Registered Nurse - Critical Care

Responsible and accountable for all elements of the nursing process when providing and/or supervising direct patient care. Assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates care based on age specific components. Assumes responsibility for the coordination of care focused on patient education, self-management, and customer satisfaction throughout the continuum of care.

EDUCATION: RESPONSIBILITIES: The Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches to management of complex patient care. Collaborates in the development, implementation, evaluation, and revision of policies, procedures, and/or guidelines. Demonstrates performance and leadership that is broad enough to improve the care for acutely/critically ill patients who are at high risk for actual or potential life-threatening health problems, regardless of the setting for nursing care. Provides peers with formal or informal constructive feedback for improvement. Supports colleagues and other nurses through knowledge sharing to provide safe, quality nursing care. Fosters a safe and supportive environment conducive to the professional development of health care professionals. Evaluates outcomes of evidence-based decisions and practice changes for individuals, groups, and populations. Responsible for the documented outcomes at the program or service level. Program or service level outcomes must be broad and complex and can be demonstrated at any organizational level within a facility. This nurse has vast experience and knowledge with the situations in which they are ultimately expected to perform, skillfully integrating theoretical concepts, strong critical thinking skills, and exhibits an expert technically skilled practice.

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.

Expectations:

Leads and organizes delivery of care to ensure continuity of care and peer accountability for practice in alignment with the ANA Standards of Nursing Practice.

Applies advanced clinical knowledge/judgment to lead staff involvement in planning, decision-making, and evaluating outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting.

Applies nursing expertise to lead improvement, with demonstrated 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.

Expectations:

Leads initiatives to improve the Veteran experience i.e., care coordination, timeliness to resolve issues, negative trends, or environment of care concerns, beyond the immediate practice setting.

Demonstrates leadership in patient advocacy by protecting the health, safety, and rights of patient population groups beyond the immediate practice setting.

Leads staff to identify, analyze and address ethical issues that impact patients, caregivers and staff beyond the immediate practice setting.

LEADERSHIP: Communicates and collaborates as an effective leader of the interprofessional team, at the expert level, with improved evidence-based and/or data-driven outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting.

Expectations:

Demonstrates positive, effective communication skills, professional behaviors and leadership that promotes a commitment to excellence, improving nursing practice, and fostering collaboration among customers beyond the immediate practice setting.

Makes sustained contributions to healthcare by actively participating in healthcare facility or service-level committees or councils, establishing active relationships and demonstrating leadership in improving care beyond the immediate practice setting.

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:

One position: Day Shift, 12 hours with rotating weekends, shift, holidays based on needs of the agency.

One position: Night Shift, 12 hours with rotating weekends, shift, holidays based on needs of the agency.

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized 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.

Grade Determinations: The following Scope, Education and Dimension criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade. The Dimension requirements (Practice, Veteran/Patient Driven Care, Leadership, Professional Development and Evidence-Based Practice/Research) are detailed for each grade and level within the online assessment: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13065786 .

Grade/Level

Scope

Education

Nurse I, Level I

Delivers fundamental, knowledge-based care to assigned clients while developing technical competencies.

An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional professional nursing required.

Nurse I, Level II

Demonstrates integration of biopsychosocial concepts, cognitive skills and technically competent practice in providing care to clients with basic or complex.

An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 1 year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 1 ; OR a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional professional nursing experience required.

Nurse I, Level III

Demonstrates proficiency in practice based on conscious and deliberate planning. Self-directed in goal setting for managing complex client situations.

An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 2 years of professional nursing experience in which one year is equivalent to Nurse I, Level 2; OR a BSN and 1 year of professional nursing experience equivalent to the Nurse I, Level 2; OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) and no additional professional nursing experience; OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and no additional professional nursing experience.

Nurse II

Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others.

A BSN with 2 years of professional nursing equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR an MSN with one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with no professional nursing experience; OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN with no additional professional nursing experience.

Nurse III

Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience and creative approaches to management of complex client care beyond the immediate practice setting.

MSN and 2 years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Master's degree in *related field with BSN and two years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III.

* Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees.

Preferred Experience:

Bachelor's Degree in Nursing is strongly preferred.

Board Certification from a VA approved certifying body

Two years of recent professional (RN) nursing experience is strongly preferred.

One year of recent successful Critical Care or Step-Down professional RN nursing experience

Advanced Cardiac Life Support Certification

Basic Life Support Certification

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ .

Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting, 45 pounds and over; Straight pulling 1/2 hours: Pushing 1/2 hrs: Reaching above shoulder ; Walking 2-4 hrs; Standing 2-6 hrs; kneeling .5 hrs; Repeated bending 12 hrs; Both legs required; Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously ; Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4 ; Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other. Both eyes required; Depth perception; ENVIROMENTAL FACTORS: Outside and inside; Working alone; Protracted or irregular hours of work; Working closely with others. SALARY: QuantitativeValue EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Other