Registered Nurse (Oc) - Iccu Job in Louisville Metro area - 98110024 - ZAB603KFS8KYU

Job Title:
Registered Nurse (OC) - ICCU

Department:
Department Of Veterans Affairs

Agency:
Veterans Health Administration

Job Announcement Number:
VHA-603-RY456954-107G-B

OPEN PERIOD:
Monday, March 28, 2011 to Saturday, December 31, 2011
SERIES & GRADE:VN-0610-00

POSITION INFORMATION:
Multiple Schedules Multiple Appointment Types

DUTY LOCATIONS:
1 vacancy - Louisville Metro area, KY

WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED:
United States Citizens

JOB SUMMARY:

Vacancy Identification Number (VIN): 456954

The Robley Rex Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) improves the health of our veterans by providing a continuum of care through an integrated health care delivery system.  It is a tertiary care facility classified as a level 1c facility affiliated with the University of Louisville and as such integrates teaching, research, and advanced patient care, making it an attractive academic medical center.  The facility offers a full spectrum of comprehensive health care services, using state-of-the-art technology and innovative programs, as well as education and research benefits, to Veterans residing in 40 counties in central and western Kentucky and in southern Indiana. In recognition of continued efforts to improve patient care, the medical center was awarded the Robert W. Carey 2007 Performance Achievement Award, 2008 Performance Excellence Award, 2009 Trophy Award and 2010 Circle of Excellence Award; and the 2009 Kentucky Center for Performance Excellence Achievement Award.

To fulfill President Lincoln's 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 America's Veterans.

How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans? 

As a VA professional nurse, your opportunities are endless. With many openings in the multiple functions of VA, you will have a wide range of opportunities at your fingertips. Not only is it the largest, most technologically advanced integrated health care system in the nation, but we also provide many other services to Veterans through the Benefits Administration and National Cemeteries.

VA professionals feel good about their careers and their ability to balance work and home life. VA offers generous paid time off and a variety of predictable and flexible scheduling opportunities.  

For more information on the Department of Veterans Affairs, go to http://www.vacareers.va.gov/ .  

THIS IS AN AMENDED ANNOUNCEMENT TO INCLUDE ACLS REQUIREMENT.

This is an open continuous announcement.  We accept applications for this occupation on an ongoing basis; qualified applicants will be considered as vacancies become available.  Applications will remain on file for this announcement through December 31, 2011.  INTERESTED CANDIDATES SHOULD NOTE THAT ALTHOUGH THIS IS AN OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT, THE INITIAL CLOSING DATE FOR THE FIRST CONSIDERATION UNDER THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS 4/11/2011.

KEY REQUIREMENTS:

• U.S. Citizenship
• Full unrestricted Licensure, Certification, or Registration required.
• Must pass pre-employment examination.
• Designated and/or Random Drug Testing required.
• Background and/or Security Investigation required.
• English Language Proficiency required.

Additional Duty Location Info:
1 vacancy - Louisville Metro area, KY

Duties:

The Nurse is responsible for providing nursing care to patients, assuming responsibility and accountability for nursing actions.He/She completes initial assessments and re-assessments of patient condition and response to treatment and initiates follow-up as needed.He/She promotes discharge planning and continuity of care through developing an individualized plan of care in collaboration with the patient family and health care team.He/She must demonstrate knowledge of quality improvement process, role, and responsibility.He/She provides input into the evaluation process; identifying learning needs/goals.He/She recognizes specific differences in age, gender, era of service and culture across the population of veteran clients.He/She modifies communication and patient education to accommodate hearing, visual and cognitive impairments.He/She evaluates patient response to medications based on decreased absorption, metabolism and excretion of the drug and drug interactions.He/She implements interventions to maintain skin integrity and prevention of skin breakdown.He/She assesses elimination needs and implements interventions to maintain bowel and bladder continence as needed.He/She systemically assesses/reassesses the effectiveness of pain management interventions and takes appropriate actions.

Work Schedule:

Shifts could include twelve hour tours; eight hour tours which could include indefinite evenings or nights; day/evening rotation; or day/night rotation.  All shifts include weekends and holidays.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

Basic Qualifications:

• BLS issued by the American Heart Association.
• ACLS issued by the American Heart Association.
• One year critical care experience required.
• Citizen of the United States. 
• 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) http://www.nlnac.org or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CCNE/reports/accprog.asp (NOTE: 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).
• 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. 
• Must be proficient in spoken and written English.
• Must meet Physical Requirements (according to VA Directives and VA Handbook 5019).

SELECTION CRITERIA FOR THIS POSITION ARE AS FOLLOWS:  THESE QUALIFICATIONS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ENHANCING. 

• BSN preferred.
• CCRN preferred
• Good organizational and communication skills.
• Independence and professionalism in performance.
• Dependability and a responsible leave record.

