Nurse Practitioner - Primary Care

Northern Arizona VA Health Care System is looking for a Nurse Practitioner to join the Primary Care team!

Qualifications:

Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) Basic Requirements

• Education: A post-master's certificate or master's or doctoral degree as a Nurse Practitioner. (Applicants pending the completion of educational requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until the education requirements are met.) Must be a 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).
  • NOTE: Foreign Education. Graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing programs, the nurse practitioner degree equivalency must be validated through an Agency recognized degree equivalency evaluation agency, such as the International Consultants of Delaware (ICD). Candidates with equivalent nurse practitioner masters or doctorate level degrees who possess current, full, active, and unrestricted registration and certification will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing to warrant appointment.
• License and Certification:
  • License. All APN (NPs) must possess and maintain an active, current, full, and unrestricted APN license to practice as an NP in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.
  • Basic Certification. All APN (NPs) must maintain full and current board certification in an area of clinical specialty from one of the following: the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB), or other nationally recognized certifying body in the area in which the Nurse Practitioner is academically prepared.

NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and an APN (NP) assignment that are also 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.

The following Scope, Education and Experience, and Dimension criteria must be met to qualify for Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) II:
Exception to Licensure for Graduate Nurse Technicians. Candidates who otherwise meet the basic requirements, but do not possess the required licensure and/or certification, may be appointed at the entry step of the Nurse II, as a Graduate Nurse Technician - Nurse Practitioner on a temporary appointment up to any period not-to-exceed one year and a day under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2)(B).

• Scope: Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others
• Education and Experience Requirement: Meets basic education requirement for APN (NP). Nurse II is considered the entry grade level for APN (NPs); no experience is required.
• Dimension Requirement: APNs (NPs) at level II are expected to meet the following dimension requirements:
  • Clinical Practice. Delivers evidence-based health care, demonstrating proficiency in the ability to manage a patient panel, population, or program.
  • Outcome Focus. Utilizes research and evidence-based practice to evaluate the patient care delivery system within a patient panel or program, presents findings and contributes to changes that enhance the quality and timeliness of veteran/patient care.
  • Leadership. Works effectively as a leader within a team/unit/group and seeks interdisciplinary collaboration as appropriate to enhance patient care.
  • Professional Development. Acquires knowledge and skills to develop expertise in area of practice.
  • Professionalism/Collegiality. Demonstrates effective communication skills and professional behavior, promoting cooperation and teamwork. Participates in interdisciplinary teams and processes that positively impact patient outcomes.

The following Scope, Education and Experience, and Dimension criteria must be met to qualify for Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) III:

• Scope: Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches to management of complex client care.
• Education and Experience Requirement: Meets basic education requirement for an APN (NP) AND one year of specialized APN (NP) experience equivalent to the Nurse II grade level.
• Dimension Requirement: APN (Nurse Practitioners) at grade III are expected to meet the following dimension requirements:
  • Clinical Practice. Influences and models the delivery of evidence- based health care, demonstrating expertise in the ability to manage a patient panel, population, or program.
  • Outcome Focus. Leads and implements changes that enhance the quality and timeliness of Veteran/patient care applying research and evidence in the delivery of healthcare for patient populations.
  • Leadership. Initiates and leads interdisciplinary teams informed by structured approaches and processes to improve outcomes that positively impact care for a patient panel, population, or program.
  • Professional Development. Acquires knowledge and skills, then disseminates acquired information within and/or outside the medical facility.
  • Professionalism/Collegiality. Initiates and leads interdisciplinary teams developing systems that positively impact outcomes at the panel, population, or program level. Demonstrates effective communication skills and professional behavior, promoting cooperation and teamwork.

Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting (45 lbs and over); Heavy carrying (45 lbs and over); Straight pulling and pushing; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking and standing up to 8 hours; repeated bending; Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; hearing aid permitted.

Responsibilities:

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Ongoing, continuous care of one or more assigned panel(s) of Veterans.
• Utilizing all available tools to enable effective and efficient identification and interventions of individual patients.
• Ensuring appropriate evaluation and access is provided to patients assigned to the patient panel.
• Functioning at the full extent of the team member's relevant clinical privileges, credentials, scopes of practice, elements of practice, certification, or other facility approved documentation of competency.
• Participating in team performance improvements and sustainment activities to optimize team efficiency and care delivery to patients.
• Implementing primary care operations management processes, as appropriate.
• Managing communications and facilitating safe transitions of patients between PACT's site of care and other health care settings, using informal and formal communication methods, as appropriate.
• Providing health education, and health coaching on wellness, disease prevention, chronic care management, and self-management skills to patients and personal supports persons.
• Engaging patient in using health care, encouraging patients to engage personal support persons, receiving input from patient and personal support persons regarding VA care.
• Using formal and informal communicators that are respectful, effective, timely, an bidirectional with all team members (including patient and personal support persons) to convey significant, clinically relevant information for the care of the patient.
• Collaborating with informatics technology staff to develop and implement systematized, electronically supported tools to support PACT care delivery process (e.g. pre-visit reminder calls, post-hospitalization follow-up up calls, recall scheduling procedures, new patient orientation, disease registries and primary care protocols for chronic disease management.
• Ensuring patient's care plan contains medical recommendations for clinically indicated care.
• Offering clinically indicated health care services to patients assigned to PACT, and providing or arranging for care to which patients' consent.
• Providing leadership to the team including shared delegation of appropriate care and care processes to appropriate team members.
• Reviewing available clinical and performance data with team, focusing on continuous improvement of critical team processes.
• Evaluations and treatment, including face to face, telephone, and/or video to home clinics.
• Initial and ongoing assessment of patient's medical, physical, and psychosocial status.
• Obtain and document a comprehensive medical/physical history and physical examination.
• Order and follow-up on appropriate diagnostic tests.
• Review and interpret laboratory tests and take appropriate action.
• Refer patients to consultations with specialty clinics.
• Provide medical advice to patients, families, and community health providers by telephone.
• Manage chronic and acute medical problems.
• Enter orders into VA Electronic Medical records for medications, consults, testing, etc.
• Women's Health examinations and counseling, including preventive care services such as but not limited to breast and cervical cancer screening, osteoporosis screening, intimate partner violence screening and military sexual trauma screening.
• Communicate with patients via secure email.
• Timely completion of peer reviews.

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: Full-time. This position potentially requires flexibility in schedule and assignments, as this is a 24/7 hospital. Some positions require rotation of tours or indefinite work on non-administrative tours as established by the immediate supervisor. Not all duties may be listed, so other duties may be assigned.
Telework: Not available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Salary : $145,178