This is a full time (40 hours/pay period) job opportunity in the Surgical service line's Short Stay Unit (9W) at the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center (University Drive campus). The Short Stay Unit (9W) is open Mondays at 0600 to Saturdays till 1930, and are closed on Sundays. The unit is open on some holidays.

Duties

The Surgical/Short Stay Unit (9W) nurse is responsible for covering all available tours of duty during the unit's operating hours. The incumbent must demonstrate clinical competency in completion of core and practice specific procedures/competencies according to the competency checklist for 9W and must maintain certification in both BLS and ACLS as well as the annual telemetry monitoring competency through the VA Medical Center. The incumbent will provide specialized care to patients admitted in Observation Acute and Clinic status in an outpatient setting with a medical or surgical condition and will be accountable for promoting patient safety, continuity/quality of care and general well-being of the patient. She/he will collaborate with physicians and ancillary services to provide this care and will be responsible for the following: Applying the nursing process in providing care for clients with complex nursing needs; guiding and directing others who provide care; effectively prioritize actual and potential problems/needs; providing nursing care and continuous assessment based on written nursing standards of care, policies, and orders by the provider; documenting per VA policies and procedures and 9W SOPs. Responsible for assessment, pre-procedure admission documentation, insertion of peripheral intravenous access, obtaining EKG and bloodwork, obtaining baseline vital signs, and carrying out all pre-procedure orders. Responsible for providing pre- and post-procedural care and education to the medical and surgical patients who are processed through 9W for their procedure and treatment. Administering point of care infusions/injections following the 9W Infusion/Injection Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Post-procedurally, responsible for patient assessment, pain, management, obtaining vital signs as ordered, discharge instructions, and post procedure patient education. Monitoring the surgical/procedure site; administering oral and intravenous medications as ordered by the provider; providing care for cardiac monitored patients per the 9W Short Stay Unit and the 9W Cardiac Monitoring SOPs. Promoting and maintaining effective pain relief, comfort management, and emotional comfort for the patient; conducting initial and ongoing assessment and documenting per the 9West Short Stay Unit SOPs; ensuring post-procedure follow-up call is made by the 9W nursing staff per the 9W Follow-Up Phone Call SOP. Providing comprehensive care for patients admitted in Observation Acute and Clinic status in an outpatient setting with a medical or surgical condition showing a degree of instability or disability which needs to be monitored, evaluated, and assessed for admission to inpatient status or assignment to care in another setting. Discharge planning is initiated at the time of the nursing assessment, and reassessed and revised throughout the patient's stay. All patients must receive written discharge instructions upon discharge. Other duties include, but are not limited to, answering the unit phone line, obtaining specimens, paging providers and ancillary departments for services, reviewing provider orders, facilitating carrying orders out, printing lab labels and patient wristbands, taking verbal orders in an emergency, assisting with transportation, coordinating patient bed flow with the Bed Management Center (BMC), completing encounters and consults, checking for expired supplies, and cleaning non-critical reusable medical devices. All other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the 9 West Short Stay Unit leadership team. 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: 0600-1830, 0700-1930, 0600-1430, 0700-1530, 1500-2330, 1900-0730 and 2300-0730 Compressed/Flexible: Available. 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. Preferred Experience: BSN, telemetry experience, and 2 years Medical/Surgical nursing experience preferred. 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 3Education 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.

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 Pittsburgh VA Medical Center 1010 Delafield Road Pittsburgh, PA 15215 US
• Name: Nicole Bender
• Phone: 484-703-9360
• Email: [email protected]