The Community Care service coordinates care in the community for services that are not preformed within the VA medical center to include inpatient, outpatient, and emergency services. Nurse Practitioners assigned to the Community Care Service Line are expected to provide clinical guidance to all stake holders as required.

Duties

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Duties include but are not limited to the following: The Nurse Practitioner will be in daily contact with the Chief of Community Care regarding Community Care related activities. The Nurse Practitioner will provide clinical patient care no less than 10 percent of the work week. The Nurse Practitioner will have intermittent contact with his/her supervising physician with regard to these patient care activities, and no patient care will be rendered by the Nurse Practitioner in the event that no supervising physician is available. Serves in management of all Community Care consults and requests for additional services as directed. Demonstrate sound decision-making skills, both clinical and administrative, which bring credit to the profession and serve to enhance the distinctive and contributory role of physicians. Participates in multidisciplinary activities involving the treatment plan and discharge plans of patients admitted to the bed services as assigned. Utilizes problem solving methodologies to resolve problems that impact on patient care or staff performance. Ability to review patients both clinical and administratively to determine eligibility for Non-VA care services. Provides guidance to all staff assigned to Community Care Service. Assists in the training of staff and other stake holders in the use of Community Care. Assists in the coordination of care with outside providers using knowledge of the resources and specialty care available in the VA. Facilitates ongoing communication between Community Care staff and leadership to evaluate data and review workload demands. Fosters team-oriented environment among staff to work collaboratively with administrative staff and other clinical staff within the community care department; building trust relationships. Participates in and attends medical center committees as assigned. Revises work schedules and assignments on short notice to meet frequent, abrupt, and unpredictable changes in prescribed workloads and deadlines. Participates in various facility programs designed to enhance and improve the delivery of patient care services, such as Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) teams, as assigned by management. Demonstrates commitment to high quality customer service, including specific measures identified as performance goals by the Medical Center. Identifies individual professional learning needs and participates in formal programs, workshops, seminars, conferences, as well as self-directed learning activities, completes facility wide mandatory education yearly. Evaluating patients in his/her expertise in an outpatient setting; making appropriate referrals/consults, follow-ups, and treatment plans. Initial and interim histories and physical examinations on assigned outpatients and/or inpatients, as well as daily physical assessments on patients within his/her expertise. Follows acute and chronic physical health problems in the outpatient setting by providing ongoing comprehensive monitoring of these issues and some follow-up on specialty symptoms; provides medication management; orders routine laboratory, radiologic and diagnostic tests on assigned patients; and provides medication adjustments for physical problems. Writes/dictates consults, general progress notes, post-operative progress notes, and discharge summaries, when appropriate; may perform joint injections, veni-puncture and arterial punctures to obtain tests on assigned patients; may order electrocardiograms; provides patient education; and applies currently accepted preventive health care measures to patients and/or their families. 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: Full Time Telework: Ad Hoc EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more. This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Requirements

Qualifications

Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) Basic Requirements Education: A post-master's certificate or master's or doctoral degree as a Nurse Practitioner. (Applicants pending the completion of educational requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until the education requirements are met.) Must be a 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). NOTE: Foreign Education. Graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing programs, the nurse practitioner degree equivalency must be validated through an Agency recognized degree equivalency evaluation agency, such as the International Consultants of Delaware (ICD). Candidates with equivalent nurse practitioner masters or doctorate level degrees who possess current, full, active, and unrestricted registration and certification will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing to warrant appointment. License and Certification: License. All APN (NPs) must possess and maintain an active, current, full, and unrestricted APN license to practice as an NP in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Basic Certification. All APN (NPs) must maintain full and current board certification in an area of clinical specialty from one of the following: the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB), or other nationally recognized certifying body in the area in which the Nurse Practitioner is academically prepared. NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and an APN (NP) 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 Scope, Education and Experience, and Dimension criteria must be met to qualify for Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) II: Exception to Licensure for Graduate Nurse Technicians. Candidates who otherwise meet the basic requirements, but do not possess the required licensure and/or certification, may be appointed at the entry step of the Nurse II, as a Graduate Nurse Technician - Nurse Practitioner on a temporary appointment up to any period not-to-exceed one year and a day under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2)(B). Scope: Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others Education and Experience Requirement: Meets basic education requirement for APN (NP). Nurse II is considered the entry grade level for APN (NPs); no experience is required. Dimension Requirement: APNs (NPs) at level II are expected to meet the following dimension requirements: Clinical Practice. Delivers evidence-based health care, demonstrating proficiency in the ability to manage a patient panel, population, or program. Outcome Focus. Utilizes research and evidence-based practice to evaluate the patient care delivery system within a patient panel or program, presents findings and contributes to changes that enhance the quality and timeliness of veteran/patient care. Leadership. Works effectively as a leader within a team/unit/group and seeks interdisciplinary collaboration as appropriate to enhance patient care. Professional Development. Acquires knowledge and skills to develop expertise in area of practice. Professionalism/Collegiality. Demonstrates effective communication skills and professional behavior, promoting cooperation and teamwork. Participates in interdisciplinary teams and processes that positively impact patient outcomes. The following Scope, Education and Experience, and Dimension criteria must be met to qualify for Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) III: Scope: Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches to management of complex client care. Education and Experience Requirement: Meets basic education requirement for an APN (NP) AND one year of specialized APN (NP) experience equivalent to the Nurse II grade level. Dimension Requirement: APN (Nurse Practitioners) at grade III are expected to meet the following dimension requirements: Clinical Practice. Influences and models the delivery of evidence- based health care, demonstrating expertise in the ability to manage a patient panel, population, or program. Outcome Focus. Leads and implements changes that enhance the quality and timeliness of Veteran/patient care applying research and evidence in the delivery of healthcare for patient populations. Leadership. Initiates and leads interdisciplinary teams informed by structured approaches and processes to improve outcomes that positively impact care for a patient panel, population, or program. Professional Development. Acquires knowledge and skills, then disseminates acquired information within and/or outside the medical facility. Professionalism/Collegiality. Initiates and leads interdisciplinary teams developing systems that positively impact outcomes at the panel, population, or program level. Demonstrates effective communication skills and professional behavior, promoting cooperation and teamwork. Physical Requirements: See VA Handbook 5019

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Charles George VA Medical Center 1100 Tunnel Road Asheville, NC 28805 US
• Name: Priscilla Brown
• Phone: (202) 676-6960
• Email: [email protected]