The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) safely provides anesthesia to surgical patients for a variety of operations and/or procedures. The CRNA performs pre-anesthesia patient evaluations/histories, prepares anesthesia plans, delivers all forms of anesthesia and follows up on anesthesia cases. The CRNA will consult and collaborate with the entire surgical care team. Performs routine maintenance and cleaning of anesthesia equipment.

Duties

The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) safely provides anesthesia to surgical patients for a variety of operations and/or procedures. The CRNA performs pre-anesthesia patient evaluations/histories, prepares anesthesia plans, delivers all forms of anesthesia and follows up on anesthesia cases. The CRNA will consult and collaborate with the entire surgical care team. Performs routine maintenance and cleaning of anesthesia equipment. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Ability to translate the principles of professional nursing practice in the care of assigned patients to provide appropriate care. Ability to perform a pre-anesthetic patient history and physical, which includes collecting pre-operative consults and data. Ability to formulate an anesthetic plan and describe the anesthetic risks, benefits and options to the patient. Ability to administer inhalation, regional, intravenous, local, and topical anesthetics and to detect unfavorable reactions to continuously evaluate the patient's physical status. Ability to respond to emergency situations by providing airway management, administration of emergency fluids and drugs, and using appropriate resuscitation procedures for patient care. Ability to provide patient care that is abreast of changing concepts and advancements in the profession. Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment for improvement of services for patient care. Ability to practice nurse anesthesia with colleagues and peers utilizing a collaborative team concept of anesthesia care. Ability to perform IV's. Emergency Duties: Responds to emergency situations by providing airway management, administration of emergency fluids and medications and using appropriate resuscitation procedures for patient care. Additional Duties: Administration: Assists in the development of policies, procedures, and protocols related to anesthesia within the institution and contributes to other policies, procedures, and protocols as appropriate. Participates in ad hoc committees as needed. Education: Formal and informal teaching of clinical staff, patients, and families. Demonstrates leadership by sharing knowledge with colleagues and/or students to enhance professional growth, development and practice. Performs as a mentor, preceptor, or nurse educator providing didactic and clinical instruction for graduate level nurse anesthesia students and/or anesthesia care providers. The individual is responsible for maintaining competencies by attending relevant continuing education programs and maintaining active professional involvement within the academic community. Research: Applies current research data by contributing to Healthcare Care System policies, procedures, and protocols. Participation in clinical research as appropriate Outstanding interpersonal skills are essential, as the successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary staff in the delivery of excellent health care to our nation's Veterans. Buffalo VAMC provides cutting-edge surgical and procedural care to Veterans having standard surgical complexity procedures, including general surgical, ENT, orthopedic, ophthalmic, podiatric surgery, open heart procedures and more. Our facility does not perform pediatric cases. 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 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized EDRP Authorized: This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan reimbursement program. To participate in the program, you must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA Policy 1021 and submit your application within four months of appointment. The final award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) is determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services office. The EDRP Coordinators can be reached at [email protected]. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 08:00 AM to 4:30 PM

Requirements

Qualifications

Advanced Practice Nurse (Certified Nurse Anesthetist) Basic Requirements English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(f), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Education. A masters or doctoral degree in nurse anesthesia. (Applicants pending the completion of educational requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until the education requirements are met.) Nursing education must be from a school of professional nursing anesthesia accredited by Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education Programs (COA) at the time the program was completed by the applicant. Licensure and Certification. The following licensure and certification requirements are considered conditions of employment. License. All APN (CNAs) must maintain an active, current, full and unrestricted license to practice as a CNA or equivalent, in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia. Basic Certification. All APN (CNAs) must maintain full and current certification by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) or an equivalent Nurse Anesthetist certification recognized by the COA. NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and an APN (CNA) assignment that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the standard (1/29/2024) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/certification. The following Education, Experience, and Knowledge, Skills and Abilities must be met for Advanced Practice Nurse (Certified Nurse Anesthetist) III: Education and Experience Requirement: Meets basic education requirement for an APN (CNA) AND One year of specialized APN (CNA) experience equivalent to the APN (CNA) II grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Progressively responsible experience in the administration of anesthetics as indicated in the knowledge, skills and abilities listed below. Ability to plan, administer and manage anesthesia for a broad range of complex surgical procedures skillfully employing continuous assessment and anesthetic adaptation based on patient response and comorbidities. Work assignments will vary by facility. Ability to participate in assignments that are technically challenging, encompass a variety of anesthetizing locations and utilize advanced equipment and procedures while adapting techniques to solve various complex anesthesia problems including the development of individualized programs of post-op anesthesia care. Skill in responsibility and accountability to perform to the extent of the CNA standards of practice as a licensed healthcare professional in any model of anesthesia practice. Ability to contribute to the educational mission as a mentor or preceptor providing didactic and clinical instruction in anesthesia to student nurse anesthetists, medical and dental residents, and other health care trainees. Knowledge to participate in the development, implementation and maintenance of auditing processes that ensure and improve the quality and consistency of anesthesia and associated documentation. Ability to contribute to departmental administrative processes through quality assurance, shared governance, or committee representation as applicable. Ability to serve as a representative on interdisciplinary teams to establish and maintain guidelines and communication. Skill demonstrated in the ability to embrace the safety culture emphasis by continuously assessing for safety risks, actively reporting safety concerns, and maintaining a just culture by identifying faults in systems rather than individuals. Preferred Experience: One - two years of experience working as a CRNA. Reference: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G7 Nurse Anesthetist Qualification Standard. For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is (Nurse III). The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the Nurse III. Physical Requirements: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5019.

Education

Education: A masters or doctoral degree in nurse anesthesia. (Applicants pending the completion of educational requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until the education requirements are met.) Nursing education must be from a school of professional nursing anesthesia accredited by Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education Programs (COA) at the time the program was completed by the applicant.

Licensure and Certification: The following licensure and certification requirements are considered conditions of employment.

• License. All APN (CNAs) must maintain an active, current, full and unrestricted license to practice as a CNA or equivalent, in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia.
• Basic Certification. All APN (CNAs) must maintain full and current certification by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) or an equivalent Nurse Anesthetist certification recognized by the COA.

Contacts

• Address VA Western New York Healthcare System 3495 Bailey Avenue Buffalo, NY 14215 US
• Name: Valencia Lewis-Davis
• Phone: 908-647-0180
• Email: [email protected]