Summary

Central Alabama VA HCS is seeking a Registered Nurse to serve as the Acting Deputy Director for Patient Care Service located in Tuskegee, AL. The Nurse V Deputy Director for Patient Care Service (DADPCS) is an advanced healthcare executive who demonstrates leadership, experience, and creative approaches to ensure the continuous and timely availability of quality nursing practice in a variety of complex patient care services and programs.

Duties

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• Major Duties:
• The Nurse V Associate Director for Patient Care Service (ADPCS) is an advanced healthcare executive who executes responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches in the guidance and direction of a variety of complex patient care services and programs.
• The Nurse V DADPCS is of an executive nature, comprised of complex leadership and administrative components associated with critical health care issues and activities that influence the organizational mission, health care, and policy.
• hey are accountable to the Health Care System Medical Director and are an integral part of the senior leadership team.
• The ADPCS is a member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and is the top executive within nursing services.
• The incumbent is the chief spokesperson for organized nursing services and is the catalyst for the integration and collaboration of nursing with other professional disciplines and functional areas in the mutual achievement of optimal Veteran centered organizational goals.
• The ADPCS is a key leader in strategic planning, organization assessment, and program development. The ADPCS participates with the ELT and strategic thought leaders in the facility to initiate and execute planning and decision-making processes.
• They have the authority and responsibility for establishing standards for the practice of nursing at the health care system level ensuring the continuous and timely availability of quality nursing services.
• The ADPCS is responsible for the practice of nursing 24/7.
• This includes all registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, and allied health staff (LPNs, NAs, etc.) regardless of line authority.
• They have line authority over the Deputy Associate Director Patient Care Services (DADPCS), Sterile Processing Service (SPS), and Social Work Service (SWS).
• The incumbent exercises final authority and approval for the following: job descriptions, policies, and procedures; standards of patient care, treatment, and services; nursing practice standards; staffing plans; functional statements; and standards to measure, assess, and improve patient outcomes.
• Appropriately delegates activities to those service lines under the purview of the ADPCS.
• They ensure all registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, and licensed practical/vocational nurses are licensed, certified, and/or registered upon employment, and thereafter.
• The ADPCS ensures a competency process is in place to evaluate individual practice, as well as a review process for annual performance ratings.
• The ADPCS promotes a healthy work environment for nursing through the implementation of shared decision-making; a spirit of inquiry and the use of evidence-based practice; and an academic environment supportive of education and research to promote the profession of nursing.
• Champions a High Reliability Organization (HRO) founded on a collective mindfulness approach to develop evidence-based health care solutions that promote a culture of prevention and safety.
• Establishes the strategic direction for health care delivery, evidence-based practices, industry-leading research, and innovative care models.
• Creates a shared vision and successfully leads change to improve performance and attain measurable outcomes at the organization or enterprise level.
• Transforms established practices to cultivate a culture of inquiry/innovation for the future.

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: M-F 8:00 to 4:30

Telework: Ad-hoc

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

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/ViewQuestionnaire/[redacted].

*Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees.

The following Scope, Education and Dimension criteria must be met to qualify for Nurse V:

• Scope: Practice of an executive nature, comprised of complex leadership and administrative components, associated with critical health care issues and activities that drive meeting the organizational mission, health care and policy.
• Education: Master's degree in Nursing (MSN) and 5 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse IV and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse V; OR Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and 5 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse IV and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse V; OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing and 4 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse IV and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse V; OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN and 4 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse IV and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse V. *Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees.
• Dimension Requirements:
  
  • Leadership. Establishes the strategic direction for health care delivery, evidence-based practices, industry-leading research, and innovative care models. Creates a shared vision and successfully leads change to improve performance and attain measurable outcomes at the organization or enterprise level.
  • Business Acumen. Transforms health care through the application of new processes, technology, informatics, data analytics, business principles, systems thinking and resource management at the organization or enterprise level.
  • Inspiring an Industry-Leading Lifestyle. Establishes an industry leading, shared decision-making lifestyle; a workforce that serves Veterans, families, and caregivers of all backgrounds; builds trust and lifestyle competencies and catalyzes dynamic teams at the organization and enterprise level.
  • Communication and Relationship Management. Drives the effective use of relationship management principles to achieve positive customer service experiences that are consistent with professional and organizational values, beliefs, and practices at the organizational or enterprise level.
  • Professional and Social Responsibility. Sets the standard for a lifestyle of holistic care, health advocacy and health equity. Applies ethical principles in decision-making at the organization or enterprise level. Advances nursing knowledge through health science research and the translation and dissemination of evidence into practice to maximize the value to Veterans, the community, and the health care industry.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements:

• This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity.
• The Nurse V, must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the s