Registered Nurse-Chief Quality Management

The public

U. S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U. S.

Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

Clarification from the agency

Open to US Citizens NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

Duties

As the Quality and Patient Safety, Chief you will function as an advisor, administrator, educator, consultant, and mentor who possesses a wide range of experience and leadership ability. You must establish and maintain effective relationships with all levels of Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISN) and medical center personnel and relate effectively with customers, families, and the community as well as program and service leaders at the local and network levels. Key relationships with staff are needed to assist team to carry out the functions and activities expected of them.

Contribute ideas and recommendations for the establishment of standards of care, policies, and objectives for the enhancement of quality management organization wide. Assist in policy-making activities as related to customer service and the overall functioning of administrative and clinical programs. Provide senior leadership and oversight for daily clinical and administrative operations within Quality Management (QM) Program.

You will support the integration and collaboration of nursing with other professional disciplines and functional areas in the mutual achievement of patient-centered and organizational goals. Actively manage and develop collaborative partnerships with clinicians, physicians, and administrative counterparts to achieve common goals. Champion a High Reliability Organization (HRO) with a culture of safety founded on a systems approach to developing evidence-based health care solutions.

Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members, including other program and service leaders at the facility and VISN. Work closely to establish and maintain effective relationships with all levels of Veteran Affairs (VA) staff nationwide. Relate effectively with customers, families, and the community as well as program and service leaders at the local and VISN levels to continuously improve the quality of care and resolve staff and/or patient care issues.

Contribute ideas and recommendations for the establishment of standards of care, policies, and objectives for the enhancement of QM.

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; Monday-Friday; 7:30am-4:00pm Telework: Available; Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized Financial Disclosure: Required

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

• 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.

Qualifications

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 master's level bridge program in nursing who have completed coursework equivalent to a bachelor's 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.)

NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and 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 Dimension criteria must be met to qualify for Nurse 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

Master's degree in Nursing (MSN) and 4 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse III and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IV; OR Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and 4 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse III and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IV; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing and 3 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse III and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IV; OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN and 3 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse III and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IV. *Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees.

• Dimensions:

• Leadership . Leads health care delivery by leveraging evidence-based practices, industry-leading research, and innovative care models. Drives a shared vision and successfully leads change to improve performance and attain measurable outcomes at the program or service level.

• Business Acumen . Transforms health care by implementing new processes, technology, informatics, and data analytics using business models and fundamental concepts of resource management at the program or service level.

• Inspiring an Industry-Leading Lifestyle. Employs an industry leading, shared decision-making lifestyle. Cultivates a workforce that serves Veterans, families and caregivers of all backgrounds and builds trust, lifestyle competencies and catalyzes dynamic teams at the program or service level.

• Communication and Relationship Management . Directs the effective use of relationship management principles to achieve positive customer service experiences that are consistent with professional organizational values, beliefs and practices at the program or services level.

• Professional and Social Responsibility . Operationalizes a lifestyle of holistic care, health advocacy and health equity. Applies ethical principles in decision-making at the program or service level. Advances nursing knowledge through health science research and the translation and dissemination of evidence into practice to maximize the value to Veterans and the community.

Preferred

Experience

• Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality

• 3-5 years recent experience in a Quality Management

• 2-5 years supervisory experience

• Experience performing detailed audits, analyzing, trending and presenting data to drive improvement across the continuum.

• Able to communicate effectively at all levels within the agency and with external customers.

• 2 years of recent Risk Management/Protected Peer Review experience

• 2-5 years Knowledge and experience with TJC, CARF, LTCI and OIG inspections:

• TJC - The Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO)

• CARF - Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities

• LTCI - Long Term Care Institute

• OIG - Office of the Inspector General

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Pre-Employment/Post-Employment Physical Examination: May be required, depending on the needs of the organization.

Education

The Associate Degree Nursing (ADN), Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN), Master of Science degree in Nursing (MSN), or Doctoral degree must be fully accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission On Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Verification of accreditation may be obtained from http://www.acenursing.us/accreditedprograms/programsearch.htm or https://directory.ccnecommunity.org/reports/accprog.asp

If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

If your school was accredited by ACEN or CCNE at the time of graduation, but is no longer listed on the websites, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application…