SummaryThe Assistant Chief Nurse, Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) will provide executive leadership and assumes responsibility for integrated programs that cross service and/or discipline lines and influences organizational mission, vision, values, and strategic priorities. The individual functions as an administrator, educator, and consultant while utilizing change management theory and systems thinking approaches to hard wire high reliability organization principles.
DutiesHelp
James A Haley VA Medical Center and Clinics has an opening for the Assistant Chief Nurse of the Nursing Spinal Cord Injury and Disorder department. The Assistant Chief Nurse, Spinal Cord Injury assists the Chief Nurse in providing leadership and supervision to SCI Outpatient Clinic, various SCI Nurse Coordinators, CNS/CNL/Nurse Educators for SCI service, and the Nurse Managers. Provides leadership and supervision as the Director of the five programs under the SCI Home Care Service: Comprehensive Home Care Program, SCI Hospital in Home, SCI Home Telehealth, SCI Long Term Care-Coordination Program and Home Care Progressive Rehab.
Duties listed but not limited to:
- Self-directed clinical leader, educator, and consultant utilizing management theory in collaboration with Patient Care Service (PCS) and other services.
- The Assistant Chief Nurse demonstrates leadership at the service and/or hospital level, including functioning as a nursing leader with the ability to delegate appropriately. Performs administrative functions to assistant the Chief Nurse (CN) which include but are not limited to educational programs, medicine specialty, procedural areas, etc. They assist with aggregate data and participate in the budget process to plan for current, emerging, and future resource requirements for operational status.
- Provide leadership in determining the allocation of resources based on patient care systems that provide high-quality outcomes. Actively supports and role models patient - family centered care concepts in patient care services.
- Establish and maintain effective relationships with all levels of medical center personnel and relate effectively with customers, families, and the community as well as program and service leaders at the local and network levels.
- Assists Nurse Managers (NM) to carry out the functions and activities expected of them.
- Contribute ideas and recommendations for the establishment of standards of care, policies, and objectives for the enhancement of nursing organization-wide, while assisting in policy-making activities as related to customer service and the overall functioning of administrative and clinical programs.
- Collaborates with other health care staff to establish and maintain programs that cross service and/or discipline lines and influence organizational mission and health care.
- Demonstrates leadership at the service and/or hospital level, including functioning as a nursing leader with the ability to delegate appropriately.
- Performs administrative functions to assistant the Chief Nurse (CN) which include but are not limited to educational programs, medicine specialty, procedural areas, etc.
- Assist with aggregate data and participate in the budget process to plan for current, emerging, and future resource requirements for operational status.
- Provides leadership in determining the allocation of resources based on patient care systems that produce high-quality outcomes.
- Actively supports and role models patient-family centered care concepts in patient care services.
- Engages in professional organizations to enhance leadership and career growth.
- The Assistant Chief Nurse engages in professional organizations to enhance leadership and career growth. They adhere to ethical principles in decision-making, fostering accountability at personal, organizational, and staff level.
- Accountable for utilizing clinical expertise and evidence-based practice to find innovative approaches to address concerns to improve the quality care provided to our veterans.
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: Monday thru Friday, 07:30 AM to 4:00 PM, with Flexibility for Department needs
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Available
EDRP Authorized: Not Available
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Available
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Available
RequirementsHelp
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.
QualificationsBasic 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].
Grade/LevelScopeEducationNurse I, Level I
Delivers fundamental, knowledge-based care to assigned clients while developing technical competencies.
An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional professional nursing required.
Nurse I, Level II
Demonstrates integration of biopsychosocial concepts, cognitive skills and technically competent practice in providing care to clients with basic or complex.
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
Demonstrates proficiency in practice based on conscious and deliberate planning. Self-directed in goal setting for managing complex client situations.
An ADN or Diploma in Nursing
AND 2 years of professional nursing experience in which one year is equivalent to Nurse I, Level 2;
OR a BSN and 1 year of professional nursing experience equivalent to the Nurse I, Level 2;
OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) and no additional professional nursing experience;
OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and no additional professional nursing experience.
Nurse II
Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others.
A BSN with 2 years of professional nursing equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3;
OR an MSN with one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3;
OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3;
OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with no professional nursing experience;
OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN with no additional professional nursing experience.
Nurse III
Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience and creative approaches to management of complex client care beyond the immediate practice setting.
MSN and 2 years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III;
OR 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 III;
OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III;
OR 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.
*Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees.
Preferred Experience:- MSN or higher
- Progressive leadership experience
- SCI nursing experience
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. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. Mechanical inpatient lifts are provided. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations, operative/invasive procedures, or home settings. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment. The incumbent who provides care in home settings or other off-site locations may be required to drive and/or ride in GSA-vehicles.
Additional informationThis 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 A
