Registered Nurse (Blind Rehabilitation) EDRP Authorized
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Job Summary
This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval award amount (up to $200000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.
CTVHCS is in the process of making a cultural change shifting from a disease-focused approach to a health and wellbeing approach in order to implement the Whole Health System of Care. This is a VA-wide initiative to provide a comprehensive and systematic approach to improve healthcare delivery at all stages of Veteran care. This entails moving from an episodic siloed approach to an interdisciplinary holistic approach emphasizing self-care in the larger context of well-being. All staff in this facility will be part of this process shifting the focus from the question Whats the matter with you to the question What matters to you and how can we help you live your best life This strategy also involves integrating a full range of conventional approaches with Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) approaches in order to optimize lifelong health and well-being as defined by the Veteran rather than narrowly focusing on disease management.
The Blind Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (RN) provides and leads the provision of competent evidence-based care the psychiatric mental health (MH) nurse independently provides patient-centered and recovery-oriented care milieu management and maintains self awareness while caring for patients living with MH conditions.
Duties include but are not limited to the following:
- Facilitate shift reports warm hand-offs and nurse-led psychoeducational groups.
- Use therapeutic communication techniques de-escalation methods and recovery-oriented language.
- Actively participate in MH interdisciplinary treatment team meetings and MH Environment of Care rounds
- Actively participate in MH interdisciplinary treatment team MH Environment of Care rounds assumes team lead for psychiatric emergencies reports and assists in resolving safety concerns and documents nursing assessments nursing plan of care patient safety observations and environmental safety rounds according to facility policy.
- Maintain professional boundaries to protect patient vulnerabilities and act in the best interest of the
patient. - Provide oversight of licensed vocational nurses and nursing assistants as appropriate for the setting.
- Assist in directing the provision of nursing education orientation competencies and providing quality improvement and outcomes utilization consultation.
- Provide peers with informal constructive feedback for improvement.
- Foster a safe and supportive environment that promotes professional development of healthcare
professionals. - Contribute professional nursing perspectives in discussions with the MH interdisciplinary team
- Support colleagues through MH knowledge sharing to promote safe quality nursing care.
- Share MH educational findings experiences and ideas with peers.
- Question clinical practices to promote evidence-based care
- Participate in activities and strategies that support an evidence-based MH practice culture
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: Full Time 11:30am-8:00pm alternating weekends days/evenings. Occasional rotation to other tours to cover leave requirements.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
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.
- 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.
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
Preferred Experience:
- Evidence of Belt/Systems Redesign training/experience/certification
- SNT/GNT/RNTTP completion <5 years
- Professional Governance participation
- Preceptor/charge nurse experience/training (combination of experience and training is acceptable).
- Evidence-Based Practice experience/training (combination of experience and training is acceptable).
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
