Registered Nurse - Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (RRTP)

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply. 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .

The Associate Degree Nursing (ADN), Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN), or Master of Science degree in Nursing (MSN) must be fully accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission On Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Verification of accreditation may be obtained from http://www.acenursing.us/accreditedprograms/programsearch.htm or https://directory.ccnecommunity.org/reports/accprog.asp. -

If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

If your school was accredited by ACEN or CCNE at the time of graduation, but is no longer listed on the websites, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.

RESPONSIBILITIES: This Registered Nurse - Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program positions is located in Mental Health Service located at the Togus location. This position is full-time at 40 hours per week.

Included but are not limited to:

Establish therapeutic relationships to enhance a trauma-sensitive experience using therapeutic interventions and help eliminate barriers to recovery services by incorporating person-first language.

Create and maintain a safe, therapeutic, recovery-oriented environment in collaboration with Veterans and other healthcare providers.

Assess and identify health-related illness using nursing assessments which follow the national standards for nursing assessments.

Provide education and health teaching (individual or group settings) to Veterans regarding healthcare needs; recovery goals; mental health and substance use problems; treatment regimens; coping skills; stress management and relaxation techniques; crisis management; and medications.

Play a key role in medication management in Mental Health RRTPs and administer medications as ordered by the credentialed provider for monitoring the effectiveness of those medications. Nursing staff must consistently assess and monitor the physical environment to ensure the safety and security of medications.

Develop and monitor nursing outcomes. The Registered Nurse is responsible for providing nursing objectives, interventions, and outcomes to help Veterans achieve their treatment goals.

Responsible for providing and leading the provision of competent, evidence-based care to assigned patients.

Provide patient-centered and recovery-oriented care and maintain self-awareness while caring for patients living with substance use disorder and/or Mental Health conditions.

Facilitate shift report, warm hand-offs, and nurse-led psychoeducational groups; use therapeutic communication techniques, practice de-escalation techniques, utilize recovery-oriented language, and provide oversight of the patient safe medication management program.

Actively participate in Mental Health interdisciplinary treatment team, patient safety, and environment of care rounds, and respond to psychiatric and medical care needs and emergencies as directed.

Report safety concerns, and document nursing assessments, risk screens, nursing plan of care, patient safety rounds, and environment of care rounds according to facility policy.

Maintain professional boundaries to protect patient vulnerabilities and act in the best interest of the patient. Foster a safe and supportive environment conducive to the professional development of healthcare professionals. Support colleagues through knowledge sharing to provide safe, quality nursing care. Question clinical practices for the purpose of providing evidence-based care.

Work Schedule: Full-Time, Various Tours of Duty

Telework: Not Authorized

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

EDRP Authorized : Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact Karen Chapman karen.chapman@va.gov , the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized

Notifications:

This position is a Bargaining Unit position

This position is in the Excepted Service

This position is covered by a special rate

Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.

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

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

Preferred Experience: Previous psychiatric nursing experience of 2-3 years preferred. Previous nursing experience working with dually diagnosed individuals in the inpatient and/or ambulatory and residential care settings strongly preferred. Psychiatric mental health nursing certification (PMH-BC) preferred but not required.

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/13007023 .

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.

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

Physical Requirements: All applicants must be physically able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position. A pre-placement physical examination shall be completed prior to appointment. SALARY: QuantitativeValue EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Other

Salary : $200,000