Registered Nurse - Home Health Outpatient Staff

Summary

Join the VA Black Hills Health Care System in Rapid City as a Home Health Registered Nurse and bring skilled, Veteran-centered care directly into Veterans' homes. You will perform comprehensive assessments, provide treatments and education, coordinate medications and resources, support care transitions, and collaborate with an interdisciplinary team to help Veterans remain safe, independent, and connected to the care they need while reducing avoidable urgent and emergency care.

Learn more about this agency

This job is open to

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

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. NOTE: This Job is open to current permanent Department of Veterans Affairs employees, current permanent Federal employees of other agencies, and all US Citizens.

Duties

Bring your nursing skills beyond the traditional clinical setting and make a meaningful difference where Veterans live. As a Home Health Registered Nurse, you will provide compassionate, individualized care to Veterans with complex medical, geriatric, palliative, health promotion, and preventive care needs. Working independently in Veterans' homes while remaining closely connected to an interdisciplinary team, you will help coordinate services, strengthen self-management, support families and caregivers, and promote safe transitions across the continuum of care.

This role offers the opportunity to build strong relationships with Veterans while using clinical judgment, skilled nursing practice, and evidence-based interventions to support independence, improve outcomes, and help prevent unnecessary urgent and emergency care.

Duties include, but are not limited to

• Conduct comprehensive nursing and head-to-toe assessments in Veterans' homes to identify needs and develop individualized plans of care.

• Provide skilled nursing procedures, including blood draws, injections, dressing changes, wound care, immunizations, medication refills, and medication cassette preparation.

• Perform clinical triage and respond to changing Veteran needs using nursing judgment to support safe and appropriate care.

• Coordinate medications, treatments, services, and community resources to promote continuity of care across the healthcare continuum.

• Educate Veterans, families, and caregivers on health conditions, treatments, medications, self-management strategies, and individualized goals of care.

• Collaborate with the Home Health interdisciplinary team to review, communicate, implement, and monitor individualized Veteran care plans.

• Support transitions of care and apply evidence-based interventions designed to improve health outcomes and reduce avoidable urgent care and emergency department visits.

• Travel to Veterans' homes and function professionally in an independent care setting while providing safe, compassionate, Veteran-centered nursing care.

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

Monday-Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm

Telework: Ad hoc may be authorized. (Employees who telework on an occasional, episodic, or short-term, and have completed required telework training and telework agreement).

Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized

Travel

Requirements

• You may be expected to travel 76% or greater of the time for this position to various care locations within the service area, including Veteran homes as part of Home Health care delivery.

• You must possess and maintain a current, valid, unrestricted state-issued driver's license.

• You must provide a safe, clean driving record from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) during onboarding.

• You must successfully complete a driver's physical examination to demonstrate medical ability to safely operate a government-owned or leased vehicle, as required under 5 CFR 930 and HR Job Aid 05-OB-010.002.

The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran.

This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

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.

• 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.

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.

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: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13056394.

Grade/Level

Scope

Education

Nurse I, Level I

Delivers fundamental, knowledge-based care to assigned clients while developing technical competencies.

An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional professional nursing required.

Nurse I, Level II

Demonstrates integration of biopsychosocial concepts, cognitive skills and technically competent practice in providing care to clients with basic or complex.

An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 1 year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 1 ; OR a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional professional nursing experience required.

Nurse I, Level III

Demonstrates proficiency in practice based on conscious and deliberate planning. Self-directed in goal setting for managing complex client situations.

An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 2 years of professional nursing experience in which one year is equivalent to Nurse I, Level 2; OR a BSN and 1 year of professional nursing experience equivalent to the Nurse I, Level 2; OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) and no additional professional nursing experience; OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and no additional professional nursing experience.

Nurse II

Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others.

A BSN with 2 years of professional nursing equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR an MSN with one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR a Master's degree in a related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with no professional nursing experience; OR a Doctoral degree in a related field with a BSN with no additional professional nursing experience.

Nurse III

Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience and creative approaches to management of complex client care beyond the immediate practice setting.

MSN and 2 years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements…