Registered Nurse (Emergency Department)
Durham, NC - USA
Job Summary
Summary
The Durham VA Health Care System is looking to fill two (2) full time Registered Nurse vacancies for the Emergency Department service line.
The Durham VA Health Care Systems Emergency Department (ED) is a level I unit with 27 beds 2 triage rooms with 4 beds designated for high-risk psychiatry patients. The Registered Nurse will provide 24-hour nursing care and monitoring of Emergency Department medical and psychiatric patients as well as those waiting for hospital admission.
Job Description/ Scope of Practice
The Registered Nurse (RN) will provide nursing care and monitoring of Emergency Department patients seeking care as well as those admitted and waiting for bed assignment. The nurses assigned to this unit will need skills in triage emergent assessment and treatment of those seeking medical and psychiatric care including admission assessments psychiatric close monitoring and CIWA protocols.
The ED primarily cares for Veterans and occasional humanitarian persons seeking emergent care. The census of patients seeking the ED services is an average of 30000 patients per year. Registered nurses licensed practical nurses and nursing assistants provide care in collaboration with other disciplines to offer a seamless transition of care throughout the VA continuum of care.
Inter Qual guidelines and physician judgments are used to determine appropriate level of care and resource management patterns for ED patients requiring admission or transfer to other facilities. Policies procedures and clinical operations are based on EMTALA laws ENA and ACEP guidelines. Quality improvement efforts are assessed and evaluated continuously to help achieve our mission and ensure patient satisfaction.
Five Most Common Patient Problems Requiring Nursing Care
- Chest Pain
- Respiratory Problems
- Abdominal Pain
- Psychiatric /Detoxification
- Patients Awaiting Primary Care Assignment or Medication Refills
- Minimum of 2 years successful practice in Medical Surgical Nursing
- Minimum of 1 year of current critical care or emergency nursing
- Minimum of 1 year of recent experience in psychiatric nursing
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively with patients families and other members of the interdisciplinary team
- Demonstrated skills in decision-making sound clinical judgment and critical-thinking abilities
- Demonstrated ability to use computer systems in support of patient care delivery
- BSN
- ANCC for Emergency Nursing
- ANCC for Psychiatric Nursing
- ANCC for Medical Surgical Nursing
- ACLS
- BLS
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: Nights 8 or 12-hour tours with rotating weekends. Tour subject to change based on the needs of the agency.
Telework: Not available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.
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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers 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 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 masters level bridge program in nursing who have completed coursework equivalent to a bachelors 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.)
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: I Level I
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit 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.
Education
Nursing Bridge Programs: Nursing bridge programs are accelerated nurse education programs which rely upon existing nursing knowledge and education. Graduates from nursing bridge programs that meet accreditation requirements specific grade level requirements in this standard must also be met in addition to the following:(a) Masters Level Bridge Program Education Appointments Prior to Graduation. Individuals attending a masters level bridge program in nursing who achieve the level in their education in which they have completed coursework equivalent to a bachelors 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 a temporary basis for any period up to three years contingent upon full completion of the professional nursing education program if education verification provided by the school supports the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) equivalency. Upon successful completion and graduation from the bridge program the Nurse may be converted to a permanent appointment under the provisions of section 7401(a)(1) of title 38. Failure to complete the bridge program on which the temporary appointment was based will result in termination of the appointment.
Degree in a Related Field: A graduate level or doctorate degree in health care/management related fields from an institution accredited by the State and approved by the Department of Education at the time the candidate completed the program may be credited as specifically indicated in grade requirements. The graduate level or doctorate degree and coursework must provide evidence in support of the nursing role and duties associated with the assignment and grade level. Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees.
Dimension Requirement for Nurse III: Nurses at Nurse III must meet ALL the following dimension requirements to qualify for Nurse III.
- Practice. Demonstrates expertise in professional practice using the nursing process (assessment diagnosis outcome identification planning implementation and evaluation) with improved evidence-based and/or data-driven outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting.
- Veteran/Patient Driven Care. Leads initiatives to improve Veteran/patient experience. Satisfaction and/or safety beyond the immediate practice setting.
- Leadership. Communicates and collaborates as an effective leader of the inter-professional team at the expert level with improved evidence-based and/or data-driven outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting.
- Professional Development. Enhances knowledge base and practice evaluation at the expert level with improved outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting.
- Evidence Based Practice/Research. Leads the identification and integration of evidence-based practice/research with clinical expertise to improve quality of care and resource utilization at the expert level with improved outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting.
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: 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:
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.
VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38 and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
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.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicants criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations Security and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
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.
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.
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 specific benefits offered.
Required Experience:
IC