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Veterans Health Administration is Hiring a Registered Nurse - Critical Care Units/Emergency Department Near Augusta, GA

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.
• Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved 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). The approving official may authorize a waiver of the requirement for ACEN or CCNE accreditation of any degree in nursing provided the college or university has regional accreditation from an accrediting body recognized by the Department of Education at the time of the candidate's graduation and the composite qualifications of the applicant warrant such consideration. 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.
• 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 to the specific unit/area:

• Intensive Care Unit:
  • ACLS required or by the end of orientation period.
  • One year of Critical Care experience preferred.
• Emergency Department:
  • Experience preferred.
  • ACLS/BLS required

• Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU):
  • 1-3 years of ICU/CCU experience highly preferred.
  • Minimum of 3 - 5 yeas of Med/Surg, ICU/CCU, ED or Primary Care experience.
• Ambulatory Surgery Center/Pre Screening Clinic (ASC/PSC):
  • 1-3 years of ICU/CCU experience highly preferred.
  • Minimum of 3 - 5 yeas of Med/Surg, ICU/CCU, ED or Primary Care experience.

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

Note regarding MSN degrees: If your MSN was obtained via a Bridge Program that qualifies for professional nursing registration, a BSN is not required.

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: Heavy Lifting (45 lbs and over); Heavy Carrying (45 lbs and over); Straight Pulling (6 hours); Pushing (6-10 hours); Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (6-10 hours); Standing (6-10 hours); Kneeling (1 hour); Repeated bending (4 hours); Both legs required; Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Near vision correctable at 13' to 16'; Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; Ability to distinguish shades of colors; Hearing (aid permitted).

Responsibilities:

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2024. Eligible applications received will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until position(s) are filled.

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

Intensive Care Unit:

• Member of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) and Code Blue Team and is required to maintain Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification.
• Provides after hours post-operative recovery care to patients, when appropriate.
• Provides critical care to both surgery and patient populations.

Emergency Department:

• Incumbent is responsible for working collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team and discuss concerns and issues of an ED patient with family.
• Incumbent develops realistic and measurable outcomes for identified patient needs and evaluates patient's progress toward outcomes and revises plan of care when appropriate.

Step Down Unit:

• Demonstrates accurate and timely documentation of patient care according to the Standards for ICU, Step-Down, Observation, and Acute patients.
• Provides intermediate level care to patients who require more frequent monitoring.

Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU):

• ASC/PACU preoperative and postoperative patient care.
• Provides patient care from the Pre-anesthesia Phase through Post-anesthesia Phase II and discharge or transfer to Critical Care.
• Utilizes ASPAN standards of care for perianesthesia patient.

Ambulatory Surgery Center/Pre Screening Clinic (ASC/PSC):

• ASC/PACU preoperative and postoperative patient care.
• Provides patient care from the Pre-anesthesia Phase through Post-anesthesia Phase II and discharge or transfer to Critical Care.
• Utilizes ASPAN standards of care for perianesthesia patient.

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: Variable tours to include nights, weekends and holiday
Compressed/Flexible: Not Available
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Yes - Only Intensive Care Unit and Step Down Unit positions are authorized EDRP. Contact LaKita Bush, lakita.bush@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator. Learn more
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Salary Pay Ranges for the applicable positions duty location or unit:

• RN Intensive Care Unit:
  • Minimum Salary $69,884 - Maximum Salary $129,055
• RN Emergency Department:
  • Minimum Salary $69,884 - Maximum Salary $129,055
• RN Step Down Unit:
  • Minimum Salary $69,884 - Maximum Salary $129,055
• RN Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU):
  • Minimum Salary $67.545 - Maximum Salary $124,603
• RN Ambulatory Surgery Center/Pre Screening Clinic (ASC/PSC):
  • Minimum Salary $67.545 - Maximum Salary $124,603

Job Summary