Registered Nurse - Primary Care Aligned Team (Jacksonville)

We are seeking a Registered Nurse to join the PACT Outpatient team at our Jacksonville CBOC location. This role focuses on delivering Veteran-centered care, coordinating services, and promoting health education, with growth opportunities in primary care.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English (38 U.S.C. 7403(f)).
• Graduation from a professional nursing school approved by the appropriate accrediting agency and accredited by:
  • The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), or
  • The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
• Master’s level bridge program candidates who have completed coursework equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in Nursing may qualify for temporary appointment pending state licensure.
• Foreign nursing graduates must possess a current, full, active, and unrestricted registration. Higher-than-associate-degree foreign education requires validation from a recognized equivalency 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 (e.g., Puerto Rico), or the District of Columbia.
• Graduate Nurse Technician (GNT) Exception: Candidates meeting basic education requirements but lacking licensure may be appointed temporarily for up to 120 days (extendable to two years) while pursuing licensure.
• Grandfathering Provision: Current VHA employees in the 0610 series as of 1/29/2024 are considered qualified for their grade.

Grade Determinations: Scope, education, and dimension criteria (Practice, Veteran/Patient-Driven Care, Leadership, Professional Development, Evidence-Based Practice/Research) determine grade assignments. Details are available in the online assessment.

• Nurse I - Level I: Fundamental care delivery with technical competency development.
  • Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing; no additional experience required.
• Nurse I - Level II: Integrated biopsychosocial care for basic/complex clients.
  • ADN or Diploma in Nursing and 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to Nurse I - Level 1, or
  • BSN with no additional experience.
• Nurse I - Level III: Proficient, self-directed practice for complex client situations.
  • ADN or Diploma in Nursing and 2 years of professional experience (1 year equivalent to Nurse I - Level 2), or
  • BSN and 1 year of professional experience equivalent to Nurse I - Level 2, or
  • MSN with no additional experience, or
  • Master’s in a related field with BSN and no additional experience.
• Nurse II: Leadership in holistic care through collaboration.
  • BSN and 2 years of professional experience equivalent to Nurse I - Level 3, or
  • MSN and 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to Nurse I - Level 3, or
  • Master’s in a related field with BSN and 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to Nurse I - Level 3, or
  • Doctoral degree in Nursing with no additional experience, or
  • Doctoral degree in a related field with BSN and no additional experience.
• Nurse III: Leadership in complex care management beyond immediate practice.
  • MSN and 2 years of specialized experience (1 year equivalent to Nurse II), or
  • Master’s in a related field with BSN and 2 years of specialized experience (1 year equivalent to Nurse II), or
  • Doctoral degree in Nursing and 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to Nurse II, or
  • Doctoral degree in a related field with BSN and 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to Nurse II.

Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees unless validated. See VA Qualification Standards for details.

Preferred Experience: 1 year in PACT, Ambulatory Care, Primary Care, Telehealth, Women’s Health, Triage, or Performance Measures.

Responsibilities

The PACT Registered Nurse’s duties include:

• Assessing, planning, implementing, documenting, and evaluating care for an assigned patient panel, focusing on chronic disease management and age-related needs (adult/geriatric).
• Case management for high-risk patients using tools like Care Management Tool (CMT), BISL, VISN 6 Access Report, VISTA, VSSC reports (e.g., PC Almanac, Compass, PCMM), and disease-specific registries (Diabetic, Mammography, Cardiovascular, Opioid).
• Enrolling eligible patients in nontraditional care modalities (e.g., Home Telehealth, Telemedicine).
• Using Teach and Motivational Interviewing techniques to promote health behavioral change, self-management, prevention, and wellness.
• Reviewing and improving HEDIS metrics, clinical reminders, panel access, encounter closures, and other performance metrics.
• Facilitating continuity of care through collaboration with multidisciplinary services (internal/external to VA).
• Participating in quality/process improvement activities to enhance patient outcomes.
• Delegating tasks per the ANA Code of Ethics and responding to abnormal patient signs/symptoms or condition changes.
• Developing and revising care plans using the nursing process (ANA Standards of Nursing Practice), including:
  • Completing initial assessments and follow-ups.
  • Identifying learning needs, preferences, and readiness; developing/instructing patients/families in health education and discharge planning.
  • Evaluating/documenting patient responses to interventions and revising care plans accordingly.
• Using CPRS, Essentris, Clinical Procedures, BCMA, and other documentation software.

Preferred Experience: BSN with 2–4 years in ambulatory care coordination or telehealth.

Physical Requirements

• Visual acuity, keen hearing, clear speech, and manual dexterity.
• Prolonged walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing.
• Patient/object transfers (mechanical lifts provided).
• Exposure to infected patients, contaminated materials, and combative patients (secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders).
• Ability to work in stressful situations, shift priorities, and complete annual Employee Health requirements (e.g., TB screening).

Benefits

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package:

• Pay: Competitive salary with regular increases and performance awards.
• Paid Time Off: 50 days annually (26 days annual leave, 13 days sick leave, 11 federal holidays).
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5-year vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% VA contributions.
• Insurance: Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care (many programs carry into retirement).
• Licensure: Full and unrestricted license from any U.S. State or territory.

Schedule

• Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday–Friday, 0800–1630.
• Telework: Ad-hoc.
• Virtual: Not a virtual position.