APN Associate Chief of Staff for Education (ACOS-E)

THIS IS NOT A REMOTE POSITION

This is a multidisciplinary announcement. This position may be filled by either a Pharmacist a Psychologist a Physician or an Advanced Practice Nurse.

The Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) - Associate Chief of Staff for Education (ACOS-E) is the designated VA Medical Center (VAMC) employee who has oversight responsibility for all health professions training at the VAMC. The person in this role is directly accountable to the Chief of Staff (COS) for clinical program activities and overall compliance to the VA VHA and VISN-wide policies and procedures.

The APN - ACOS-E is also responsible for the following duties:

• Receiving guidance on Health Professions Education (HPE) program requirements from the VHA Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA).
• Establishing maintaining and evaluating the quality of health professions training programs and the quality of care delivered by trainees at the VA facility.
• Providing direction and oversight of the HPE service and education support for a full spectrum of paid and without compensation (WOC) HPTS.
• Providing a wide range of program management and educational support to employees upper-level facility management affiliate schools and others associated with a complex healthcare system.
• Providing a wide range of program management and administrative duties supporting the HPE programs.
• Other duties as assigned.

HPT academic levels include undergraduate graduate and post-graduate students externs interns residents fellows VA advanced fellows pre- and post-doctoral fellows.

Educational programs supported may include medical dental allied health nursing pharmacy mental health advanced fellows and limited non-clinical programs.

The incumbent will maintain an active clinical practice using the full scope of their education training and certification for 75% of their assigned duties. The remaining 25% of their workload will consist of the administrative duties and responsibilities associated with this position.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards

Pay: Competitive salary regular salary increases potential for performance awards
Paid Time Off: Up to 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: 0800 - 1630.
Telework: Ad-hoc as determined by the agency policy.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for a highly qualified candidate.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

• 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.
• English Language accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(f) no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• 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 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.

Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) Basic Requirements

• Education: A post-masters certificate or masters or doctoral degree as a Nurse Practitioner. (Applicants pending the completion of educational requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until the education requirements are met.) Must be a 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).
  • NOTE: Foreign Education. Graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing programs the nurse practitioner degree equivalency must be validated through an Agency recognized degree equivalency evaluation agency such as the International Consultants of Delaware (ICD). Candidates with equivalent nurse practitioner masters or doctorate level degrees who possess current full active and unrestricted registration and certification will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing to warrant appointment.
• License and Certification:
  • License. All APN (NPs) must possess and maintain an active current full and unrestricted APN license to practice as an NP in a State Territory or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia.
  • Basic Certification. All APN (NPs) must maintain full and current board certification in an area of clinical specialty from one of the following: the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB) or other nationally recognized certifying body in the area in which the Nurse Practitioner is academically prepared.

NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and an APN (NP) assignment that are also 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.

The following Scope Education and Experience and Dimension criteria must be met to qualify for Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) IV:

• Scope: Executes leadership that is characterized by substantial and continuous responsibility and accountability for population groups or integrated programs that cross service and/or discipline lines and influence organizational mission and health care.
• Education and Experience Requirement: Meets basic education requirement for APN (NP) AND four years of APN (NP) experience one of which is specialized experience equivalent to Nurse III AND Meets all Nurse IV dimension requirements.
• Dimension Requirement: APNs (NPs) at Level IV must meet ALL the following dimension requirements:
  • Practice. Practices at an associate executive level utilizing clinical leadership and administrative skills demonstrating continuing responsibility that influences the organizational mission health care delivery and policy at the local and/or regional level.
  • Outcome Focus. Leads the application of clinical/business models incorporating research/evidence-based practices designed to achieve and sustain excellence in the delivery of health care at the service and organization levels.
  • Leadership. Creates and implements a shared vision and successfully leads change to improve organizational performance and attain measurable performance outcomes.
  • Professional Development. Establishes innovative current and future healthcare delivery models policy/regulation and governance to cultivate a healthy lifestyle improving health outcomes.
  • Professionalism/Collegiality. Facilitates effective relationship management communication customer service experiences and negotiation across lifestyles using a broad range of technology platforms to influence inspire and motivate others within their program/service or beyond.

Preferred Experience:

• Program Director experience for internal medicine family practice or psychiatry residency program is highly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with administration of graduate and/or undergraduate training programs.
• At least 2 years of clinical experience in the field of practice is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with the teaching and educating of health professional trainees is preferred.

Physical Requirements:
This position includes a level of physicality normally associated with duties performed by nurses such as direct patient care and potentially long periods of walking standing sitting moderate lifting repeated bending or kneeling. Examples may include but are not limited to:

• Significant amounts of time standing assisting assigned patients
• Utilization of safe patient handling and mobility protocols

Position specific duties/expectations are detailed in the associated competency and should be performed once the competency has been validated.