Registered Nurse at Northampton

JOB SUMMARY:

Vacancy Identification Number (VIN) 981234

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincolns promise – "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan" – by serving and honoring the men and women who are Americas Veterans.

 

As a VA professional, your opportunities are endless. With many openings in the multiple functions of VA, you will have a wide range of opportunities at your fingertips. Not only is it the largest, most technologically advanced integrated health care system in the nation, but we also provide many other services to Veterans through the Benefits Administration and National Cemeteries.

The Medical Center serves over 25,000 patients at its main campus and five community based outpatient clinics in Central and Western Massachusetts. Core missions are primary care, mental health inpatient and outpatient care, and extended care. The Medical Center is engaging employees in a Culture of Improvement, utilizing a variety of Process Improvement techniques to improve efficiency of clinical operational functions to the benefit of veterans and staff.
NOTE:  Applicants education and length of nursing practice (experience) will be considered by a Nurse Professional Standards Board in determining the grade and step of the applicant selected. 

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.

 

Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses are not authorized for this position.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Must pass pre-employment examination.
• Designated and/or Random Drug Testing required.
• Background and/or Security Investigation required.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English

DUTIES:Back to top

As a Staff Nurse you will provide prescribed medical treatment and personal care services to ill and injured veterans.  Duties include documenting observations, assessments, and changes in patients condition; collaborating with the interdisciplinary team members to facilitate positive patient care outcomes; providing a full range of nursing care to patients with a variety of physical and/or behavior problems; and accountable for meeting and maintaining the qualification standards and functional statements of assigned grade.  Our facility is seeking individuals who possess good organizational skills which enable completion of work, a demonstrated ability to assume leadership in a patient centered program, and the ability to establish effective communication with patients, families, visitors and members of the interdisciplinary team.

 

This position requires positive interpersonal skills, the ability to communicate, and the ability to work with individuals and within a group.  The candidate must have clinical assessment skills appropriate for long-term care and short term rehabilitation. Experience with IVs, central lines, and complex wound care such as wound V.A.C. and topical oxygen wound therapy is a plus. Basic understanding of the Minimum Data Set (MDS) is needed.  If these skills are not currently possessed, you must be willing to learn new skills.  

 

Tour of duty may vary with rotation and weekend rotation and will be determined at the time of hire based on the needs of the organization:

Day shift: 7:30-4p

Evenings:3:30-12:00M

Nights:11:45P-7:45am

 

NOTE: RNs currently assigned to the VACWMHCS who are interested in applying to this position must apply to this vacancy. 

 

This vacancy may be used to fill multiple vacancies.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:Back to top

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:   

·  U.S. citizenship.  Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

·  Full unrestricted Licensure, Certification, or Registration required

·  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 National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) 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.  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)

·  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.  

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: 

·  Nurse I Level I - An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, no experience.

·  Nurse I Level II - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 1 year of experience, or an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a bachelors degree in a related field and no experience; or a Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) and no experience.

·  Nurse I Level III - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 2-3 years of experience, or an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a bachelors degree in a related field and approximately 1-2 years of experience; or a BSN with approximately 1-2 years of experience, or a Masters degree in nursing (MSN) or related field with a BSN and no experience.

·  Nurse II - A BSN with approximately 2-3 years of experience, or ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a bachelors degree in a related field and approximately 2-3 years experience or a Masters degree in nursing or related field with a BSN and approximately 1-2 years experience, or a Doctoral degree in nursing or meets basic requirements for appointment and has doctoral degree in a related field with no experience.  

·  Nurse III - Masters degree in nursing or related field with BSN and approximately 2-3 years experience or Doctoral degree in nursing or related field and approximately 2-3 years experience. 

 

GRADE DETERMINATIONS:
Experience as a 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.

The criteria are as follows:

• Practice: practice, ethics and resource utilization;
• Professional Development: performance, education/career development; 
• Collaboration; collaboration, collegiality;
• Scientific Inquiry: quality of care, research. 

Reference:  VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G6 Nurse Qualification Standard.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

PLEASE NOTE:  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement.)  Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.  Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly.  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.

Physical Requirements: The 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 is 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 occasional be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, and able to shift priorities based on patient needs. 

 

Veterans Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided and provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) and/or documentation related to your active duty service which shows dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or 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 Veterans Preference" with required proof as stated on the form.  For more information, please review the information for disabled Veterans in the application checklist or visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Your application, résumé and/or supporting documentation will be verified.  Please follow all instructions carefully.  Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Country: USA, State: Massachusetts, City: Northampton, Company: Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration.