The Nurse Practitioner (NP) is assigned to the Specialty Care Clinics in the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia. The Nurse Practitioner (NP) will serve as a member of the Cardiology team and functions autonomously within the scope of approved clinical privileges and collaboratively with the interdisciplinary team in the management of complex patient problems in an active practice to deliver health care services to patients. Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), 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 State-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). In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of current, full, active and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing. OR The completion of coursework equivalent to a nursing degree in a MSN Bridge Program that qualifies for professional nursing registration constitutes the completion of an approved course of study of professional nursing. Students should submit the certificate of professional nursing to sit for the NCLEX to the VA along with a copy of the MSN transcript. (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. 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. Nurse Practitioner Specific Requirements: Registered nurses appointed or otherwise moving into these assignments must meet and maintain the following additional qualifications. A nurse practitioner must be licensed or otherwise recognized as a nurse practitioner in a State, possess a master's degree from a program accredited by the NLNAC or CCNE, and maintain full and current certification as a nurse practitioner from the American Nurses Association or another nationally recognized certifying body. The certification must be in the specialty to which the individual is being appointed or selected. Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade: Nurse I Level I - An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional nursing practice/experience required. Nurse I Level II - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 1 year of nursing practice/experience; OR an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a bachelor's degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience; OR a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional nursing practice/experience. Nurse I Level III - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a Bachelor's degree in a related field and approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a BSN with approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) or related field with a BSN and no additional nursing practice/experience. Nurse II - A BSN with approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a Bachelor's degree in a related field and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master's degree in nursing or related field with a BSN and approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing or meets basic requirements for appointment and has doctoral degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience required. Nurse III - Master's degree in nursing or related field with BSN and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience. Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-6 Nurse Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Physical Requirements: The work may require some physical exertion such as long periods of standing, or recurring and considerable crouching, bending, standing, stooping, stretching, or walking such as in performing regular and recurring medical activities, inspections, or to observe healthcare operations in treatment facilities. Work also includes frequent lifting of moderately heavy items weighing less than 23 kilograms (i.e., under 50 pounds) such as record boxes, equipment, or assisting in self-care transfer activities. ["Duties include but not limited to the following: Assist in triaging patients alert, e-consults, and regular outpatient consults Evaluates and follow-up on established cardiac patients in outpatient cardiology clinics Conducts post-procedural (post catheterization and electrophysiology) assessment and follow-up Manages cardiology patients, particularly heart failure patients, in outpatient clinics Conducts exercise and pharmacological stress test Device alert follow-up as needed Works directly under the supervision of the Cardiologists in Outpatient and Inpatient services Responsible for care of patients in our outpatient/ inpatient cardiology, heart failure, and cardiac observation units; admissions of cardiology patients; conducts comprehensive appraisals of patients' health status by taking health histories and performing physical examinations Orders/interprets laboratory tests, x-rays, procedures, prescribes/orders medications and therapies, to the extent delegated and permissible by approved clinical privileges and law Provides care coordination and discharges patients to include hand-off to outpatient providers Responsible for maintaining Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications. Provides comprehensive teaching to patients and families; documents in the medical record all care and education provided and/or procedures performed for which the licensed Advanced Practice Registered Nurse is responsible; refers to other disciplines as appropriate; Serves as consultant to other disciplines in areas of expertise; integrates research-based knowledge and clinical expertise in decision making; advocates for patients, families, coworkers, and the community; maintains certifications and continuing education as required for licensure and privileging; participates in unit/departmental/divisional or medical center committees/task forces as appropriate; Develops and participates in programs to meet continuing education needs of staff; serves as a role model and preceptor to students; Provides formal education to both internal and external groups pertinent to area of specialty; Participates in quality improvement and/or research initiatives for specific patient population as appropriate; per local policy, Works collaboratively with many disciplines to provide care, including physicians, pharmacists, registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, dietitians, social workers, clerical and administrative staff, community agencies and others as appropriate. Uses advanced clinical knowledge/judgment to promote staff involvement in planning, decision-making, and evaluating outcomes. Evaluates current practice, and formulating outcomes for groups of patients and/or organizational processes within an area of expertise. Guides, develops, and supports staff from a leadership perspective. Uses professional standards of care, scientific evidence, and practice to evaluate programs and/or service activities. Leads and organizes delivery-of-care to assure continuity-of-care and peer accountability for practice, including access-to-care and discharge planning with documented outcomes at the panel/program or service level. Provides direct patient care and/or telehealth care as a clinical expert to adults with medical issues, including assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of health care problems which may include prescription of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions according to the VHA standards. Other duties as assigned VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases 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 - 08:00am-4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not available Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for a highly qualified applicant Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,298 health care facilities, including 171 medical centers and 1,113 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.
