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Veterans Health Administration is Hiring a Registered Nurse (Mental Health) Near Albuquerque, NM

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.

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.
• Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate State-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). In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of current, full, active and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing. OR The completion of coursework equivalent to a nursing degree in a MSN Bridge Program that qualifies for professional nursing registration constitutes the completion of an approved course of study of professional nursing. Students should submit the certificate of professional nursing to sit for the NCLEX to the VA along with a copy of the MSN transcript. (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.
• 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.

Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade:

• Nurse I Level I - An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional nursing practice/experience required.
• Nurse I Level II - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 1 year of nursing practice/experience; OR an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a bachelor's degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience; OR a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional nursing practice/experience.
• Nurse I Level III - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a Bachelor's degree in a related field and approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a BSN with approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) or related field with a BSN and no additional nursing practice/experience.
• Nurse II - A BSN with approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a Bachelor's degree in a related field and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master's degree in nursing or related field with a BSN and approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing or meets basic requirements for appointment and has doctoral degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience required.
• Nurse III - Master's degree in nursing or related field with BSN and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience.

Note regarding MSN degrees: If your MSN was obtained via a Bridge Program that qualifies for professional nursing registration, a BSN is not required.

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.

Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting (45 lbs and over); Heavy carrying (45 lbs and over); Straight pulling and pushing; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking and standing up to 8 hours; repeated bending; Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; hearing aid permitted.

Responsibilities:

This announcement covers vacancies in multiple units/clinics within the New Mexico VA Health Care System, to include:

• Inpatient Psychiatric Units (6C, Ward 7/6B)
• Outpatient Mental Health (BHIP, PCMHI, MH Urgent Care/Walk-in, SUD, Psych Primary Care, TMH/Rural, MHICM, Neuromodulation, Same Day Access).
• Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Program (MHRRTP North/South Units)

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards

DUTIES:
The Psychiatric/Mental Health Registered Nurse (RN) is accountable for adhering to established policies and standards of care, and practice and for demonstrating leadership, self-direction, experience, and creative approaches to the management of complex patient care. The RN should possess understanding of ethical principles that create an environment of Veteran advocacy and is accountable for adhering to established policies and standards of care. The RN provides education to Veterans, their families, and staff members in Behavioral Health Services and through the Medical Center. The RN has contact with a variety of patients and families/significant others for the purpose of providing nursing care, encouragement, and fostering Veterans' self-reliance and independence. The RN assesses and analyzes age and culturally specific psychosocial, medical, spiritual, and social needs of Veterans aged 17 years and above who are seeking access to Behavioral Health services.. The Psychiatric/Mental Health RN is directly responsible to the Nurse Manager of the assigned area and indirectly supervised by the Chief Nurse, Behavioral Health.
Additional Duties for all positions include but are not limited to:

• Direct patient care includes the use of medical equipment as needed, medication education and management, and the provision of medical care for physical co-morbidities.
• Clinical supervision of Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN), Health Techs (HT) and Nursing Assistants (NA) to include delegation of duties within the LPN, HT or NA scope of practice.
• Precepting of new or less experienced nursing staff and nursing students
• Functioning in the Charge Nurse when assigned as appropriate
• Maintain BLS certification
• Providing Point of Care Testing

Inpatient Psychiatric Units:
Registered Nurses assigned to the Geropsychiatry Inpatient Unit (6C) and Inpatient Acute Psychiatric Unit (W7/6B) are part of a dynamic team that provide Inpatient Veteran Centered care to stabilize the patient in an acute inpatient psychiatry setting and return the Veteran to the community. As a part of the inpatient psychiatric nursing team, the inpatient psychiatric RN will be oriented and cross-trained on both 6C and W7/6B and will staff both units as needed to meet the operational needs of the service.
Work Schedule: Full-time, 12 hour tours, varied shifts

Outpatient Mental Health
The outpatient RN employs clinical and organizational skills to provide safe, quality, and efficient nursing care for veterans seeking walk-in or urgent mental health, general mental health and specialty services in any of our outpatient clinic settings. Specific responsibilities may include, but are not limited to screening and evaluation of behavioral consults, triage of secure messaging, phone calls, consults, and assessment and triage of Veterans who seek walk-in and/or urgent mental health care, cross-training and floating to all outpatient areas, administering injections, assisting with medical procedures, specimen collection, and transporting patients to the Emergency Department or other clinics throughout the hospital as needed.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8 hour day tour

MHRRTP:
Registered Nurses assigned to the MHRRTP will work in both the South and North units, providing assessment, evaluation, and care planning for Veterans receiving residential treatment for mental health issues including PTSD, Substance Use Disorder, Serious Mental Illness and related homelessness. The RN is an integral part of the MHRRTP interdisciplinary treatment team and participates in ongoing planning with the clinical staff using a recovery-based model.
Work Schedule: Full-time, 12 hour tours, varied shifts

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: See above, work schedules vary depending on unit.
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.

Job Summary