Registered Nurse -Specialty Care Outpatient

About the role

The Specialty Care Outpatient Staff Nurse (RN) is a position located at John Cochran and Jefferson Barracks Campus at VA Saint Louis Health Care System. The Outpatient Staff Nurse is responsible for the care management of veterans within the St. Louis VA Health Care System as well as outside the medical facilities and other health care providers.

Responsibilities

• Delivers fundamental - knowledge-based care to assigned clients while developing technical competencies.
• Demonstrates integration of biopsychosocial concepts - cognitive skills and technically competent practice in providing care to clients with basic or complex.
• Applies clinical knowledge/judgment to lead staff involvement in planning - decision making - and evaluating outcomes within the immediate practice setting.
• Functions as a leader - with demonstrated outcomes - for the immediate practice setting.
• Improves Veteran/patient driven care by resolving experience issues such as coordination of care - timeliness or process issues - common themes of dissatisfaction - or environment of care concerns for the immediate practice setting.
• Serves as an advocate for patients - families - and caregivers - improving outcomes for the immediate practice setting.
• Serves as a resource for patients - caregivers - and staff to address and resolve ethical issues in the immediate practice setting.
• Learns and implements high reliability principles and I CARE values to increase consistency of care delivered and improve patient outcomes.
• Takes responsibility for personal and professional career goals.
• Supports the professional growth of others.
• Participates in the advancement of the profession through mentoring - precepting - and/or teaching to improve outcomes in the immediate practice setting.
• Leads education initiatives to expand knowledge with improved outcomes in the immediate practice setting.

Requirements

• Basic Requirements: English Language Proficiency - 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).
• 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.
• 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.

Qualifications

• Nurse I - Level I: An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing - with no additional professional nursing required.
• Nurse I - Level II: 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: An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 2 years of professional nursing experience in which one year is equivalent to Nurse I - Level 2OR a BSN and 1 year of professional nursing experience equivalent to the Nurse I - Level 2OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) and no additional professional nursing experienceOR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and no additional professional nursing experience.
• Nurse II: A BSN with 2 years of professional nursing equivalent to Nurse I - Level 3OR an MSN with one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I - Level 3OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I - Level 3OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with no professional nursing experienceOR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN with no additional professional nursing experience.
• Nurse III: An MSN and 2 years of specialized nursing experience - one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IIIOR 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 IIIOR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IIIOR 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*.
• BSN preferred 1-3 years outpatient medical or surgical specialty clinic experience preferred.

Skills

• Knowledge and active participation in the unit/program level quality improvement process and initiatives as well as customer service programs.
• Knowledge and application of the nursing process in alignment with the ANA Standards of Nursing Practice.
• Collaboration with members of the interdisciplinary team.
• Leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others.
• Ability to integrate patient - family - and caregiver knowledge - values - and beliefs into care delivery without judgement or discrimination.
• Ability to resolve ethical issues in the immediate practice setting.
• Ability to implement high reliability principles and I CARE values to increase consistency of care delivered and improve patient outcomes.
• Ability to communicate effectively and inspire cooperation and confidence to ensure safe and effective outcomes in the current practice setting.
• Ability to set group goals and keep self and team informed of the latest trends and developments.
• Ability to encourage individual growth and development.
• Ability to take responsibility for personal and professional career goals.
• Ability to support the professional growth of others.
• Ability to participate in the advancement of the profession through mentoring - precepting - and/or teaching to improve outcomes in the immediate practice setting.
• Ability to lead education initiatives to expand knowledge with improved outcomes in the immediate practice setting.

Benefits

• 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).

Pay

• Competitive salary - regular salary increases - potential for performance awards.

Schedule

• Monday - Friday 08:00am - 16:30pm.