This position is located at the Edward Hines Jr VHA, Hines Illinois, within the Medical Imaging Division, Nuclear Medicine Service.The nurse practitioner has clinical expertise in care for general medical, cardiac stress testing and Nuclear medicine Imaging patients.

Duties

The Nurse Practitioner/Advance Practice RN has clinical expertise in care for general medical, cardiac stress testing and Nuclear medicine Imaging patients.The Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice RN (NP/APRN) has advanced competencies and skill in the holistic assessment, treatment and evaluation of outcomes for identified populations of individuals, families or groups. An PFN is a professional nurse who has obtained a master's or doctorate degree in nursing and is licensed to perform acts of prevention, diagnosis and prescription of therapeutic or corrective measures.NP/APRNs use specialized knowledge, skill, proficiency and independent practice to contribute to optimal patient outcomes.The NP/APRN functions autonomously and collaborates with other health professionals.Review and triage inter- and intra-facility referrals and/or consults to Nuclear medicine for both inpatient and outpatient populations and facilitate appointments and orders placement in outpatient clinics and other parts of the medical imaging department. This may include scheduling appointments with MSA and telephone reminders of appointments. Provide specialty care to referred patients, particularly oncology patients referred for therapy. Care includes appropriate preparation and pretreatment management, and will follow post therapy patients with acute and chronic medical conditions related to medical imaging. Provide ongoing patient care and management of health problems to the medical imaging patient population. Complete pre-procedure history and physical exams and appropriate diagnostic tests, as specified in clinical privileges. Evaluate eligibility, triage and perform CARDIAC Stress Testing for the cardiac stress lab, for both the Nuclear medicine (pharmacological and exercise) and cardiology exercise stress testing. APN must be proficient in ACLS and management of side effects of pharmacological stress testing and arrhythmias resulting from stress testing. Prescribe medications, diet, supplies, and home health aides according to clinical privileges Will manage and consult with referring clinicians regarding appropriate patient preparation for exams which require control of medical conditions. In particular, control of blood sugar in diabetic patients scheduled to receive F-18 FDG scanning. Teach and counsel patients and families in preventive care, medical conditions, plan of care, and intervention with optimal treatment for patients and families. Modify treatment plans as disease progresses or changes. Perform and assist in medical imaging procedures within clinical privileges. This includes providing pharmacological interventions such as Lasix for renal scans and Morphine for hepatobiliary scanning. Will assist in Therapeutic infusions including management of side effects, administer non-radioactive co-infusions and perform follow up of patients. Assist in preparing preliminary imaging reports in radiology dictation system. Performs moderate sedation procedures as needed for modalities within Medical Imaging. Monitors patients requiring sedation or with MRI conditional pacemakers during MRI procedures and manages emergency situations as needed Performs other duties in CT and Interventional Radiology as assigned. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awardsPaid 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 VAInsurance: 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 territoryWork Schedule: Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pmCompressed/Flexible: Not AvailableTelework: Not AvailableVirtual: This is not a virtual position.Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not AuthorizedPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not AuthorizedFinancial 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. A nurse practitioner must be licensed or otherwise recognized as a nurse practitioner in a State, possess a master's degree from a program accredited by the NLNAC or CCNE, and maintain full and current certification as a nurse practitioner from the American Nurses Association or another nationally recognized certifying body. [The certification must be in the specialty to which the individual is being appointed or selected.] Preferred Experience: Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Current or Recent Experience in Nuclear Medicine and Cardiology stress testing, and/or Imaging Experience in managing oncology patients Must be licensed to perform acts of prevention, diagnosis and prescription of therapeutic or corrective measures. 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: The physical and mental status of the APN should enable them to perform all their duties under normal and emergent conditions. The evaluation of an individual's ability to perform efficiently and without hazard to self or others will encompass a composite consideration of physical, mental, and emotional ability as related to realistic requirements for the duties and responsibilities to be assumed (VA 5019, Part II Appendix A 4/15/02). In the medical imaging setting, work to be performed requires a head down, neck flexion position intermittently for up to 7 hours per day. Physical Standards. Must be able to lift and transport heavy equipment and supplies.Employees should be able to pull up to 30 pounds within the power zone between waist and shoulder height. Employees must wear proper footwear to maintain enough friction between shoes and floor during push/pull operations. Employees must practice sound body mechanics when completing any push, pull, or carry task. Task rotation is supported in the department. Occasionally, heavy lifting and/or push/pulling of greater than 35 lbs. will be required but not to exceed 1320 feet. The RN must be able to walk, stand, and bend for periods up to 7 hours per day. In order to perform CPR/ACLS, a minimum of 125 pounds of force is recommended by the American Heart Association.Use of both hands and fingers is required along with the ability to reach above the shoulders. Neck range of motion must be sufficient to allow incumbent to fully scan work area. Visual acuity, with or without corrective devices must be sufficient to allow for visualization of patient and work environment. Incumbent must have ability to distinguish low range sound and/or voice within the treatment area with competing background conversations, alarms, and equipment noise. This position will require the APN to wear a lead apron while performing exams in Interventional radiology and general radiology during fluoroscopic examinations up to 5 hours intermittently throughout the workday. This position will require being exposed to strong magnetic fields which causes loud noises during MRI Scans and radioactive isotopes during nuclear medicine cardiac stress tests which will require additional training by Radiation Safety Officer.

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 Edward Hines Junior Hospital 5000 South 5th Avenue Hines, IL 60141 US
• Name: Irene Balas
• Phone: 708-640-4736
• Email: [email protected]