RN Outpatient Primary Care PACT - EDRP Authorized
Veterans Health Administration
Bonham, Texas
Posted Oct 2 · New grads welcomed
- Shift and hours
- 0730-1600 or 0800-1630
- Unit and setting
- Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) · Military Communicating with veterans and family members regarding veteran's care.veterans and family members
- License
- RN license
- Term
- Permanent
Do you qualify?
- New grads
- Welcomed
- License
- unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the US, or DC
- License
- 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory
- Also asks
- basic written and spoken English 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.
- Also asks
- U.S. Citizenship
- Also asks
- urinalysis drug screen 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.
- Also asks
- Selective Service Registration for males born after 12/31/1959 Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
- Also asks
- background/security investigation Subject to background/security investigation.
- Also asks
- annual seasonal influenza vaccination or exemption Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
Preferred
- Certification
- AAACN Ambulatory Care Certification
- Education
- BSN or above
- Experience
- Med/Surg RN experience or RN ER/ICU experience 5 years of Med/Surg RN experience or 2 years of RN ER/ICU experience within the last 3 years
- Experience
- Adult Outpatient Primary Care Experience within the past 3 years 1 year RN Adult Outpatient Primary Care Experience within the past 3 years
- Experience
- VA Experience
Your six-month RN application plan
Start about six months before graduation. Some programs open earlier; use each employer’s application dates.
6 months before
Shortlist units
Check application windows. Gather clinical experience, references and your expected graduation date.
Find residencies →4–6 months before
Apply as windows open
Apply before graduation when the program allows it. Keep the cohort date and license deadline with each application.
Explore new grad jobs →2–3 months before
Meet the unit manager
Ask about overtime, a shadow shift, preceptor continuity and the schedule after orientation.
Prepare your questions →Around graduation
Confirm your start
Coordinate NCLEX, the required license and your start date. Get relocation and repayment terms in writing.
Plan your license →
Why start this early?
Advocate describes a 6–9 month application runway for several regional RN programs. These milestones are a planning guide, not deadlines for every employer. See program calendars.
What it pays
- Against similar roles
- Texas staff median is $88k/yrTexas staff postings that state pay run $57k/yr to $130k/yr, the middle half $73k/yr to $105k/yr, across 1,480 postings. This posting's $82k/yr to $163k/yr is wider than that, so where you land depends on the offer.
- Loan repayment
- Offered
- Bonus
- potential for performance awards Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards
- Pay reviews
- regular salary increases
Benefits
- BenefitsEducation Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) student loan payment reimbursement up to $200,000
- Benefits50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays)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)
- BenefitsTraditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% matchRetirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
- BenefitsFederal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care insuranceInsurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
- Paid Time Off
- Traditional federal pension
More benefits (2)
- Federal 401K
- Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP)
The role and schedule
- Care model
- Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) The Registered Nurse, Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) duties include, but are not limited to the following:
- Day to day
- face to face, telephone, and video assessments Completes face to face, telephone, and video assessments to establish nursing diagnoses as needed.
- Day to day
- care planning and evaluation based on population specific components Assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates care based on population specific components.
- Day to day
- patient care execution and reporting
- Day to day
- identifying and responding to patient care needs Ability to observe, identify and respond to the patient's needs for care, including medication, equipment-assisted care, and patient/family education.
- Day to day
- health education and procedural teaching Providing health education and procedural teaching to patients and significant others.
- Day to day
- performing procedures per policies and guidelines Perform procedures per established policies and guidelines.
- Day to day
- interdisciplinary team communication and collaboration Influences care outcomes using effective communication and collaboration with members of the interdisciplinary team.
- Day to day
- administering medicine Administering medicine per established policies and guidelines.
- Day to day
- prioritizing and making ethically-sound decisions Establishing priorities and making ethically-sound decisions to ensure safe patient care.
- Day to day
- assisting physicians during procedures Assisting the physicians during diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to promote optimal patient outcomes by team collaboration.
- Day to day
- responding to emergency situations Responding to emergency situations to promote optimal patient outcomes by recognizing changes in patient's health status.
