The Registered Nurse, Traveling Vet coordinator practices according to guidelines established by VISN 7 and facility leadership for internal and external transfer of Veteran patients. The Registered Nurse, Traveling Vet coordinator reports to the Patient Flow Nurse Manager, Nursing Operations.

Duties

The Registered Nurse, Travelling Veteran Coordinator (TVC) is responsible and accountable for: Coordinates necessary or ongoing health care for Veterans on extended travel. Developing and cultivating a network of support staff at their own facility that can assist in care coordination, particularly of specialty services. Ensuring that care is coordinated between preferred and alternate medical facilities for traveling Veterans using the preferred facility TVC process. Communicating with the TVC at the alternate facility to obtain or send information to coordinate care for Traveling Veterans. Ensuring all required and pertinent information related to Veteran such as Veteran identifiers, address and contact number, expected arrival/departure date, labs, medications, referral consult and referring physician name, and supporting progress notes. Communicating the outcome of the care coordination back to the requesting provider. Contacting traveling Veterans to discuss care needs and to obtain additional information, as needed. Use of Facility Locator Tool to determine VAMC nearest to location Veteran will travel or he/she prefers. Accessing the Bed Management System (BMS) daily to view available bed and to enter patients that are in transit to the medical center and have a waiting bed and then remove the patient upon his/her arrival. Accurately entering and updating date of Veterans' condition on the Transfer Log, VISN 7 Bed Board, Daily Reports, Electronic Morning Report etc. Entering clinical information in CPRS Charting and all administrative issues are to be charted in the Transfer Coordinators Daily Reports - Notes Section. Performing centralized fee unit (CFU related functions i.e. taking the CFU's out of VISTA and transposing them onto the daily report sheets and sending the CFU alerts about Discharged Fee Patients and Transfer Refusals. Notifying the CFU of all patients that are reported to the Richmond VAMC that were not reported to the CFU and logging entries on the Daily reports. Authorized Mill Bill will be considered for sending discharge dates to the CFU. NO denied Mill Bill discharges are required at this time to be sent to the CFU. Coordinating transfers with VISN 6 facilities during and following VISN 6 Bed Calls. Coordinating transfer - in of Veterans from community/non-VAMC hospitals. Ensuring accurate entries to the Daily Fee Report and Electronic Morning Report and updating entries from consultations and reports from VAMC and community clinicians. Making presentations at the Director's Morning Report, as necessary. Attending and participating in Bed Huddles, Transitioning Level of Care meetings, phone conferences, collaborative meetings, phone conferences, etc. Providing direct patient care for veterans assigned to the Chronic Disease Management clinic for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (ACSC). TVC will cross-train with the Transfer Coordinator and cover as needed. TVC will assist with calling community hospitals to determine if Veterans are at a stage in their recovery to return to CAVHCS for completion of their care. Other responsibilities, as assigned by the supervisor and required by VISN 7 directives Resource: VHA Handbook 1101.11(3), Coordinated Care for Traveling Veterans Preferred Experience: Two -Three years of experience within the VA to include inpatient or outpatient veteran care. Experience in community care would be beneficial. 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 through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Subject to change based on agency needs. 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

