The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) for Nursing Services is assigned to the Surgery Clinical Directorate at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC) in North Chicago, Illinois. FHCC is a VA and DoD dually integrated healthcare center providing care services to Veterans, Active-Duty Military Personnel, and their beneficiaries, including outpatient pediatric services.

Duties

The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches to management of acute and complex patients. The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist has awareness that anesthesiology is the art and science of rendering a patient insensible to pain by the administration of anesthetic agents and related drugs and procedures. Anesthesia and anesthesia-related care represents those services which anesthesia professionals provide upon request, assignment, and referral by the patient's physician or other healthcare provider authorized by law, most often to facilitate diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical procedures. The CRNA is an advanced practice nurse who utilizes specialized anesthesia education and advanced practice nursing skills to administer anesthesia care throughout the facility. The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist is an independently licensed health professional, who is responsible and accountable for his/her practice. The scope of practice includes direct patient care, administration, and education. Major Duties and Responsibilities The CRNA practices to achieve common goals for care, safety and welfare of VA patients and provide anesthetic services within four general categories: Pre-anesthesia preparation and evaluation. Anesthesia induction, maintenance and emergence in the operating room (OR) and out-of-OR environments. Post anesthesia care, including acute and chronic pain management Peri-anesthesia and clinical support functions in the OR and out-of-OR environments. Perform and document a preanesthetic evaluation of the patient before surgery including requesting consultations, additional diagnostic, and laboratory studies as needed. Initiation of the planned anesthetic technique that may include general, regional, MAC, or local anesthesia. Interventions include administration of fluids, medications, ventilator support, provision of homeostasis, provision of adequate pain relief and management of anesthesia and surgical side effects. Ability to perform induction of general anesthesia and airway management. Endotracheal intubation for surgical or procedural cases. Placement of endobronchial tubes or blockers for procedures requiring one lung ventilation or lung isolation. Perform central line placement and pulmonary artery (Swan-Ganz) catheter placement. Perform peripheral/regional nerve blocks/procedures. Perform central neuroaxonal blocks/procedures. Perform epidural blood patches. Adjustment of anesthetic drugs and techniques utilized in the maintenance of anesthesia. Ability to Sedate for field blocks and/or monitored anesthesia care. Manages emergencies from anesthesia. Monitors emergency airway management throughout the facility, following the ASA Difficult Airway Algorithm and department protocols. Collaborates with the health care team and other providers both within and outside the Department of Surgery to ensure continuity of the patient's care through all health care settings. Promotes effective communication among health care team members and patients. Participates in frequent team meetings. Integrates regulatory recommendations into a single plan of care. Uses interpersonal communication strategies with individuals, as well as groups of patients and staff that result in the achievement of intended outcomes and other's expressed perception of acceptance/satisfaction. Follows all regulatory guidelines that are applicable in the delivery of patient care and ensures conformance to federal, Department of Defense and Department of Veteran Affairs instructions, guidelines, standards and regulations. Ensures OR/anesthesia safety regulations and procedures and infection control policies and procedures are observed. Fully complies with facility Correct Site/Universal Protocol requirements, including pausing activities during pre-operative time-out. 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 7:00am - 3:30pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. EDRP Authorized: Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance at [email protected]. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

