Registered Nurse - Inpatient

About the role

The Registered Nurse - Inpatient position is located at the Chillicothe VA Medical Center in the Rehab & Extended Care ICC. The Registered Nurse - Inpatient is responsible and accountable for all elements of the nursing process when providing and/or supervising direct patient care.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• English Language Proficiency – must be proficient in basic written and spoken English (38 U.S.C. 7403(f)).
• Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate accrediting agency and accredited by either the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) at the time of program completion.
• Individuals attending a master's level bridge program in nursing who have completed coursework equivalent to a bachelor's level degree in Nursing may be eligible for state licensure prior to bridge completion; upon licensure may be appointed temporarily and later converted to permanent after graduation.
• Graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing must possess a current, full, active, and unrestricted registration to meet the graduation requirement; foreign nursing education higher than associate/entry level requires formal degree equivalency validation from a recognized evaluator (e.g., International Consultants of Delaware).
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth (including Puerto Rico), or the District of Columbia.
• Graduate Nurse Technician (GNT) exception: candidates meeting basic education requirements but lacking licensure may be appointed at the entry step of the applicable grade as a GNT on a 120‑day temporary appointment (extendable up to two years case‑by‑case) while pursuing licensure.
• Grandfathering provision: VHA employees in the 0610 series performing these duties on the effective date (1/29/2024) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for their current grade.

Grade Determinations:

• Nurse I – Level I: Delivers fundamental knowledge‑based care to assigned clients while developing technical competencies. Requires an Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing – 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 conditions. Requires 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. Requires 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 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. Requires 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