Inpatient Staff Registered Nurse

Summary

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.

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

Open to all US citizens. First consideration is given to current permanent employees of the VA Western Colorado Health Care System. Employees of Department of Veteran Affairs must include a copy of a SF-50 dated within the past year indicating their permanent employment status to be considered internal for this position and Veterans' Preference is not applicable. The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Duties

The Inpatient Staff Registered Nurse provides a full range of care to veterans in the Nursing Service -Acute Care/Medical/Surgical Unit for the Oklahoma City VA Health Care System. This is a major interdisciplinary teaching facility with service-lines serving medical, surgical, telemetry, and neurological inpatients and outpatients, with a Level Ill Emergency Department, and multiple community-based outpatient clinics (CBOC). The RN provides care and counseling of persons or in the promotion and maintenance of health and prevention of illness and injury based upon the nursing process which includes systematic data, gathering, assessment, appropriate nursing judgement, and evaluation of human responses to actual or potential health problems through such services as case finding, health teaching, health counseling, and executing medical regimens including administering medications and treatments.

Additional Duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Provide a full range of nursing care to patients with complex care needs utilizing the nursing process based on the ANA Standards of Nursing Practice.

• Recognize subtle changes in patient's condition and respond in a timely manner, choosing the correct interventions.

• Demonstrate evidence of critical thinking skills in identifying, analyzing, and resolving patient care problems in the clinical environment.

• Initiate and implement an interdisciplinary plan of care based on assessments.

• Perform ongoing assessment of patient condition and response to treatment.

• Initiate referrals to other disciplines and/or services as appropriate.

• Assess the patient's learning needs, learning preference, and readiness to learn.

• Documentation is technically informative, complete, accurate, consistent, concise, and timely.

• Evaluate and document patient response to interventions and progress toward attainment of goals and expected outcomes.

• Uses the Computerized Patient Record System and any additional systems as directed by the Oklahoma City VA Health Care System per policy.

• Additional duties as assigned.

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

12-hour shifts w/ 1-8 hour shift per pay period. Rotating holidays and weekends. (TOD: 0730-2000, 0730-1600 or 1130-2000)

Compressed

Schedule

Available ; Scheduled according to needs of agency. This position requires flexibility in schedule and assignments.

Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

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.

• 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/13083655.

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.

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

Physical

Requirements

Must pass a pre-evaluation.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U. S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used…