Registered Nurse - Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) Outpatient - EDRP Authorized

About the role

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Responsibilities

• Completes face to face, telephone, and video assessments to establish nursing diagnoses as needed.
• Affords comprehensive and coordinated care based on population-specific components.
• Knowledge and ability to appropriately carry out assigned patient care based on the patients' conditions; to use judgment in selecting the appropriate order and sequence of procedures and treatments; and to accurately recognize, report and record relevant patient information.
• Ability to observe, identify and respond to the patient's needs for care, including medication, equipment-assisted care, and patient/family education.
• Provides health education and procedural teaching to patients and significant others.
• Performs procedures per established policies and guidelines.
• Influences care outcomes using effective communication and collaboration with members of the interdisciplinary team.
• Administers medicine per established policies and guidelines.
• Establishes priorities and makes ethically-sound decisions to ensure safe patient care.
• Assists the physicians during diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to promote optimal patient outcomes by team collaboration.
• Responds to emergency situations to promote optimal patient outcomes by recognizing changes in patient's health status.
• Performs diagnostic studies within the scope of nursing practice as ordered by the physician.
• Documents patient data to ensure continuity in the provision and coordination of patient care.
• Collaborates with other health care professionals.
• Communicates with veterans and family members regarding veteran's care.
• Knowledge and understanding of human behavior, patient motivations and reactions to situations, and ability to appropriately utilize this knowledge in working effectively with patients, family members and other staff.
• Establishes constructive relationships with individual patients and their families to promote positive relationships and communication.
• Fosters an environment of respect for individual patient and family rights to privacy and dignity in all aspects of care delivery.
• May be responsible for charge nurse duties.
• Manages follow-up care.
• Acts as a resource to others.
• Participates in continuing education, achieves/maintains certification.
• Possesses knowledge of unit level quality improvement indicators.
• Applies knowledge and actively participates in unit/program level quality improvement processes and initiatives.
• Provides excellent customer service according to ICARE values.
• Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches in the management of complex patient care.

Qualifications

• Basic Requirements:
• English Language Proficiency.
• 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.)
• Preferred Experience:
• Five (5) years Med/Surg RN Experience or 2 Years RN ER/ICU Experience within the last 3 years
• One (1) year RN Adult Outpatient Primary Care Experience within the past 3 years
• BSN or above
• AAACN Ambulatory Care Certification
• VA Experience

Benefits

• 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

Pay

Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards

Schedule

Monday - Friday, 0730 - 1600

Telework

Not available

Virtual

This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives

Not authorized

EDRP Authorized

Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.

Contact Information

Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Bargaining Unit Status

This position is part of the bargaining unit.

U.S. Citizenship

Subject to background/security investigation.

Acceptable Forms of Identification

Acceptable form(s) of identification for employment will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).

Driver's License Requirement

Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

Pre-employment Physical Examination

Must pass pre-employment physical examination.

Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Requirement

Required for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

Probationary Period

Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 2-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.

Required Documents

Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

Qualifications

• Basic Requirements:
• English Language Proficiency.
• 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.)
• Preferred Experience:
• Five (5) years Med/Surg RN Experience or 2 Years RN ER/ICU Experience within the last 3 years
• One (1) year RN Adult Outpatient Primary Care Experience within the past 3 years
• BSN or above
• AAACN Ambulatory Care Certification
• VA Experience