Summary

Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System is a Joint Commissioned accredited Level 1c complexity that consists of a 61-bedhospital located in Muskogee as well as six community based outpatient clinics located in Tulsa, Bartlesville,Claremore, Vinita, McAlester and Idabel. In 2021, Congress approved federal funding for a new Veterans Hospital in Tulsa which will be the first hospital to be built under the Communities Helping Invest through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act 2016.

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/12679188
• 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: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity
• This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing
• Transferring patients and objects may be required
• The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations, operative/invasive procedures, or home settings
• The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders
• The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs
• Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment
• In addition, this position requires a pre-employment physical
• Requires lifting 15-44 pounds
• pushing
• reaching above shoulder
• use of fingers and both hands
• walking and standing for 3-5 hours
• and kneeling
• Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously
• Near vision correctable at 13"
• to 16"
• to Jaeger 1 to 4
• Far visions correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other
• Must have depth perception and ability to distinguish basic colors and shades of colors
• Hearing aid is permitted.

Duties

• The incumbent will serve as a full-time registered nurse assigned to the Mental Health Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC) located within Behavioral Services at The Ernest Childers VA Outpatient Clinic in Tulsa Ok
• The PRRC Registered Nurse functions autonomously as guided by functional statement/scope of practice and collaboratively with the multi-disciplinary PRRC treatment team to support recovery and integration into meaningful self-determined community roles for Veterans challenged with a serious mental illness and significant functional impairment
• The program is curriculum-based and is specifically designed to teach the requisite skills that are necessary for defining and realizing Veteran's self-chosen roles and goals in all domains of whole health and life
• PRRC services are part of the mental health continuum of care and are coordinated with other services in the VA Medical Center (VAMC) and in the community
• The PRRC programs provide specialized outpatient treatment for Veterans diagnosed with serious mental illness who experience significant psychosocial difficulties
• The incumbent will work within the PRRC multidisciplinary teams
• Functions and duties include but are not limited to: Nursing care including administration of injections and supervision of Veterans filling their med boxes, providing psychoeducational groups, individual recovery coaching, nursing assessments, individualized treatment planning, active community-based provision of services including home and community visits and transportation of Veterans, crisis intervention, and coordination of services across other health disciplines within the Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System
• The RN provides Veterans with a transitional educational center that will inspire and assist them to reclaim their lives, instill hope, validate strengths, teach life skills, and facilitate community integration in meaningful self-determined roles
• The RN provides Veterans with serious mental illnesses an avenue to define and pursue a personal mission and vision for their future based on their identified strengths and self-chosen values, interests, personal roles, and goals
• The RN initiates follow-up as identified as necessary
• The RN supports and encourages Veterans served in PRRCs to define and pursue a self-determined personal mission and vision for their life
• The RN embraces, incorporates and practices using the core principles of psychosocial rehabilitation in all interactions, interventions, and program development
• The PRRC RN helps Veterans re-establish self-defined roles in the community and facilitates an enhanced quality of life for each person receiving them
• The RN actively encourages and supports program participants in community activities throughout their involvement in the rehabilitation process
• The RN recognizes that family members and significant others are often an essential ingredient of the process of rehabilitation and recovery
• The RN constantly strives to improve the services they provide, documents progress towards recovery goals per VA Medical Center policy (VA MCM) and PRRC Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
• The RN initiates and implements a multi-disciplinary, individualized strengths-based, recovery-oriented plan of care to meet the Veteran's stated goals, including self-care, treatment measures and re-integration into the community to promote function at the highest individual's level
• The RN is responsible for documentation of all contacts with patients/families in the medical record and completes required reports in accordance with program and VA MCMs and SOP's
• The RN uses sound clinical judgment and evidence-based resource criteria in assessing, planning, implementing, documenting, and evaluating care, resulting in a positive outcome/improvement in the veteran population at the program/service level
• The RN utilizes all available resources in planning care and consults with clinical specialists, multi-disciplinary PRRC team members, supervisors and prescribers as identified
• Preferred Experience: One year of Behavioral Health experience One year of Case Management experience 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 thru Friday 8am to 4:30pm Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position.