Summary

The Inpatient Staff Registered Nurse is responsible for providing competent - evidence-based care to patients with oversight of licensed vocational nurses/nursing assistants as appropriate to the setting. The nurse will assist in directing the provision of nursing education - orientation - competencies and providing quality improvement and enhance outcomes utilization - integrating knowledge - skills - abilities - and judgment and is self-directed in goal setting for managing complex situations.

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/12987732
• 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
• The full performance level of this vacancy is Nurse III
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of Nurse I to Nurse III
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity - keen hearing - clear distinctive speech - and manual dexterity
• This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking - standing - stooping - sitting - bending - pulling - and pushing
• Transferring patients and objects may be required
• Mechanical inpatient lifts are provided
• The Registered Nurse may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations - operative/invasive procedures - or home settings
• The Registered Nurse may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium - dementia - or psychiatric disorders
• The Registered Nurse must be a mature - flexible - sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations - able to shift priorities based on patient needs
• Must complete annual Employee Health requirements - such as annual TB screening or testing - as a condition of employment.

Duties

• The Fayetteville VA Medical Center (VAMC) is located at 2300 Ramsey Street - Fayetteville - NC within 10 miles of Fort Liberty and Pope Army Air Base
• In addition - Camp Lejeune Marine Base and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base lie in the facility's catchment area
• The Fayetteville VAMC is a general medicine - surgery - and mental health facility
• It is a Complexity Level 1C Medical Center authorized 58 general medical - surgical - and mental health beds
• The medical center also maintains a 69-bed long-term care Community Living Center (CLC) to care for Veteran residents
• Fayetteville VAMC serves Veterans in 19 counties in Southeastern North Carolina and 2 counties in Northeastern South Carolina serving 69 -200+ patients
• We are also the largest catchment area in the VISN 6 Mid-Atlantic Healthcare Network
• The Medical Surgical Telemetry Registered Nurse is directly responsible to the Inpatient Nurse Manager for the Inpatient Acute Unit
• He/she is responsible and accountable for the provision of direct patient care and for the delivery of quality nursing care to a culturally diverse veteran patient population
• He/she possesses basic knowledge and skills to apply all aspects of the nursing process within a collaborative - interdisciplinary practice setting - which will then enable effective implementation of health promotion and prevention practices - management of acute and chronic illnesses - and attainment of optimal levels of functioning and/or support of the dying patient and significant others
• Core Competencies/skills include: - Excellent observation and assessment skills - Skill in recording symptoms - reactions - and progress - Skill in administering medical treatments and examinations - Knowledge of convalescence and rehabilitation requirements for patients - Skill in developing - planning - implementing - evaluating - documenting - and managing nursing care - Patient and family education skills - Ability to help individuals and groups take steps to improve or maintain their health - Administer medications and other treatments that are appropriate to the patient situation and based upon provider order - Demonstrate competence with utilization of electronic documentation systems to ensure safe patient care to include CPRS - VISTA - and BCMA - Respond proactively to changes in patient condition to prevent or minimize adverse patient outcomes - Document assessment findings based on facility policy and in a timely manner Reconcile medications and treatments across transitions of care - Documentation and acknowledgment of all new provider orders throughout the tour of duty
• - Perform a physical assessment using age-appropriate - system-specific - evidence-based tools and techniques based on facility policy for timeliness and provider orders for exceptions
• - Advocate for patient - Document patient's response to interventions and changes to the plan of care - Maintain appropriate physical and emotional boundaries - Monitor cardiac rhythm throughout tour of duty and notify provider of any significant changes in rhythm - Identify barriers to effective communication and make appropriate adaptations - Document appropriate aspects of nurse-patient interactions - Maintain current license and up-to-date BLS/ACLS certification - Utilize technologies to enhance nursing practice - Participate in shared governance - unit based council and play key role in quality improvement activities - Seeks opportunities to advance professionally in nursing practice - Serves as a clinical content expert for the design and enhancement of competencies - policies - and processes that affect nursing care at the unit level - Maintain current and up-to-date with mandatory competency requirements to include VA Talent Management System (TMS) training - Identify malfunctioning equipment or devices at the unit level and place work orders for timely repair - Appropriately identify patient safety events and document in Joint Patient Safety Record Function as Charge Nurse - Direct and supervise less skilled nursing/health care personnel in the role of a shift Charge Nurse 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: 7:45am-8:15pm (rotating weekends) Compressed/Flexible: Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized