Registered Nurse (Mental Health)
Job Location:
Durham, NC - USA
Yearly Salary:
Posted:
Application Deadline:
Vacancies:
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.
The Registered Nurse (RN) for the Treatment Resistant Disorder (TRD) Care Coordinator position will serve the Veterans in the Outpatient TRD Program. The patients entering this mode of treatment may have been unsuccessful with therapies for their diagnosis such as major depression compulsive disorder eating disorders and some bipolar disorders to name a few. The RN will provide the initial consultation develop a safe treatment plan with the TRD Provider schedule the appointment for Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Transcranial Stimulation (TMS) and the medication regimen for Esketamine Clozaril Lithium or a combination of regimens as needed.
The RN for TRD will educate the family caregiver and veteran on the treatment plan with expected outcomes associated with the treatments. The RN will work closely with the interdisciplinary team to provide the safest and most effective plan of treatment based on individual care needs. The treatments may require lab monitoring scans adverse events during treatment and proper intervention as needed.
Duties include but not limited to:
- Conduct pre-procedure nursing assessments including vital signs medication reconciliation and review of NPO status and informed consent for ECT.
- Provide direct patient care and continuous monitoring during ECT sessions in collaboration with the treating psychiatrist and anesthesia provider.
- Monitor Veterans during post-procedure recovery assessing for cognitive status hemodynamic stability and treatment-related side effects (e.g. confusion headache nausea cardiac changes).
- Document treatment response cognitive assessments and adverse events in the electronic health record. Educate Veterans and family members/caregivers on the ECT process expected effects and treatment schedule.
- Coordinate scheduling of ECT series (typically 2-3 times weekly) with psychiatry anesthesia and outpatient mental health teams.
- . Participate in interdisciplinary treatment team meetings to review patient progress and adjust treatment plans. Maintain and monitor ECT equipment emergency response readiness and adherence to safety protocols.
- Ensure compliance with VHA directives Joint Commission standards and facility-specific policies governing ECT administration.
- Support quality improvement initiatives related to treatment-resistant depression outcomes and patient safety.
- Minimum of five years successful Mental Health Nursing practice.
- Prior Case Management Experience in the Treatment of Resistant Disorders and motor threshold (MT) determination procedures and clinical observation.
- Experience in psychiatric/mental health nursing procedural nursing or PACU/recovery nursing.
- Experience with ECT or other neuromodulation therapies.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively with patients families and other members of the interdisciplinary team in an outpatient setting.
- Demonstrated skills in decision-making sound clinical judgment and critical-thinking abilities Preferred Certification Psychiatric-mental health nursing (PMH-BC).
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: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 4:00pm
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
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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 evaluation/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 Education:
BSN
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking standing sitting lifting carrying pushing reaching above shoulder use of fingers both hands both legs & repeated bending. Heavy lifting (45 lbs. & over) Heavy Carrying (45 lbs. & over) Straight Pulling (up to 4 hours) Pushing (up to 4 hours) Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (up to 8 hours) Standing (up to 8 hours); Repeated bending (up to 8 hours) Both legs required; Ability for rapid mental & muscular coordination simultaneously; Specific visual requirement: Read typed Chapters; Correctable vision 20/40 in one eye; Ability to distinguish basic colors & shades of colors; Hearing (aid permitted). The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium dementia or psychiatric disorders; Emotional & Mental Stability: 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/testing as a condition of employment.
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