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. GRADE REQUIREMENTS. Recency and Quality of Experience. Recency or quality of training and experience as a nurse should be carefully reviewed when determining the appropriate grade. To be creditable, specialized experience requirements must be met for each level and/or grade. Nurses must successfully advance through each grade/level from Nurse I through Nurse Ill. Experience. To be creditable, experience must demonstrate possession of the following dimensions of practice requirements identified for each grade level: 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 I, Level 1. Scope. Delivers fundamental, knowledge-based care to assigned clients while developing technical competencies. Education and Experience Requirement. Diploma or associate degree in nursing with no professional nursing experience. Nurse I, Level 2. Scope. Demonstrates integration of biopsychosocial concepts, cognitive skills and technically competent practice in providing care to clients with basic or complex. 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 I, Level 3. Scope. Demonstrates proficiency in practice based on conscious and deliberate planning. Self-directed in goal setting for managing complex client situations. 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. Dimension Requirement. Nurses at Nurse I, Level 3 are expected to meet the following dimension requirements: Practice. Delivers self-directed, professional nursing practice using the nursing process (assessment, diagnosis, outcome identification, planning implementation and evaluation) for complex patients based on conscious and deliberate planning with occasional supervision. Veteran/Patient Driven Care. Provides and directs others in Veteran/patient driven care by optimizing the patient experience, satisfaction and/or safety for a team of patients. Leadership. Communicates and collaborates as an effective member of the inter-professional team, demonstrating leadership responsibilities such as team leader/charge nurse. Professional Development. Shares knowledge and learning opportunities that enhance current nursing practice and self-evaluation for self and others on the team. Evidence-Based Practice/Research. Applies evidence-based practice/research considering patient preferences, to improve quality of care and resource utilization, participating in established improvement activities. Nurse II. Scope. Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others. 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 3. 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. Dimension Requirement. Nurses at Nurse II are expected to meet the following dimension requirements: Practice. Leads professional practice using the nursing process (assessment, diagnosis, outcome identification, planning, implementation, and evaluation) to improve evidence-based and/or data-driven outcomes for an identified patient population and/or specialized areas within immediate practice setting. Veteran/Patient Driven Care. Improves Veteran/patient driven care by optimizing the patient experience, satisfaction and/or safety for the immediate practice setting. Leadership. Communicates and collaborates as an effective leader of the inter-professional team, at the expert level, with improved evidence-based and/or data-driven outcomes in the immediate practice setting. Professional Development. Expands knowledge base and practice evaluation through mentoring, precepting and/or teaching to improve outcomes in the immediate practice setting. Evidence Based Practice/Research. Leads the integration of evidence-based practice/research with clinical expertise to improve quality of care and resource utilization with improved outcomes for the immediate practice setting. Nurse Ill. Scope. Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience and creative approaches to management of complex client care beyond the immediate practice setting. 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 Ill. 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 Ill. 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 Ill. 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 Ill. Dimension Requirement. Nurses at Nurse Ill must meet ALL the following dimension requirements to qualify for Nurse Ill. 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. Veteran/Patient Driven Care. Leads initiatives to improve Veteran/patient experience. Satisfaction and/or safety beyond the immediate practice setting. Leadership. Communicates and collaborates as an effective leader of the inter-professional team, at the expert level, with improved evidence-based and/or data-driven outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting. Professional Development. Enhances knowledge base and practice evaluation, at the expert level, with improved outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting. 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, VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-6 Nurse Qualification Standard.

Education

Education. Graduate of a school of professional nursing.

1. Education Accreditation Requirement. 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:
   1. The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326. The ACEN accredits all levels of nursing programs, including clinical doctorate, masters/post master's certificate, baccalaureate, associate and diploma nursing education programs. (Note: The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission/NLNAC changed its name to ACEN in May 2013. ACEN's website may be utilized to verify accredited programs using automated inquiry processes; however, for verification of any nursing program's accreditation prior to 1998, an automated inquiry cannot be used and ACEN must be contacted directly via their email contact information on the ACEN website to verify.); or
   2. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street, NW, Suite 7, Washington, DC 20001. The CCNE is an accrediting arm of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (MCN) and accredits nursing education programs at the bachelor and master's level.
2. 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:
   1. 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.
3. Additional Education Requirement for Nurse (Clinical Nurse Leader) Assignments. In addition to the basic requirements, a Nurse (Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL)) must possess a bachelor's level degree in nursing and a master's degree from an accredited CNL education program. (See certification requirement in 3c.(2) of this appendix).
4. 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.
5. 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.

Contacts

• Address Central Alabama VA Medical Center-Montgomery 215 Perry Hill Road Montgomery, AL 36109 US
• Name: Linda Parker
• Email: [email protected]