Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVAHCS) is a Level 1a major interdisciplinary teaching facility with service lines serving medical, surgical, mental health, and long-term care inpatients and outpatients with an Emergency Department and multiple community-based outpatient clinics (CBOC). There is a large outpatient psychiatric population, with admissions for medical co-morbidities. Home-Based Primary Care nursing care is also provided.

Duties

The Chief Nurse, Community Living Center reports to the Deputy Associate Director of Patient Care Services (DADPCS) and is responsible for administrative functions of their assigned nursing units/programs. He/she has related clinical and administrative expertise. He/she functions as an administrator, educator, and consultant utilizing management theory in collaboration with Patient Care Service and other services. He/she establishes and maintains effective relationships with all levels of medical center personnel and relate effectively with customers, families, and the community as well as program and service leaders at the local and network levels. Key relationships with staff are needed to (1) Assist and direct nurses and managers and advanced practitioners to carry out the functions and activities expected of them, (2) Contribute ideas and recommendations for the establishment of standards of care, policies, and objectives for the enhancement of nursing organization-wide, (3) Assist in policy-making activities as related to customer service and the overall functioning of administrative and clinical programs, and (4) Collaborate with other health care staff to establish and maintain programs that cross service and/or discipline lines and influence organizational mission and health care. The Chief Nurse has direct responsibility/oversight over our Community Living Center areas. These areas of supervision/oversight may be modified based on organizational needs. The Chief Nurse, Community Living Center considers all characteristics of the individual, including gender and role identification, age, life stage, state of health, race, culture, socio-economic status, values, and beliefs to assist each patient with the improvement of his/her health status to the maximum potential. He/she is responsible for administrative and clinical issues, performance improvement, customer service/patient satisfaction, patient, and employee safety, interviewing applicants, employee relations, standards of care and practice, the work environment, and accreditation and regulatory standards. He/she utilizes core elements of performance including knowledge and active participation in unit/service/program/ Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN)/Veterans Administration Central Office (VACO) level quality improvement processes, such as the customer service program. He/she promotes the medical center mission, vision and values; complies with Equal Employment Opportunity programs, partnerships, customer service standards and Veterans Affairs policies and procedures. 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, 7:30 am - 4 pm Compressed/Flexible: Not eligible Telework: Not 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

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. 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 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Tucson VA Medical Center 3601 South Sixth Avenue Tucson, AZ 85723 US
• Name: Anna DeRito
• Phone: (909) 905-3704
• Email: [email protected]