The role involves clinical, administrative, research, and educational components, which impact patients and healthcare personnel throughout Bay Pines VAHCS. The Assistant Chief Nurse ensures SPS practices are consistent with VA Standards, Directives, and VHA Handbooks, as well as external standards, such as those for the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (MMI), Joint Commission, National Office of Sterile Processing, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This position leads our ongoing monitoring of the quality and effectiveness of SPS processes and practices, assesses educational needs of the SPS staff and implements education plans to meet these needs. The Assistant Chief Nurse collaborates with all clinical and service lines throughout the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System and works effectively with Nurse Managers and key clinical subject matter experts from Infection Control, Performance Improvement, and Patient Safety to assure optimal sterile processing service. SPS certification is a condition of employment and must be maintained while in the position. 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 7:30am-4:00pm Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for a highly qualified candidate. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not 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: Four years of current progressive clinical and leadership experience with demonstrated knowledge and expertise in administration and management. SPS certification such as IAHCSMM or the Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD) MSN strongly 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 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: 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 annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment. In the performance of 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address CW Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 10000 Bay Pines Boulevard Bay Pines, FL 33744 US
• Name: Karen Martin
• Phone: 727-710-7984
• Email: [email protected]