Applicant's education and length of nursing practice (experience) will be considered by a Nurse Professional Standards Board in determining the grade and salary of the applicant selected.   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.    

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 bachelor's 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 Master's 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 Master's 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 - Master's 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. 

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

Veterans' Preference:

When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference on their application or résumé. Applicants claiming preference based on service-connected disability, or based on being the spouse or mother of a disabled or deceased Veteran, must complete an SF 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference. Veterans who are still in the service may be granted tentative preference on the basis of information contained in their applications, but they must produce a DD Form 214 or other proof prior to appointment to document entitlement to preference.  For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/veterans.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.   You may also be evaluated based upon the question responses you provide during a structured interview. In responding to structured interview questions you should be sure to cite specific examples of experience, explain exactly what you did, and the outcome.

BENEFITS:

Applicant selected may be eligible to apply for the Education Debt Reduction Program.  For additional information please contact Angela Casey, Human Resources management Service (05N), EDRP Coordinator at (502)287-4566.  The final decision on an EDRP Award is contingent on the availablity of funds.  

Working for the Department of Veterans Affairs offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life insurance, health benefits, thrift savings plan, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. In addition to traditional "dollars and cents" benefits, we offer a range of benefits to help balance work and life.  For more information please visit us at http://www4.va.gov/JOBS/Job_Benefits/benefits.asp .

OTHER INFORMATION:

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. 

You must submit all required information.  If you left federal employment and received a buyout and you are selected for this position, you may be required to repay the full amount of the buyout to the agency that paid you.

You may be required to serve a 2 year probationary period.

Grade, step & salary will be determined by years of professional nursing experience, education and employment history.

HOW TO APPLY:

To begin the process, click the Apply Online button at the right side of this screen to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.

YOU MUST INCLUDE VA FORM 10-2850a IN YOUR APPLICATION PACKAGE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS VACANCY.   You may upload the completed form to your USAJOBS or Application Manager account if you apply online.  Then you can use the uploaded form again and again when applying for future vacancies.  Please see this guide ( http://www.va.gov/OHRM/joblistings/uploading-and-using-documents-online.doc ) for more information on uploading and re-using the form in your applications.  Other required forms and documents can also be saved in your account and used the same way.   Applicants are urged to apply online; this process is much easier and faster.

Note: To return to a previously Saved or Incomplete application, just reapply through your account in USAJOBS.  Check your account ( https://my.usajobs.gov/Login.aspx ) to see the status of your application after applying, including any messages that may have been sent to you.

If you cannot apply online:

1. Click the following link to view and print the occupational questionnaire: View Occupational Questionnaire.
2. Print this 1203FX form to provide your response to the occupational questionnaire: http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/OPM1203fx.pdf .
3. Fax the completed 1203FX form along with all supporting documents to (478)757-3144.  Your 1203FX form must be placed on top of all materials being faxed and will serve as a cover page for your fax transmission.
4. Keep a copy of your fax receipt in case verification is needed.

To fax supporting documents you are unable to upload:

1. Complete this cover page  http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf using the following Vacancy ID: 456954.  You must use this fax cover sheet in order for your documents to be matched with your online application.
2. Fax your documents to (478)757-3144.

The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Saturday, December 31, 2011.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

1.CV or Resume.

2.   VA Form 10-2850a - Application for Nurse and Nurse Anesthetist (Available at  http://www.vacareers.va.gov/jobs_download/vha-10-2850a-fill.pdf) (required).

3.Optional Form 306 - Declaration for Federal Employment (Available at http://www.va.gov/vaforms/va/pdf/OF306.pdf).  This is a required form and must be submitted with your application.

4.  Pertinent transcripts. (Unofficial Copy Required).

5.If prior military service, include all copies of your DD Forms 214 (required).   Applicants claiming preference based on service-connected disability, or based on being the spouse or mother of a disabled or deceased Veteran, must also complete and submit an SF 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (available at http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf).

6.  Three professional References.  The reference forms forms must be filled out completely by one RN supervisor and two RN Co-Workers.  The forms must be completed at the time your application package is submitted http://vaww4.va.gov/vaforms/medical/pdf/vha-FL-10-341a-fill.pdf.

7.  Copies of Licensures and/or Certifications (i.e. RN, LPN, Certs: ACLS, BLS, CCM). - BLS/ACLS must be from the American Heart Association.

8   If currently employed in the VA system, include latest SF-50 - Notification of Personnel Action. (required).

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

Janice Spencer
Phone: (502)287-4000x55784
Email: JANICE.SPENCER2@VA.GOV Agency Information:
NURSING SERVICE
ROBLEY REX VA MEDICAL CENTER
800 ZORN AVENUE
LOUISVILLE, KY 40206
USA

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

After we receive your complete application package (including any required documents), your qualifications will be reviewed to decide if you meet the basic requirements.  The most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration and possible interview.