Summary

The PACT Registered Nurse (RN) at the Santa Rosa VA Outpatient Clinic provides comprehensive, patient-centered nursing care as a core member of the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT). The RN collaborates closely with primary care providers, LVNs, and other interdisciplinary team members to deliver coordinated, high-quality care to Veterans. This role emphasizes care management, chronic disease monitoring, preventive health, patient education, and care coordination across the continuum of services.

Duties

The PACT RN functions with a high level of clinical judgment and autonomy, managing a panel of patients, conducting nursing assessments, triaging patient concerns, and facilitating timely access to care. The RN supports population health initiatives, health promotion, and evidence-based practice while ensuring compliance with VA policies, national PACT standards, and regulatory requirements.

Duties and responsibilities of the PACT RN include:

• Provides comprehensive, patient-centered nursing care to an assigned panel of Veterans within the PACT model.
• Conducts nursing assessments, including health history, medication reconciliation, vital signs, and symptom evaluation.
• Performs clinical triage for walk-ins, telephone calls, and secure messages using evidence-based protocols.
• Manages chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, COPD, heart disease) through monitoring, education, and follow-up.
• Administers immunizations, medications, injections, and treatments per VA policy and provider orders.
• Serves as a care manager, coordinating services across primary care, specialty care, mental health, community care, and inpatient settings.
• Tracks preventive care, clinical reminders, and population health metrics for assigned Veteran panels.
• Identifies high-risk Veterans and supports care transitions, including post-discharge follow-up and referral coordination.
• Facilitates timely access to care and ensures continuity of services, particularly important in a rural clinic setting.
• Provides Veteran-centered education on disease management, medications, lifestyle modification, and preventive health.
• Promotes self-management, shared decision-making, and whole health principles.
• Educates Veterans and families on available VA and community resources.
• Functions as a core member of the interdisciplinary PACT team, collaborating with providers, LVNs, clerks, pharmacists, social workers, and behavioral health staff.
• Participates in daily huddles, team meetings, and care planning activities.
• Communicates effectively with Veterans, caregivers, and team members using face-to-face, telephone, and secure messaging platforms.
• Documents care accurately and timely in the electronic health record (CPRS/VistA or Cerner, as applicable).
• Ensures compliance with VA policies, national PACT standards, Joint Commission requirements, and nursing practice standards.
• Maintains patient confidentiality and adheres to information security and privacy regulations.
• Participates in quality improvement initiatives, performance improvement activities, and evidence-based practice projects.
• Supports clinic goals related to access, quality, patient satisfaction, and safety.
• Maintains current nursing competencies, certifications, and mandatory training requirements.
• Recognizes and responds appropriately to urgent and emergent patient conditions.
• Initiates emergency protocols, including basic life support and coordination with emergency services when needed.
• Promotes a safe clinical environment and follows infection prevention and workplace safety practices.

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: Full-time; 8:00am-4:30pm

Telework: Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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.
• 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].

Grade/Level

Scope

Education

Nurse 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:

• One year of Ambulatory Care/Primary Care experience.
• Certification in Ambulatory Care.

Salary for this position ranges dependent upon applicant qualifications

Grade 1 Level I-III: $153,887-$204,663 annually

Grade 2: $176,969-$228,000 annually

Grade 3: $194,665-$228,000 annually

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 position requires potentially, long periods of combined walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable or working effectively in stressful situation, able to shift priorities based on needs of the organization. The incumbent may be required to travel occasionally. This position potentially requires flexibility in schedule and assignments. Telework is position dependent and appropriate approvals are required; telework is not guaranteed and incumbent must comply with all regulations relevant to telework agreements, policies, and processes. If a position requires driving, incumbent is required to maintain compliance with all relevant policies and processes.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to