Registered Nurse-Community Living Center

The public

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

Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Duties

Durham VAHC Community Living Center is opening a new unit: (Independence Lane) dedicated to the rehabilitation of Veterans. This unit will provide short-term restorative care, post-acute, and skilled rehabilitative care to Veterans recovering from illness, injury, or surgery, with the goal of maximizing function and supporting a safe return to the highest level of independence. We are seeking dedicated Registered Nurses to join the CLC five-star facility and team dedicated to the mission of caring for Veteran with l CARE values.

The Community Living Center is a 66-bed facility that provides long term care, hospice, palliative care, rehab, and extended care services to eligible veterans within an Interdisciplinary environment. Currently, the three (3) distinct neighborhoods make up the CLC: a 10-bed Hospice Unit, and a 66-bed combination Long Term Care/Short Stay

Unit/Rehabilitation.

The CLC (Community Living Center) is designed to provide optimal comprehensive resident care within available resources and is consistent with the Medical Center and Nursing Service mission, philosophy, and goals. The length of stay is determined by the individual needs of the veteran, potential for rehabilitation, and availability of resources for discharge to the least restrictive environment. Discharge planning and patient/family education is initiated upon admission and continues throughout the patients stay in the CLC.

The CLC has an interdisciplinary team that includes staffing representing Nursing, Dietary, Social Work, Pharmacy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Nurse Practitioners, and Physicians. The interdisciplinary team meets each week to discuss care planning and needs of patients. Nurses are competent in the management of patients with complex diseases such as Diabetes, CHF, COPD, Cancer, and Dementia.

Staff receives education in other areas, including pain management and end of life care.

Key responsibilities of the RN role are as follows

• Provide direct, patient-centered nursing care to Veterans in an interdisciplinary rehabilitation setting, including assessment, care planning, implementation, and evaluation.

• Collaborate with physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech language pathology, social work, and physician/provider staff to support individualized rehabilitation goals.

• Support restorative nursing programs, mobility and functional independence goals, and skin/pressure injury prevention protocols.

• Educate Veterans and family members/caregivers on diagnosis, treatment plans, and post-discharge/home care needs.

• Participate in unit based and hospital wide shared governance committees.

• Participate in quality improvement initiatives, falls prevention, and purposeful rounding consistent with facility goals.

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

Day, Evening, Night, 8hr shifts with Rotating weekends

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 Byron Collins, Byron. Collins@va.gov , the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized

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.

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/13047013.

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 for Nurse III; OR a Master's degree in *related field with BSN and two years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III.

• Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees.

Preferred

Experience

• Minimum of 1-year nursing home experience at the SNF level, in the role of RN or LPN.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with patients, families, and other members of the interdisciplinary team.

• Demonstrated skills in decision-making, sound clinical judgment…