The Associate Director for Patient Care Services (ADPCS) is the senior executive within nursing and is a key member of the senior executive leadership team of the organization. The ADPCS is an advanced healthcare executive who executes responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches in the guidance and direction of a variety of complex patient care services and programs. They function as an administrator, educator, and consultant to improve care for veterans.

Duties

ADPCS job duties include but are not limited to the following: The Associate Director for Patient Care Service (ADPCS) is an advanced healthcare executive who executes responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches in the guidance and direction of a variety of complex patient care services and programs. They function as an administrator, educator, and consultant with a wide range of experience and authority that is broad enough to improve care for large groups of Veterans through their influence over policy development and decisions at the local, regional, state levels, and beyond. The Nurse V ADPCS is of an executive nature, comprised of complex leadership and administrative components associated with critical health care issues and activities that influence the organizational mission, health care, and policy. They are accountable to the Health Care System Medical Director and are an integral part of the senior leadership team. The ADPCS is a member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and is the top executive within nursing services. The incumbent is the chief spokesperson for organized nursing services and is the catalyst for the integration and collaboration of nursing with other professional disciplines and functional areas in the mutual achievement of optimal Veteran centered organizational goals. The ADPCS is a key leader in strategic planning, organization assessment, and program development. The ADPCS participates with the ELT and strategic thought leaders in the facility to initiate and execute planning and decision-making processes. They have the authority and responsibility for establishing standards for the practice of nursing at the health care system level ensuring the continuous and timely availability of quality nursing services. The ADPCS is responsible for the practice of nursing 24/7. This includes all registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, and allied health staff (LPNs, NAs, etc.) regardless of line authority. They have line authority over the Inpatient and Outpatient Patient Care Services (PCS), Sterile Processing Service (SPS), Nutrition and Food Service (N&FS), Informatics and Connected Care, Office of Community Care (OCC) Chaplain Service, and Medical Center Education (MCE). The incumbent exercises final authority and approval for the following: job descriptions, policies, and procedures; standards of patient care, treatment, and services; nursing practice standards; staffing plans; functional statements; and standards to measure, assess, and improve patient outcomes. Appropriately delegates activities to those service lines under the purview of the ADPCS. They ensure all registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, and licensed practical/vocational nurses are licensed, certified, and/or registered upon employment, and thereafter. The ADPCS ensures a competency process is in place to evaluate individual practice, as well as a review process for annual performance ratings. The ADPCS promotes a healthy work environment for nursing through the implementation of shared decision-making; a spirit of inquiry and the use of evidence-based practice; and an academic environment supportive of education and research to promote the profession of nursing. Champions a High Reliability Organization (HRO) founded on a collective mindfulness approach to develop evidence-based health care solutions that promote a culture of prevention and safety. 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: 7:30a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized. PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not authorized. Other: This position requires flexibility in schedule and assignments.

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f), 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 the appropriate accrediting agency and accredited 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); OR Individuals attending a master's level bridge program in nursing who 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 temporary basis and later converted to a permanent appointment upon successful completion and graduation from the bridge program. (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 to warrant an appointment as a Nurse who has completed an associated degree/entry level Nursing education program. Credit for foreign nursing education higher that associate degree/entry level requires a formal degree equivalency validation from a recognized equivalency evaluation accepted by VA such as International Consultants of Delaware (ICD). 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. Graduate Nurse Technician (GNT) Exception: Candidates who otherwise meet the basic education requirements, but do not possess the required licensure, may be appointed at the entry step of the grade and level applicable to the completed nursing education as a GNT on a 120-day temporary appointment while actively pursuing licensure (may be extended up to two years on a case-by-case-basis.) NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and 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 Scope, Education and Dimension criteria must be met to qualify for Nurse V: Scope: Practice of an executive nature, comprised of complex leadership and administrative components, associated with critical health care issues and activities that drive meeting the organizational mission, health care and policy. Education: Master's degree in Nursing (MSN) and 5 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse IV and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse V; OR Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and 5 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse IV and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse V; OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing and 4 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse IV and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse V; OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN and 4 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse IV and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse V. *Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees. Dimension Requirements: Leadership. Establishes the strategic direction for health care delivery, evidence-based practices, industry-leading research, and innovative care models. Creates a shared vision and successfully leads change to improve performance and attain measurable outcomes at the organization or enterprise level. Business Acumen. Transforms health care through the application of new processes, technology, informatics, data analytics, business principles, systems thinking and resource management at the organization or enterprise level. Inspiring an Industry-Leading Culture. Establishes an industry leading, shared decision-making culture; a diverse and inclusive workforce that serves Veterans, families, and caregivers of all backgrounds; builds trust and cultural competencies and catalyzes dynamic teams at the organization and enterprise level. Communication and Relationship Management. Drives the effective use of relationship management principles to achieve positive customer service experiences that are consistent with professional and organizational values, beliefs, and practices at the organizational or enterprise level. Professional and Social Responsibility. Sets the standard for a culture of holistic care, health advocacy and health equity. Applies ethical principles in decision-making at the organization or enterprise level. Advances nursing knowledge through health science research and the translation and dissemination of evidence into practice to maximize the value to Veterans, the community, and the health care industry. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: See VA Directives and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service

Contacts

• Address James E Van Zandt VA Medical Center 2907 Pleasant Valley Boulevard Altoona, PA 16602 US
• Name: Esperanza Obinyan
• Email: [email protected]