- Day to day
- performing diagnostic studies as ordered Performing diagnostic studies within the scope of nursing practice as ordered by the physician.
- Day to day
- documenting patient data Documenting patient data to ensure continuity in the provision and coordination of patient care.
- Day to day
- collaborating with other health care professionals Collaborating with other health care professionals.
- Day to day
- establishing constructive relationships with patients and families Establishes constructive relationships with individual patients and their families to promote positive relationships and communication.
- Day to day
- fostering respect for patient and family privacy and dignity Fosters an environment of respect for individual patient and family rights to privacy and dignity in all aspects of care delivery.
- Charge
- charge nurse duties May be responsible for charge nurse duties.
- Day to day
- managing follow-up care Managing follow-up care.
- Day to day
- acting as resource to others Acting as resource to others.
- Day to day
- participating in continuing education Participating in continuing education, achieving/maintaining certification.
- Day to day
- participating in unit/program level quality improvement processes Applies knowledge and actively participates in unit/program level quality improvement processes and initiatives.
- Floating
- covering/float to other teams (Teamlet) Additional duties as assigned such as covering/float to other teams (Teamlet).
- Details
- Telework not authorized Telework: Not Authorized
- Details
- Not a virtual position Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
- Details
- 2-year probationary period
The workplace
Worth asking
- Can you walk me through differentials?
- What should I expect for weekly hours, weekend, holiday, call, and rotation?
More questions to askFewer questions
- What orientation, preceptor time, and ongoing unit support are included?
- How are patient load and staffing support handled day to day?
Your fit
Original listing
Posted on Veterans Health Administration’s careers page.
Read full text
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 $200,000) & 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 following is a list of duties that are essential for this position: The Registered Nurse, Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) duties include, but are not limited to the following: - Completes face to face, telephone, and video assessments to establish nursing diagnoses as needed. - Assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates care based on population specific components. - Knowledge and ability to appropriately carry out assigned patient care based on the patients' conditions; to use judgment in selecting the appropriate order and sequence of procedures and treatments; and to accurately recognize, report and record relevant patient information. - Ability to observe, identify and respond to the patient's needs for care, including medication, equipment-assisted care, and patient/family education. - Providing health education and procedural teaching to patients and significant others. - Perform procedures per established policies and guidelines. - Influences care outcomes using effective communication and collaboration with members of the interdisciplinary team. - Administering medicine per established policies and guidelines. - Establishing priorities and making ethically-sound decisions to ensure safe patient care. - Assisting the physicians during diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to promote optimal patient outcomes by team collaboration. - Responding to emergency situations to promote optimal patient outcomes by recognizing changes in patient's health status. - Performing diagnostic studies within the scope of nursing practice as ordered by the physician. - Documenting patient data to ensure continuity in the provision and coordination of patient care. - Collaborating with other health care professionals. - Communicating with veterans and family members regarding veteran's care. - Knowledge and understanding of human behavior, patient motivations and reactions to situations, and ability to appropriately utilize this knowledge in working effectively with patients, family members and other staff. - Establishes constructive relationships with individual patients and their families to promote positive relationships and communication. - Fosters an environment of respect for individual patient and family rights to privacy and dignity in all aspects of care delivery. - May be responsible for charge nurse duties. - Managing follow-up care. - Acting as resource to others. - Participating in continuing education, achieving/maintaining certification. - Possess knowledge of unit level quality improvement indicators. - Applies knowledge and actively participates in unit/program level quality improvement processes and initiatives. - Provides excellent customer service according to ICARE values. - Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches in the management of complex patient care. - Additional duties as assigned such as covering/float to other teams (Teamlet). 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: 0730-1600 or 0800-1630 Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
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/13081446. 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
5 years of Med/Surg RN experience or 2 years of RN ER/ICU experience within the last 3 years 1 year RN Adult Outpatient Primary Care Experience within the past 3 years BSN or above AAACN Ambulatory Care Certification VA Experience Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical
Requirements
Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination.
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. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be…
What's around it?
BONHAM, TXFrom Census ACS 2024.
Living costs about 3% below the US average
- Median rent
- $1,073/mo
- Household income
- $57,681/yr, all local households, not nurse pay