Registered Nurse (Specialty Care Outpatient)
What you'd do
The Specialty Care Outpatient Registered Nurse provides evidence-based, Veteran-centered care across assigned clinics. Duties include assessment, care planning, medication administration, care coordination, patient education, health promotion, chronic disease management, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Responsibilities increase by grade and may include delegation, quality improvement, mentoring, leadership, and advancing nursing practice and outcomes.
Major duties
Nurse I, Level 1 Provides fundamental, knowledge-based outpatient specialty nursing care to assigned Veterans. Assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates age-specific care with close supervision. Provides patient education, care coordination, health promotion, wellness coaching, disease prevention, and chronic care management. Administers medications and treatments according to established policies and procedures. Formulates plans of care based on nursing assessments, patient needs, condition, and safety. Delegates care tasks appropriately and seeks guidance to improve care for Veterans and families. Nurse I, Level 2 Provides competent, evidence-based outpatient specialty nursing care to assigned Veterans with appropriate oversight. Assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates technically competent care using the nursing process. Provides care coordination, patient education, health promotion, wellness coaching, disease prevention, and chronic care management. Coordinates nursing care and directs delegated tasks to licensed vocational nurses, nursing assistants, and other team members. Partners with Veterans, families, and the interdisciplinary team to support safe and effective transitions across the care continuum. Assists with nursing education, orientation, competency development, quality improvement, and outcomes utilization. Applies evidence-based practice and participates in unit-level performance improvement and resource utilization activities. Nurse I, Level 3 Provides self-directed, evidence-based outpatient specialty nursing care to Veterans with complex care needs. Independently plans, prioritizes, implements, and evaluates technically competent care using sound clinical judgment. Coordinates patient care, transitions, education, self-management, health promotion, disease prevention, and chronic care management. Manages competing priorities and complex outpatient situations through deliberate planning and critical thinking. Directs other staff and functions as an emerging leader in meeting patient care needs. Assists with education, orientation, competency development, quality improvement, and outcomes utilization. Questions clinical practices, shares knowledge, provides constructive feedback, and serves as a preceptor or mentor. Nurse II Leads competent, evidence-based outpatient specialty nursing care for Veterans with complex care needs. Coordinates care focused on patient education, self-management, health promotion, disease prevention, chronic care management, and transitions. Leads staff involvement in care planning, decision-making, outcome evaluation, and improvement within the immediate practice setting. Supports nursing education, orientation, competency development, quality improvement, and outcomes utilization. Improves Veteran care by addressing coordination, timeliness, process concerns, dissatisfaction trends, and environment-of-care issues. Provides informal feedback, mentoring, precepting, and teaching to support the professional development of others. Leads evidence-based practice, resource utilization, and performance improvement activities that produce measurable outcomes. Nurse III Leads and organizes evidence-based outpatient specialty nursing care for Veterans with complex needs. Applies advanced clinical knowledge and judgment to improve care planning, decision-making, and outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting. Coordinates patient care, education, self-management, health promotion, disease prevention, chronic care management, and transitions. Collaborates in developing, implementing, evaluating, and revising policies, procedures, and clinical guidelines. Leads initiatives to improve Veteran experience, safety, timeliness, care coordination, and environment-of-care concerns. Provides leadership, mentoring, constructive feedback, and knowledge sharing to support safe, high-quality specialty nursing practice. Evaluates evidence-based practice changes and outcomes for individuals, groups, populations, programs, and services. 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: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.
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. 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/13025595. 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: Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds; moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds; straight pulling, 1 hour; pushing, 1-3 hours; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking, 4 hours; standing, 2-7 hours; kneeling, 2 hours; repeated bending, 2 hours; climbing using legs and arms; both legs required; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13 to 16 inches to Jaeger 1 to 4; specific visual requirement of 20/40 DVA, corrected; both eyes required; ability to distinguish basic colors; hearing, with aid permitted; sitting, 8 hours; simple grasping, 2-4 hours; fine manipulation, including keyboarding, 4-6 hours; twisting, 2 hours; mental and emotional stability.
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