Career Center

Summary

This is an open continuous announcement to fill multiple Registered Nurse positions within the Community Living Center (CLC) located at the HJ Heinz Campus of the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center. The tour of duty for this vacancy is rotating shifts including holidays and weekends. The first cut point for applications will be two weeks after announcement is posted. All subsequent applications will be reviewed on a monthly basis as needed and sent over to the service line hiring managers.

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/12832523
• 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
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting up to (35 pounds)
• heavy carrying up to (35 pounds)
• straight pulling (2-4 hours)
• pushing (2-4 hours)
• reaching above shoulders (1-2 hours)
• use of fingers
• both hands required
• walking (4-6 hours)
• standing (4-6 hours)
• repeated bending (2-4 hours)
• both legs required
• ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously
• near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4
• far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and 20/40 in the other
• both eyes required
• ability to distinguish basic colors and shades of color
• hear (aid permitted)
• mental and emotional stability.

Duties

• The Community Living Center (CLC) nurse is responsible for applying the comprehensive nursing process in providing care for patients with complex nursing needs - to include guiding and directing others who provide care and effectively prioritizing actual and potential issues/needs
• The incumbent must demonstrate clinical competency in the completion of core and practice specific procedures and competencies according to the pre-established unit competency checklist
• The incumbent's daily responsibilities include but are not limited to the following: Providing comprehensive care for patients admitted to the CLC to include monitoring - evaluation - and assessment for admission and providing health education thereafter
• Conducting initial and ongoing assessment and documenting per applicable CLC guidelines
• Maintaining responsibility for the assessment - pain management - obtaining of vital signs as ordered - discharge instructions - and patient health education
• Initiating discharge planning at the time of nursing assessment and reassessing and revising during the patient's stay as needed
• ensuring patient receives written discharge instructions upon final discharge
• Administering point of care infusions/injections following the policies and SOPs of the Medical Center
• The admitting nurse will be responsible for the assessment - documentation - intravenous access - obtaining EKG and bloodwork - obtaining baseline vital signs - and carrying out all orders
• Administering oral and intravenous medications as ordered by the provider and promoting and maintaining pain relief - comfort management - and emotional support
• Consulting the patient's Physician during primary care - treatment - rehabilitation - etc
• as necessary
• notifying the patient's attending Physician and next of kin when there is a change in the patient's condition
• assisting with the care planning process to ensure all patient care plans are accurate and up to date
• providing guidance and feedback to help others involved in the patient's care to strengthen their knowledge/skills to accomplish unit goals
• Utilizing Quality Improvement driven processes to ensure quality outcomes of the following: wounds - pain - restraints - falls - psychoactive medications and others as indicated
• Other duties include but are not limited to: answering the unit phones - obtaining specimens - paging Physicians - paging ancillary departments for services - reviewing Physician orders - facilitating and carrying out orders - printing lab labels and patient wristbands - accurately and efficiently taking verbal orders in an emergency - assisting with transportation - coordinating patient bed flow with the Bed Management Center (BMC) - checking for expired supplies - and cleaning noncritical Reusable Medical Equipment (RME)
• 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: Rotating Shifts including weekends and holidays
• Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
• Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized