Registered Nurse - ICU/Stepdown

Company: Department of Veterans Affairs
Location: Fresno
Posted on: August 5, 2022

Job Description:

Summary

The Intensive Care/Stepdown (ICU/SD) nurse is a registered nurse (RN) who executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches to management of complex patient care. ICU/SD Unit is a monitored unit that provides patient centered, quality, and efficient care to critically ill Veterans.

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Overview

* Accepting applications
* Open & closing dates

10/14/2021 to 09/30/2022


* Salary

$75,711 - $135,000 per year


* Pay scale & grade

VN 00


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Location

5 vacancies in the following location:

* Fresno, CA




* Remote job

No


* Telework eligible

No


* Travel Required

Not required


* Relocation expenses reimbursed

No


* Appointment type

Permanent


* Work schedule

Full-time


* Service

Excepted


* Promotion potential

00


* Job family (Series)

0610 Nurse


* Supervisory status

No


* Security clearance

Not Required


* Drug test

Yes


* Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk


* Trust determination process

Credentialing

Suitability/Fitness


* Announcement number

CBSW-11261842-22-YZV


* Control number

617263900



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This job is open to

* The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.



Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens

Videos

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Duties

AMENDED: This is an OPEN CONTINOUS ANNOUNCMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2022. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be October 22, 2021. with subsequent cut-off dates on the 1st of each month or as needed. Eligible applications received after that date will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available.

* Applicant Expiration: Applicants will remain active for 6 months after their initial application is received and/or updated. After that time, you must update your application through your USAJobs account if you would like to be made active again for possible consideration during the open period.*

ICU/SD RN provides care to a patient population which includes but is not limited to: cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, diabetes, substance abuse, psychiatric disorders, orthopedic, GI, vascular diseases, vascular surgery and minor trauma. The ICU/SD RN is accountable as a primary nurse for a defined group of patients for the entire episode of care. ICU/SD RN demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others. The unit/area specific scope of practice includes the following but not limited to:

* Area of Practice (Intensive Care/Stepdown Care)
* Veteran Population (Adult and Elderly)
* Unit/Position Specific Competencies

Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

* Provides a full range of nursing care to patients with complex care needs utilizing the nursing process based on the American Nurses Association (ANA) Standards of Nursing Practice.
* Treats all patients and families with dignity and respect. Listens to and honors patient and family perspectives and choices. Patient and family knowledge, values, beliefs, and cultural backgrounds are incorporated into the planning and delivery of care in a non-judgmental, non-discriminatory manner (Patient and Family Centered Care).
* Demonstrates leadership in patient advocacy, in protecting the health, safety, and rights of patients.
* Maintains professional boundaries with patients, families, and employees. Behavior as a role model is transparent and above reproach.
* Accurately documents in the medical record patient findings, assessments, and care provided.
* Initiates/participates in consultations to health care teams regarding ethical issues.
* Analyzes resources available and identifies risk areas, including budgetary, staffing, supplies, equipment, and availability of data and information.
* Actively involved in continuously evaluating practice for a program or service, based on established professional, community, or regulatory standards, such as clinical practice guidelines and The Joint Commission.
* Assists nursing personnel with assessment, implementation, and evaluation of new approaches, procedures, and standards of patient care, based on reliable.
* Conducts or participates in research or facilitates special projects through presentation(teaching) or publication.

Work Schedule: Varies - Service determines Tour of Duty to meet the needs of the unit.

Compressed/Flexible: Available

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized. Recruitment Incentive may be authorized for highly qualified and/or critical care certified nurses. To receive the recruitment incentive, the incumbent must commit to a negotiated service agreement in the critical care department at VACCHCS.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required.

Bargaining Unit Position: Covered.

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

* You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
* All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
* Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
* You may be required to serve a probationary period
* Subject to a background/security investigation
* Must be proficient in written and spoken English
* Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
* Must pass pre-employment physical examination
* Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
* Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Personnel

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

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.
* English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
* Education: 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) 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.
* Licensure: 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.

Preferred Experience:

* Current Basic Life Support (BLS) provider card issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) or Military Training Network (MTN).
* Current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) provider card issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) or Military Training Network (MTN).
* At least one (1) or more years of Intensive Care Unit VALOR/Student Nurse Technician experience.
* At least one (1) or more years of Intensive Care Unit experience working in an Intensive Care/Stepdown setting.

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: The population of male and female veterans served ranges from the adult, age 18, to the elderly adult, age 65 and over. This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. The incumbent will be exposed to different alarms and it is critical that incumbent is able to discern different alarms. 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.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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.

Registered Nurse applicants with foreign education can obtain a credential evaluation through the International Consultants of Delaware (ICD) to determine education equivalency in the US. For more information, please see: http://www.icdeval.com/

Additional information

Testing Designated Position: All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.

Annual leave shall accrue for full-time Nurses, and Nurse Anesthetists at the rate of 8 hours for each full biweekly pay period.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

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* Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.



How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, rsum, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

NOTE: Candidate's education, scope, and length of nursing practice (experience) will be considered by a Nurse Professional Standards Board in determining the grade and salary of the applicant selected. The recommended salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy.

Experience as an RN will be evaluated to determine if the experience is of an acceptable level of quality with regard to the following four dimensions of nursing: Practice, Professional Development, Collaboration and Scientific Inquiry. Each dimension of practice has criteria that demonstrate essential core competencies for VHA Nursing Personnel.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Veterans' Preference Note: Preference eligible candidates and other Veterans will be given preference when qualification of candidates are approximately equal for Title 38 positions in VHA. When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

Keywords: Department of Veterans Affairs, Fresno , Registered Nurse - ICU/Stepdown, Healthcare , Fresno, California