Registered Nurse - Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Perioperative

The Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Registered Nurse (RN) functions directly to support the activities of the ASC. The RN is responsible for the planning, integrating, implementing, modifying and evaluating the effectiveness of the Veteran's care. The ASC foundational elements will serve to support delivery of high quality, timely care to the Veteran receiving services. The nurse's primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, or community.

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the time of hire.
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.
• 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)
• 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 by the time of employment.
• RNs appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 7407(d).

Preferred Experience, Skills, and Education:

• CNOR certification
• OR circulator experience
• Scrub experience
• Ambulatory Surgery Care experience
• ACLS

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 year's of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master's degree in nursing or related field with a BSN and approximately 1-2 year's 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 year's of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree and approximately 2-3 year's of nursing practice/experience.

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: This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs.

Responsibilities:

The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

Major duties include, but are not limited to:

• Provides pre-operative, intraoperative and post-operative nursing care to surgical specialties including: ENT, Gen Surgery, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Plastic, Podiatry, and Urology surgical areas. Continued competency of nursing practice and to surgical specialties is expected.
• Utilizes time at work performing Veteran care, accreditation readiness, process improvement activities and other duties related to the care and maintenance of the surgical department.
• Support agency mission and vision to include but not limited to HPDP, tele-health, and patient centered care.
• Assisting with the ordering, maintenance, and safe storage of surgical equipment and supplies.
• The RN provides perioperative care to outpatient adult Veterans undergoing local, minor, and major surgical procedures ensuring all necessary surgical preparations and paperwork are completed prior to the surgical procedure to include proper warm hand-off and SBAR are completed pre and post operatively.
• The RN circulates in a variety of outpatient procedures including ENT, Gen Surgery, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Plastic, Podiatry, and Urology surgical areas. Ensures all necessary surgical preparations and paperwork are completed prior to the surgical procedure to include proper warm hand-off and SBAR are completed pre and post operatively with both nursing and anesthesia.
• The RN is responsible for assuring Veteran preparation for surgery is complete and is directly accountable for the care of the Veteran in the OR. The RN assures all appropriate measures are taken to keep the Veteran and staff safe from injury in the OR.
• Maintains proficiency in all phases of the peri-anesthesia procedures which include reviewing H&P's, Labs & IMED consents. Must be proficient in venipuncture (IV skills, draw labs) and with IV therapy including infusing fluids, antibiotics and blood products. The perioperative RN is expected to obtain EKGs as indicated and to collaborate with the surgeon in evaluation of the Veteran readiness for surgery.
• Conducts Pre-operative assessments, reviewing consults, Veteran and family teaching, skin antisepsis, documentation of Veteran disposition pre-operatively, general holistic care and preparation of the surgical Veteran.
• Provides safe post-operative recovery Veterans after General, Regional, Local and Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC) anesthesia procedures. Must be able to readily recognize normal and adverse events related to post anesthesia exposure.
• Provides Veteran and family post-surgical teaching and discharge instructions in accordance with St Cloud VAMC surgical standards.

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 - Friday 7:00am - 3:30pm with varying tour times.
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.

Salary : $73,300 - $130,045