Registered Nurse (Med - Surg) at Fargo

JOB SUMMARY:

Vacancy Identification Number (VIN) 919547

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincolns promise – "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan" – by serving and honoring the men and women who are Americas Veterans.

NOTE:  Applicants education and length of nursing practice (experience) will be considered by a Nurse Professional Standards Board in determining the grade and step of the applicant selected. 

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply.  The health related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses are not authorized for this position.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Must pass pre-employment examination.
• Designated and/or Random Drug Testing required.
• Background and/or Security Investigation required.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English

DUTIES:Back to top

This is an open continuous announcement.  This announcement will remain open until filled.  First cut-off is Tuesday, July 16, 2013.

The Registered Nurse is directly responsible to the designated manager.  The function of the Registered Nurse is to provide, direct, and supervise the delivery of quality nursing care to a culturally diverse veteran population.  The incumbent must possess the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively apply all aspects of the nursing process within a collaborative, interdisciplinary practice setting.  This broad based knowledge enable the Registered Nurse to effectively implement health promotion and prevention interventions, manage acute and chronic illness states, assist veterans in the attainment of optimal levels of functioning through rehabilitation, and provide supportive measures for the dying patient and significant others.  The Registered Nurse must possess the knowledge and skills necessary to: Communicate and interact appropriately and courteously with internal and external customers; maintain confidentiality of patient/employee information electronically, verbally, and written; work and function within a safe manner including infection control and operation of equipment, integrate and apply pertinent aspects of the Medical Center performance improvement programs into his/her professional practice, and utilize nursing research and literature in daily practice.

WORK SCHEDULE:  Rotating shifts, weekends, and holidays

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:Back to top

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: 
• U.S. citizenship.  Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• 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 of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate State-accrediting agency and accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies at the time the program was completed by the applicant:  The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).  In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of current, full, active and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing.  The completion of coursework equivalent to a nursing degree in a MSN Bridge Program that qualifies for professional nursing registration constitutes the completion of an approved course of study of professional nursing.  Students should submit the certificate of professional nursing to sit for the NCLEX to the VA along with a copy of the MSN transcript. (Reference VA Handbook 5005, Appendix G6)
• Must take a physical
• Must be proficient in speaking and writing English. 

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: 
• Nurse I Level I - An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, no experience.
• Nurse I Level II - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 1 year of experience, or an ADN or Diploma in nursing and a bachelors degree in a related field and no experience; or a Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) and no experience.
• Nurse I Level III - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 2-3 years of experience, or an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a bachelors degree in a related field and approximately 1-2 years of experience; or a BSN with approximately 1-2 years of experience, or a Masters degree in nursing (MSN) or related field with a BSN and no experience.
• Nurse II - A BSN with approximately 2-3 years of experience, or ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a bachelors degree in a related field and approximately 2-3 years experience or a Masters degree in nursing or related field with a BSN and approximately 1-2 years experience, or a Doctoral degree in nursing or meets basic requirements for appointment and has doctoral degree in a related field with no experience. 
• Nurse III - Masters degree in nursing or related field with BSN and approximately 2-3 years experience or Doctoral degree in nursing or related field and approximately 2-3 years experience. 

GRADE DETERMINATIONS:
Experience as a RN will be evaluated to determine if the experience is of an acceptable level of quality with regard to the following four dimensions of nursing: Practice, Professional Development, Collaboration and Scientific Inquiry. Each dimension of practice has criteria that demonstrate essential core competencies for VHA Nursing Personnel.

The criteria are as follows:

•Practice: practice, ethics and resource utilization;
•Professional Development: performance, education/career development;
•Collaboration; collaboration, collegiality;
•Scientific Inquiry: quality of care, research. 

Reference:  VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G6 Nurse Qualification Standard (Available at:  http://www1.va.gov/vapubs/viewPublication.asp?Pub_ID=464&FType=2)

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

PLEASE NOTE:  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement.)  Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.  Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly.  If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:  Heavy lifting, 45 pounds and over; heavy carrying, 45 pounds and over; straight pulling intermittent hours; pushing; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking 3 hours; standing 3 hours; kneeling 1/4 hour; repeated bending; both legs required; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; specific visual correction to read fine print; ability to distinguish basic colors; ability to distinguish shades of color; hearing (aid permitted); mental/emotional stability; and no skin allergies preventing use of protective equipment.

Veterans Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided and provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) and/or documentation related to your active duty service which shows dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or dates of impending separation.

Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veterans Preference" with required proof as stated on the form.  For more information, please review the information for disabled Veterans in the application checklist or visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Your application, résumé and/or supporting documentation will be verified.  Please follow all instructions carefully.  Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Country: USA, State: North Dakota, City: Fargo, Company: Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration.