Registered Nurse Care Coordinator (Allergy)

The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting for an Registered Nurse Care Coordinator (Allergy). The Registered Nurse Care Coordinator (Allergy) will function in Medicine Service.

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/12978495.

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.

• • ransforms health care by implementing new processes, technology, informatics, and data analytics using business models and fundamental concepts of resource management at the program or service level.
  • Inspiring an Industry-Leading Lifestyle. Employs an industry leading, shared decision-making lifestyle. Cultivates a workforce that serves Veterans, families and caregivers of all backgrounds and builds trust, lifestyle competencies and catalyzes dynamic teams at the program or service level.
  • Communication and Relationship Management. Directs the effective use of relationship management principles to achieve positive customer service experiences that are consistent with professional organizational values, beliefs and practices at the program or services level.
  • Professional and Social Responsibility. Operationalizes a lifestyle of holistic care, health advocacy and health equity. Applies ethical principles in decision-making at the program or service level. Advances nursing knowledge through health science research and the translation and dissemination of evidence into practice to maximize the value to Veterans and the community.

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

Preferred Experience:

• BSN prepared RN with 5 years of experience.
• Prior experience in care coordination, patient navigation, or management of chronic disease or specialty programs in an ambulatory or specialty clinic.
• Experience in identification and treatment allergic reactions up to and including anaphylaxis.
• Familiarity with outpatient scheduling, clinic operations, and multidisciplinary care team collaboration.

Physical Requirements: This position includes a level of physicality normally associated with duties performed by nurses such as direct patient care, and potentially long periods of walking, standing, sitting, moderate lifting, repeated bending, or kneeling.
Examples may include but are not limited to:

• Significant amounts of time standing assisting assigned patients
• Utilization of safe patient handling and mobility protocols

Responsibilities:

To include but not limited to:

Allergy Case Manager Specific Duties:

• Triages allergy consults and helps to schedule appointments with Pulmonary care providers after consultation with team members. Also ensures timely follow-up appointments are made.
• Provides education for patients and families. May include addressing questions regarding injections, inhalers, procedures, treatments, symptoms, and terminology; and discussing, explaining, and reviewing recommendations of the Pulmonary provider. Also, provides education and resources to promote safe allergen management.
• Provides timely communication of test results. If necessary, facilitates communication of results to or from outside providers.
• Provides outreach to patients and families of patients with allergy care needs.
• Monitors and maintains allergy clinic inventory, including testing supplies, medications and medication delivery supplies, and emergency management resources.
• Provides allergy-specific direct patient care according to standard protocols, including allergen skin testing and administration of immunotherapy.

General Duties:

• Ongoing, continuous care of one or more assigned panel(s) of Veterans.
• Functioning at the full extent of the team member's relevant clinical privileges, credentials, scopes of practice, elements of practice, certification, functional statement, position description, or other VHA or local facility approved documentation of competency.
• Provides direct and indirect patient care and collaborates with primary care providers as well as specialty care providers to ensure continuity of care both inpatient and outpatient.
• Assesses learning needs of patients and families, and plans, implements, evaluates, and documents individual teaching plans according to established protocols.
• Prioritizes patient care and other duties to meet the changing needs of patients.
• Serves as patient advocate and assists in maintaining quality care for veterans.
• Processes and triages telephone inquiries from patients and families regarding changes, inpatient condition, and treatment plans.
• Recognizes complex situations that impact patient care and intervenes, using sound judgment, professional attitude and appropriate channels.
• Participates in team performance improvement and sustainment activities to optimize team efficiency and care delivery to patients.
• Engaging patients in using health care, encouraging patients to engage personal support persons, receiving input from patients and personal support persons regarding VA care.
• Collaborating with informatics technology staff to develop and implement systematized, electronically supported, standardized, tools to support care delivery processes (e.g., pre- visit reminder calls, post-hospitalization follow-up calls, recall scheduling procedures, new patient orientation, disease registries
• Participating in modes of communication both formal and informal effective , timely and bidirectional with all team members and care delivery including, but not limited to, secure messaging, telephone care, view alerts management, shared medical appointments, clinical video telehealth visits, face to face visits, etc.
• As part of care management, identifying patient needs for involvement of discipline-specific team members and discussing nursing recommendations with the primary pulmonologist.
• Assuming full accountability for the appropriateness of assignments made by the RNCM to clinical associates or administrative associates related to care management, care coordination, nursing services, and outcomes of care.
• Entering orders in CPRS for tests/prosthetic items per approved standardized RN care management protocols or pulmonary provider orders.
• Using nursing expertise, evidence-based guidelines, standardized nursing protocols, and professionally accepted practice standards to promote patient engagement, self-care and wellness, provide care to patients and determine care management requirements for individual patients or cohorts of patients.

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: Monday through Friday: 7:30am-4:00pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Salary : $82,275