Registered Nurse (Quality Improvement)
What you'd do
The Quality Improvement Staff Nurse, a licensed registered nurse, leads the evaluation of organizational performance using statistical methodologies while facilitating communication, supporting interdisciplinary collaboration, and promoting staff engagement, education, and competency development. The nurse develops performance tools, reviews data, and partners with all service lines to improve quality outcomes and shared governance, under the guidance of the RN Nurse Manager and/or Chief of QI.
Major duties
Major duties include, but are not limited to the following: Demonstrating clinical competencies in such areas as age-specific care, cultural assessment, and health education. Demonstrating an ability to begin functioning autonomously, as well as a member of an interdisciplinary team Ability to demonstrate understanding of and compliance with patient safety guidelines, accrediting body guidelines, VHA Directives, and Facility Center Memorandums that pertain to patient care Ability to demonstrate understanding of facility performance metrics that can be influenced by care provided Ability to demonstrate active participation in program level quality improvement processes and initiatives Ability to demonstrate use of metrics to show improvement in delivery of care Ability to demonstrate active participation in customer service improvement processes and initiatives Consistently demonstrates effective communication skills and professional behaviors that promote cooperation and teamwork with internal and external customers, team members, and supervisors Attending staff meetings and program specific education Following and including the appropriate Nursing chain of command structure Stays abreast of current performance measures and metrics and understands, accreditation and regulatory standards, VHA Directives and local leadership defined initiatives. Provides collaborative leadership in the formulation of policies in conjunction with clinical services. Champion for systems related to collecting quality data and conducts the full spectrum of planning, coordinating, and developing Performance Improvement Activities and courses of action in accordance with all established Statues and VA/VISN Medical Center policies. Initiates and/or contributes to interdisciplinary projects with Infection Control, Patient Safety, Service Chiefs, Associate Nurse Executives and Nurse Managers, Program Managers, and other leaders to address improvement needs and promote continuous readiness activities throughout the health care system. Consistently visible and engaged throughout the organization. Consistently performs weekly rounds through assigned areas assessing the environment of care for accreditation standards compliance, observing, and assessing direct patient care activities for quality and safety, assessing continuous readiness in assigned units and clinic areas and engaging with front line staff on a routine basis. Performs various duties as needed to successfully fulfill the function of the position; safety, effectiveness, timeliness, efficiency, and quality; critical evaluation and mitigation of risk; and patterns of need and tailoring of interventions. 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: Mon- Friday 0730-1600 Telework: No Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Preferred Experience: MSN preferred Detail orientated with data analytics, reporting data, expertise with TJC, LTC, CARF, OIG, and other regulatory standards and survey processes, ability to support any and all programs involved with quality improvement initiatives and accreditation.
What you need to qualify
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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: The Nurse is required to meet the physical demands of standards as outlined in VA Directive and VA Handbook 5019. This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear speech, and manual dexterity. This position may require potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required.
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