Registered Nurse Primary Care (Garner)
Garner, IA - USA
Job Summary
The Garner VA Clinic is seeking (3) highly skilled/experienced Registered Nurse to serve within Primary Care (PACT). Demonstrates leadership experience/ingenious approaches to management of complex patient care. Accountable for the management of patient care human fiscal/material resources & the total environment of the unit. Responsible to ensure that the highest possible quality of care is achieved & a safe therapeutic environment.
The Garner VA Outpatient Clinic- PACT maintains the health and manages the care for patients with a variety of medical problems including hypertension diabetes arthritis cancer congestive heart failure and other chronic diseases. The clinic is designed to provide comprehensive primary care services including gender specific care to male and female Veterans. The clinic is staffed by providers (physicians advanced practice providers) registered nurses licensed practical nurses pharmacists social workers and medical support assistants. The Registered Nurse will serve as a primary care nurse in support of the physician or advanced practice provider.
Duties will include but not be limited to:
- Oversight of nursing staff patient intake documentation point of care testing and health screening.
- Assess triage take histories and document conditions and concerns for Veterans presenting to the clinic and via the telephone.
- Responsible for promoting an environment that supports caring and courteous service safe patient care and positive working relationships.
- Coordinate care through the health continuum using health education health coaching and health promotion.
- Minimum of three years of successful clinical practice.
- Prior recent experience in ambulatory care/primary care nursing including intake for medical appointments and care of patients with mental health and health education needs.
- Previous experience in the care manager role and coordinating care/care delivery.
- Previous experience with telephone advice nursing and triage assessments.
- Demonstrated proficiency in using the nursing process in providing care for clients with complex care needs.
- Previous knowledge/experience with the patient centered medical home practice model.
- Demonstrated ability in the areas of interpersonal relationships problem solving/critical thinking skills and conflict resolution.
- Demonstrated outcomes in working effectively with interdisciplinary team in the outpatient setting.
- Demonstrated ability to function independently use good communication skills and to be flexible.
- Computer skills and typing proficiency sufficient to permit real-time documentation of patient encounters enter and retrieve data.
- Prior experience with determining patient assignments unit management and charge nurse responsibilities.
- Minimum of 1 year experience in Primary Care clinic.
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 8 hour tour between 7:30am - 5:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: Not available
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
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 Level of Education:
- BSN
- Ambulatory Care Nursing Case Management
- Medical-Surgical Telephone Nursing Practice
Nursing Bridge Programs: Nursing bridge programs are accelerated nurse education programs which rely upon existing nursing knowledge and education. Graduates from nursing bridge programs that meet accreditation requirements specific grade level requirements in this standard must also be met in addition to the following:(a) Masters Level Bridge Program Education Appointments Prior to Graduation. Individuals attending a masters level bridge program in nursing who achieve the level in their education in which they 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 a temporary basis for any period up to three years contingent upon full completion of the professional nursing education program if education verification provided by the school supports the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) equivalency. Upon successful completion and graduation from the bridge program the Nurse may be converted to a permanent appointment under the provisions of section 7401(a)(1) of title 38. Failure to complete the bridge program on which the temporary appointment was based will result in termination of the appointment.
Degree in a Related Field: A graduate level or doctorate degree in health care/management related fields from an institution accredited by the State and approved by the Department of Education at the time the candidate completed the program may be credited as specifically indicated in grade requirements. The graduate level or doctorate degree and coursework must provide evidence in support of the nursing role and duties associated with the assignment and grade level. Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees.
Dimension Requirement for Nurse III: Nurses at Nurse III must meet ALL the following dimension requirements to qualify for Nurse III.
- Practice. Demonstrates expertise in professional practice using the nursing process (assessment diagnosis outcome identification planning implementation and evaluation) with improved evidence-based and/or data-driven outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting.
- Veteran/Patient Driven Care. Leads initiatives to improve Veteran/patient experience. Satisfaction and/or safety beyond the immediate practice setting.
- Leadership. Communicates and collaborates as an effective leader of the inter-professional team at the expert level with improved evidence-based and/or data-driven outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting.
- Professional Development. Enhances knowledge base and practice evaluation at the expert level with improved outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting.
- Evidence Based Practice/Research. Leads the identification and integration of evidence-based practice/research with clinical expertise to improve quality of care and resource utilization at the expert level with improved outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges universities schools or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information visit: information
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