Registered Nurse- Emergency Department

Emergency Department (ED) Registered Nurse (RN) executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership experience and creative approaches to management of complex patient care.

• Collaborates in the development implementation evaluation and revision of policies procedures and/or guidelines.
• Provides urgent and emergent care to patients with acute and/or chronic medical surgical and psychiatric conditions. Nursing care ranges from basic nursing care to stabilization resuscitation and life-support measures.
• Emergency nursing practice is independent and collaborative.
• The ED RN practice includes the roles of direct care provider educator administrator researcher consultant leader and advocate.
• Provides peers with formal or informal constructive feedback for improvement.
• Supports colleagues and other nurses through knowledge sharing to provide safe quality nursing care.
• Fosters a safe and supportive environment conducive to the professional development of health care professionals.
• Evaluates outcomes of evidence-based decisions and practice changes for individuals groups and populations.
• Responsible for the documented outcomes at the program or service level.
• Program or service level outcomes must be broad and complex and can be demonstrated at any organizational level within a facility.
• The ED RN is responsible and accountable for all elements of the nursing process when providing care.
• They assess the patient by collecting pertinent data or information including the triage of patients based on the five-level triage system to prioritize patients that require more immediate care.
• They use the assessment data to determine diagnoses problems or other concerns.
• They will identify expected outcomes to develop a collaborative and individualized plan for each patient.
• The ED RN will implement that plan including care Functional Statement: Nurse III Page 2 coordination health teaching and health promotion.
• They evaluate the progress toward achieving the expected goal and outcomes and adjusts the plan as necessary.
• The responsibilities of the Registered Nurse assigned to the Triage/Emergency Room area include but are not limited to:
• Maintains current/active Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)/Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) provider status.
• Monitors patient conditions when held over in the life support room.
• Triages all unscheduled patients in accordance with Emergency Severity Index.
• Responds to Outside Emergencies and implements appropriate interventions.
• Provides immediate nursing intervention in emergency situations.
• Implements patient safety practices with regard to medication administration patient identification fall risk assessment and prevention hand-off reports using the SBAR (situation background assessment and recommendations) format.
• Is responsible for ordering/maintaining supplies for the clinical area.
• Provides appropriate hand-off report communication using the SBAR format.
• Demonstrates/maintains competencies in accordance with the Core Competencies of the High Performance Development Model (HPDM).
• Provides assistance to other nursing units such as ICU/Telemetry.
• Has knowledge and expertise in the following:
• Transvenous and external pacemakers
• Automated External Defibrillator (AED)/Cardioversion/Defibrillation
• Treatment of acute MI/ACS CHF acute seizure activity and Respiratory Distress Syndrome
• Chest tubes
• Foley catheters/CBI - IV thrombolytics
• IV pain management
• Expanders
• Vasoactive
• Is able to assess and implement care of patients with Dx of overdose acute psychotic episodes including but not limited to suicide violence and hallucinations.
• Is capable of providing care to patients with fractures altered mental state and acute stroke.

Conditions of employment

NOTE: Prior to accepting a final employment offer all selected applicants will be required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding regarding deployment responsibilities

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• 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.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination and maintain CDT physical readiness.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Must be able to meet physical demands which include strenuous physical activity to include carrying persons and equipment walking long distances over difficult terrain running climbing working long hours in primitive or arduous conditions long periods of standing and bending and stooping.

Qualifications

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 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). The approving official may authorize a waiver of the requirement for ACEN or CCNE accreditation of any degree in nursing provided the college or university has regional accreditation from an accrediting body recognized by the Department of Education at the time of the candidates graduation and the composite qualifications of the applicant warrant such 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 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 bachelors degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience; OR a Bachelors 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 Bachelors 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 Masters 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 Bachelors degree in a related field and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Masters 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 - Masters 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.