Registered Nurse - Spinal Cord Injury MDS/RAC

Summary

This vacancy may be used to fill more than one position.

Duties

Duties: The MDS RAC Nurse assigned to the Spinal Cord Injury/Disorders Unit is primarily responsible for applying the nursing process to the care of Veteran patients in both an outpatient and inpatient setting. The SCI/D MDS RAC Nurse possesses the knowledge and skills to effectively apply all aspects of the nursing process within a collaborative, interdisciplinary practice setting, which will then enable effective implementation of health promotion and prevention practices by nursing staff and attainment of optimal levels of functioning and/or support of all nursing employees. The Nurse performs the appropriate documentation that reflects assessment of patient needs, interdisciplinary treatment plans, provides education and support to the patient and their families, plans clinical interventions, and evaluates patients' responses to treatments. They also have the ability to effectively interact with Veterans and their families as well as other support systems with the hospital. The Nurse is an active member of the multidisciplinary team and collaborates in the development, execution and evaluation of the multidisciplinary plan of care or critical pathway. The MDS RAC considers factors related to safety, effectiveness and cost in planning and delivering care. The Nurse's decisions and actions on behalf of patients are determined in an ethical manner. The MDS RAC nurse is directly responsible to the Chief Nurse of SCI/D. This nurse is responsible and accountable for the Resident Assessment Coordinator (RAC) coordination and for the delivery of quality nursing care for a culturally diverse veteran population. The nurse will act as a care coordinator for Resident SCI Veterans in all areas of their medical care, delivering care that meets the needs and preferences of the Veteran with SCI/D. The registered nurse possesses the knowledge and skills to effectively apply all aspects of the nursing process within a collaborative, interdisciplinary practice setting, which then enables effective implementation of health promotion and preventive practices, management of acute and chronic illnesses, and attainment of optimal levels of functioning and/or support for the dying patient and significant others, and data collection and coordination. The role, responsibilities, and accountabilities also include demonstration of knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age-related needs of patients served in the assigned area of practice. This knowledge includes understanding changes associated with aging and principles of growth and development relevant to the adult geriatric population. The MDS RAC performs all required elements of a nursing assessment including but not limited to physical examination, assessment of readiness to learn, psychosocial assessment, functional assessment and utilization of patient/family specific assessment scales as required. The nurse will collaborate with SCI/D executive leadership by managing service-level QI activities that monitor critical aspects of care. An ongoing and continuous evaluation of SCI/D programs must be conducted to ensure the quality and appropriateness of care provided to patients. The MDS RAC will actively participate in Quartey QI meetings assisting in identifying important aspects of care and to monitor areas of service delivery, which are identified as high risk, high volume or problem prone. The Nurse is responsible for direct patient care, ensuring that the appropriate plan of care is implemented according to the standards of regulatory agencies, such as JC, OSHA and VHA Directives. They are expected to manage patient care in an astute manner, which protects patient's safety and promotes positive patient outcomes. He/she possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to their age-specific needs, providing care as considered necessary. Preferred experience: Spinal Cord Injury experience, Long Term Care experience, or Care Coordination experience. 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: 7:30am - 4pm Monday - Friday Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f), 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); 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.) NOTE: 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. The Dimension requirements (Practice, Veteran/Patient Driven Care, Leadership, Professional Development and Evidence-Based Practice/Research) are detailed for each grade and level within the online assessment: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionn