This Open Continuous Announcement (OCA) is only open to any current, permanent employees of the Texas Valley Coastal Bend VA Health Care System.

Duties

As the Registered Nurse, you will use professional standards of care and practice to evaluate self, programs, and service activities. You will maintain knowledge of current techniques, trends, and professional issues. You will use group process to identify, analyze, and resolve care problems. Duties of the position include but are limited to; Initiate/participate in Patient Safety activities that result in improved outcomes. Implement an educational plan to meet changing program or service needs. Educate colleagues and serve as a preceptor and/or mentor on patient safety initiatives and standards. Support and enhance client self-determination. Serve as a resource for clients and staff in addressing ethical issues. Participate in ethics consultations. Collaborate with others in research activities to improve care. Identify and assess resource utilization and safety issues, taking appropriate action. 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 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 territory Work Schedule: Varies based on specific positions.

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: 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: May include any of the following; Heavy lifting, 45 pounds and over, Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds, Light Lifting, under 15 pounds, Heavy carrying, 45 pounds and over, Light carrying, under 15 pounds, Straight pulling (8-12 hours), Pulling hand over hand (8-12 hours), Pushing (8-12 hours), Reaching above shoulder, Use of fingers, Both hands required, Walking (8-12 hours), Standing (8-12 hours), Crawling (8-12 Hours), Kneeling (8-12 Hours), Repeated bending (8-12 hours), Climbing, legs only (8-12 Hours), Climbing, use of legs and arms, Both legs required, Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, Specific visual requirements (specify), Both eyes required, Depth perception, Ability to distinguish basic colors, Ability to distinguish shades of color, Hearing (aid permitted), Hearing without aids, Mental and Emotional stability required, Strong legs, no skin allergies, Sitting (8 hours) Simple grasping (2-4 hours), Fine manipulation (including keyboarding 4-6 hours) Twisting (2 hours) Strong legs, no skin allergies.

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 appropriate State agency and accredited by either: a) The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN); or b) The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or 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:

1. ACEN - http://www.acenursing.us/accreditedprograms/programSearch.htm
2. CCNE - https://www.aacnnursing.org/CCNE-Accreditation/CCNE-Accredited-Programs
3. U.S. Department of Education - 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.Note: If your school was accredited by Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the ACEN or CCNE website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

Contacts

• Address VA TX Valley Coastal Bend HCS 2601 Veterans Drive Harlingen, TX 78550 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]