SummaryResponsible and accountable for all elements of the nursing process, influences outcomes by collaborating with members of the interdisciplinary team, and executes position responsibilities that demonstrates leadership, experience, and creative approaches, and systematically evaluates current practice. This position is located at the Castle Point VA Medical Center in Wappingers Falls, NY.
DutiesHelp
Duties include but are not limited to: - Works with close supervision, is responsible and accountable for individual informatics nursing practice and seeks direction from others as needed.
- Manages workload as assigned, organizes, and completes duties in an efficient and appropriate manner.
- Participates in the development, implementation, and evaluation of interdisciplinary care.
- With guidance, competently determines the most appropriate use of expertise in systems issues requiring intervention, and quality and performance measures.
- Identifies expected outcomes as measurable goals.
- Demonstrates how healthcare capabilities and technology adjoined to the EHR to deliver quality care can be developed, implemented, monitored, maintained, and optimized by informatics tools.
- Independently identifies expected outcomes as measurable informatics goals.
- Participates in the design and development using informatics principles to address the situation and/or issue.
- Utilizes specific evidence-based actions and steps specific to the identified problem to achieve defined outcomes.
- Synthesizes available data, information, and knowledge relevant to the situation to identify patterns and variances.
- Provides leadership at the unit/group or team level to enable healthcare capabilities and the evolution of technology adjoined to the EHR thereby delivering quality care by developing, implementing, monitoring, maintaining, and optimizing informatics tools and access to them.
- Applies proficient skills in nursing informatics, problem-solving, and clinical knowledge/judgment to guide/support staff in planning, executing, and evaluating outcomes of unit level quality or performance improvement initiatives.
- Applies advanced clinical knowledge/judgment to lead staff involvement in planning, decision-making, and evaluating outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting.
- Develops recommendations and strategies to address and resolve complex issues and problems, providing direction for all key stakeholders.
- Establishes formal and informal consultative relationships that can also provide professional development and mentorship opportunities.
Perform other duties as assigned.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 - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM.
Telework: Ad-hoc. Available at service discretion and management approval.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
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.
- 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 Qualifications: Candidates should have demonstrated experience as a Registered Nurse in a health informatics role, including hands-on work with VistA/CPRS and integrated hardware/software applications. Preferred candidates will have experience leading interdisciplinary teams and
collaborating across program, service, and network levels; applying evidence-based practice to improve clinical outcomes; and contributing to system optimization, data management, or requirements/change management initiatives. Experience with Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA) and familiarity with artificial intelligence tools or applications in a clinical or informatics setting are a plus. Experience mentoring staff, presenting at professional conferences, publishing in nursing or informatics journals, or participating in professional informatics organizations is also highly desirable. Prior experience within a VA or other large, multi-facility healthcare system is a plus.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
Physical Requirements: VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.
EducationIMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education or if a degree is required for the position. 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 meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
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.
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.
BenefitsHelp
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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