Registered Nurse- Intensive Care Unit

The Kansas City VA Medical Center is recruiting for Critical Care Registered Nurse for Nursing Acute Care assigned to Medical Incentive Care Unit (MICU). Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) is responsible for providing competent evidence-based care to assigned patients and oversight of licensed vocational nurses/nursing assistants as appropriate to the setting. The nurse will assist in directing the provision of nursing education orientation competencies and providing quality improvement and outcomes utilization consultation.

The (MICU) is a 10-bed high-acuity unit dedicated to providing comprehensive critical care to adult and geriatric patients. Our team manages a wide range of complex medical conditions and advanced therapies making the MICU an engaging environment for nurses who thrive in fast-paced clinically challenging addition to caring for critically ill patients the MICU supports the hospital as a medical/surgical overflow unit and works closely with the Surgical ICU to ensure seamless coordination and continuity of care. Nurse patient ratios vary depending on acuity. Anywhere from 1:1 for the most critically ill and acute to 4:1. Typical ICU ratios 2:1 and m/s 3-4:1.

The major duties and responsibilities of a Registered Nurse-ICU include but are not limited to:

Patient Conditions and Therapies Include:
- Multi-system organ failure
- Sepsis and septic shock
- Acute respiratory failure
- Ventilated patients (invasive and non-invasive)
- Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT)
- Off-tour post-operative recoveries
- Neurologic emergencies
- Endocrine and metabolic crises
- DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis)
- Advanced cardiac monitoring

Responsibilities:
- Provide high-quality critical care nursing to adult and geriatric patients.
- Assess plan implement and evaluate evidence-based nursing interventions.
- Manage advanced therapies such as ventilators and CRRT.
- Administer medications and treatments safely and accurately.
- Monitor and document patient status vital signs and responses to interventions.
- Collaborate closely with the interdisciplinary team including the Surgical ICU for optimal patient outcomes.
- Prioritize patient safety effective communication and coordinated care.
- Educate patients and families regarding conditions treatment plans and recovery expectations.
- Document all care in accordance with VA policies and regulatory standards.
- Participate in unit-based quality improvement initiatives and professional development activities.

Preferred Experience: ICU experience

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. Six 12-hour and one 8-hour shift per pay period. Tours include Days/ Nights / Weekends / Holidays and are subject to change based on the needs of the health care system.
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.

To qualify for this position as a Nurse you must meet the Basic Requirements as well as the additional grade-level requirements. Applicants pending the completion of educational requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until the education requirements are met. Applicants that meet the education requirement but do not possess a nurse registration yet may be hired at the entry step of the grade and level applicable to the completed nursing education as a Graduate Nurse Technician on a 120-day temporary appointment while actively pursuing licensure.

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.)