Nurse Anesthetist

Summary

The VA Sioux Falls HCS is recruiting (2) full-time Nurse Anesthetists. The CRNA is an advanced practice nurse who utilizes specialized education and clinical nursing skills to administer anesthesia care throughout the medical center. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This is an open continuous announcement until May 28, 2026. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred until filled.

Duties

The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. The CRNA works with a variety of age groups to include adult and geriatric patients and is able to meet age specific needs of the patient population served. Duties include: Perform and document pre-anesthetic evaluations of patients before surgery including requesting consultations, additional diagnostic and/or laboratory studies. Initiate planned anesthetic techniques that may include general, regional, or monitored anesthesia care (MAC). Interventions include administration of fluids, medications, ventilator support, provision of homeostasis, provision of adequate pain relief and management of anesthesia and surgical side effects. Perform and document Induction of general anesthesia and initial airway management; Endotracheal intubation for surgical or procedural cases; Peripheral nerve blocks; Central neuraxial blocks; Epidural blood patches. Adjust anesthetic drugs and techniques utilized in the maintenance of anesthesia. Participates on the Code Blue Team, primarily to manage the patient's airway, but also to perform other tasks which are within the CRNA privileges, as directed by the Code Team Leader. Provides emergency airway management throughout the facility, following the ASA Difficult Airway Algorithm and department protocols, as requested. Maintains anesthesia equipment in constant readiness and cleans equipment in accordance with hospital guidelines, SOPs, manufacturer's recommendations, and CDC guidelines. Ensures compliance with OR/anesthesia safety regulations and procedures and infection control policies and procedures. Conducts in-service programs for the department and other services within the medical center. May assist or conduct approved research projects. Act as a preceptor for student Nurse Anesthetists. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: 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) Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory Work Schedule: 7:00am - 3;30pm, Call Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Qualifications

Advanced Practice Nurse (Certified Nurse Anesthetist) Basic Requirements Education. A masters or doctoral degree in nurse anesthesia. (Applicants pending the completion of educational requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until the education requirements are met.) Nursing education must be from a school of professional nursing anesthesia accredited by Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education Programs (COA) at the time the program was completed by the applicant. Licensure and Certification. The following licensure and certification requirements are considered conditions of employment. License. All APN (CNAs) must maintain an active, current, full and unrestricted license to practice as a CNA or equivalent, in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia. Basic Certification. All APN (CNAs) must maintain full and current certification by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) or an equivalent Nurse Anesthetist certification recognized by the COA. NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and an APN (CNA) assignment that are also 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. The following Education, Experience, and Knowledge, Skills and Abilities must be met for Advanced Practice Nurse (Certified Nurse Anesthetist) II: Exception to Licensure for Graduate Nurse Technicians. Candidates who otherwise meet the basic requirements, but do not possess the required APN (CNA) licensure and/or certification, may be appointed at the entry step of the Nurse II, as a Nurse Anesthetist on a temporary appointment up to any period not-to-exceed one year and a day under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2)(B). Education and Experience Requirement. Meets basic education requirement for an APN (CNA). Nurse II is considered the entry grade level for APN (CNAs); no experience is required. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. The following list of knowledge, skills and abilities present the minimum skill set expected of an Entry Level CNA. Entry level into practice may include but are not limited to the following: Ability to translate into anesthesia care the principles of professional nursing practice including the patients' rights to autonomy, dignity, privacy, and safety. Knowledge of current research and practice guidelines to frame anesthesia practice including up to date techniques, pharmacology, and equipment. Ability to obtain, document and verify informed anesthesia consent and perform a pre-anesthetic patient history and physical, which includes managing pre-operative consults and interpreting data. Ability to formulate a patient-specific anesthetic plan and describe salient anesthetic risks, benefits, and options to the patient. Ability to administer inhalational, regional, intravenous, local, and topical anesthetics. Skill in detecting and treating anesthesia or surgically related physiologic changes and ability to treat accordingly in order to maintain homeostasis. Skill in assessing patient status for appropriateness of transfer of care to another healthcare provider and communicating essential patient information to other providers effectively. Ability to participate in collaborative responsibility for proper patient positioning, physiologic monitoring, infection control and anesthesia documentation. Skill in responding to emergency situations by providing airway management, fluid and medication administration, invasive line insertion and management and the use of advanced cardiac life support techniques. Ability to provide patient care that is abreast of changing concepts and advancements in the profession, (e.g., ultrasound techniques.) Ability to practice anesthesia in an interdisciplinary environment utilizing a collaborative concept of anesthesia care. Knowledge of quality improvement processes to maintain ongoing review and evaluation of anesthesia care to improve outcomes. Ability to demonstrate a practice emphasis on safety, current established guidelines and protoc