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. Education: Graduate of a school of professional nursing. Nursing education must be from a school of professional nursing accredited by one of the following accrediting organizations 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). Nursing Bridge Programs: Nursing bridge programs are accelerated nurse education programs which rely upon existing nursing knowledge and education. Graduates from nursing bridge programs that meet accreditation requirements specific grade level requirements in this standard must also be met in addition to the following: (a) Master's Level Bridge Program Education Appointments Prior to Graduation. Individuals attending a master's level bridge program in nursing who achieve the level in their education in which they have completed coursework equivalent to a bachelor's level degree in Nursing may have opportunity to become registered as a nurse with a state licensing board prior to completion of the bridge program. Upon achievement of a State license, the individual may be appointed on a temporary basis for any period up to three years contingent upon full completion of the professional nursing education program, if education verification provided by the school supports the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) equivalency. Upon successful completion and graduation from the bridge program, the Nurse may be converted to a permanent appointment under the provisions of section 7401(a)(1) of title 38. Failure to complete the bridge program on which the temporary appointment was based will result in termination of the appointment. Foreign Education: Graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing who possess a current, full, active, and unrestricted registration (see paragraph 3c) will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing to warrant appointment as a Nurse who has completed an associate degree level Nursing education program. In order to grant credit towards an appointment based on foreign nursing education higher than the associate degree level, formal degree equivalency validation from a recognized degree equivalency evaluation agency accepted by VA such as the International Consultants of Delaware (ICD) must be obtained. Degree in a Related Field. A graduate level or doctorate degree in health care/management related fields from an institution accredited by the State and approved by the Department of Education at the time the candidate completed the program may be credited as specifically indicated in grade requirements. The graduate level or doctorate degree and coursework must provide evidence in support of the nursing role and duties associated with the assignment and grade level. Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees. Licensure and Certification: The following licensure and certification requirements are considered conditions of employment. All Nurses must possess and maintain an active, current, full and unrestricted license as a Nurse to practice in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Grade Determination. In addition to the basic qualification requirements, the grade level of Nurse (any assignment) is based on a combination of education and experience. Beyond the minimum education requirements, grade determination for appointment, advancement and promotion will be based on the following specific requirement for Nurses: Nurse 1, Level 1 Education and Experience Requirement. Diploma or associate degree in nursing with no professional nursing experience. Nurse I, Level 2 Education and Experience Requirement. Diploma or associate degree in nursing and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to a Nurse I, Level 1 OR Bachelor's degree in nursing and no professional nursing experience. Nurse 1, Level 3 Education and Experience Requirement. Diploma or associate degree in nursing and two years of professional nursing experience, one of which is a year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 2. OR Bachelor's degree in nursing and one year of professional nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 2. OR Master's degree in nursing and no professional nursing experience. OR Master's degree in a related field with a bachelor's degree in nursing with no professional nursing experience. Nurse II Education and Experience Requirement Bachelor's degree in nursing and two years of professional nursing experience, one of which is a year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3. OR Master's degree in nursing with one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level OR Master's degree in a related field with a bachelor's degree in nursing with one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3. OR Doctorate degree in nursing with no professional nursing experience. OR Doctorate degree in a related field with a master's or bachelor's degree in nursing with no professional nursing experience. Nurse III Education and Experience Requirement Master's degree in nursing with two years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III. OR Master's degree in a related field with a bachelor's degree in nursing with two years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III. OR Doctorate degree in nursing with one year of specialized nursing experience which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III. OR Doctorate degree in a related field with a master's or bachelor's degree in nursing with one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III. Dimension Requirement Nurses at Nurse III must meet ALL the following dimension requirements to qualify for Nurse III. i Practice. Demonstrates expertise in professional practice using the nursing process (assessment, diagnosis, outcome identification, planning, implementation and evaluation) with improved evidence-based and/or data-driven outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting. ii Veteran/Patient Driven Care. Leads initiatives to improve Veteran/patient experience. Satisfaction and/or safety beyond the immediate practice setting. iii Leadership. Communicates and collaborates as an effective leader of the interprofessional team, at the expert level, with improved evidence-based and/or data-driven outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting. iv Professional Development. Enhances knowledge base and practice evaluation, at the expert level, with improved outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting. v Evidence Based Practice/Research. Leads the identification and integration of evidence-based practice/research with clinical expertise to improve quality of care and resource utilization at the expert level with improved outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting. 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: Walking, bending, stooping and some lifting in the direct care of patients. There may also be extended periods of sitting.

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.

Note: You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

Important: 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 Captain James A Lovell Federal Health Care Center 3001 Green Bay Road North Chicago, IL 60064 US
• Name: Antionette Sneed-Clay
• Email: [email protected]