Nurse - Assistant Nurse Manager - Acute Psychiatry

Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; Waco (TX); On-site; USD 95,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

Federal benefits

Retirement plan

Job summary

Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, seeks a Nurse Manager to lead Acute Psychiatry operations. You will guide staff development, apply evidence-based practices, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration to deliver safe, high-quality patient care.

Responsibilities include oversight of orientation, scheduling, performance evaluations, and staffing. The role advances regulatory compliance and supports a culture of continuous improvement in veteran care.

Qualifications

• Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by appropriate accrediting agency and accredited by ACEN/CCNE.
• State licensure in good standing; license may be required by state.
• Foreign education may require degree equivalency validation.
• GNT exception allows temporary appointment while pursuing licensure; grandfathering provisions apply.
• Complies with VA Handbook 5005 and related qualification standards.

Responsibilities

• Support Nurse Manager in daily Acute Psychiatry operations to ensure safe, high-quality, patient-centered care.
• Oversee staff orientation, training, competency development, and performance evaluations.
• Assist with staffing including scheduling, workload monitoring, and leave coordination.
• Apply clinical judgment to guide nursing staff in planning and delivering evidence-based care.
• Promote interdisciplinary collaboration to improve processes and patient outcomes.
• Ensure compliance with accreditation, regulatory standards, and VA nursing guidelines.
• Participate in hiring processes and onboarding activities.
• Lead or support unit-based performance improvement and CIH integration.

Skills

English proficiency

Leadership

Clinical judgment

Staff development

Evidence-based practice

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Quality improvement

Education

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

RN license (full, unrestricted)

Job description

Summary

Supports the Nurse Manager in leading Acute Psychiatry operations - ensuring safe - high-quality - patient-centered care. Provides clinical oversight - guides staff development - promotes evidence-based practice - and fosters interdisciplinary collaboration. Enhances patient experience - supports process improvement - and helps maintain regulatory and practice standards

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/13103008
• 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
• Preferred Experience: Evidence of Belt/Systems Redesign training/experience/certification
• Coach/Mentor certification
• Professional Governance participation
• Project/Change Management experience/training (combination of experience and training is acceptable)
• Evidence-Based Practice experience/training (combination of experience and training is acceptable)
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: This position may require potentially long periods of continued Heavy lifting of 45 pounds and over - Moderate lifting of 15-44 pounds - Heavy carrying of 45 pounds and over - Moderate carrying of 15-44 pounds - Light carrying under 15 pounds - Straight pulling for 1-2 hours - Pushing for 1 hour - Reaching above shoulder - Use of fingers - Walking for 8-10 hours - Standing for 8-10 hours - Repeated bending .5 hours - Both legs required - Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously - Near vision correctable at 13"" to 16"" to Jaeger 1 to 4 - Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other - Both eyes required - Depth perception - Ability to distinguish basic colors - Ability to distinguish shades of colors - Hearing (aid may be permitted) Mental and emotional stability - Simple grasping for 2-4 hours - Sitting for 8 hours - Fine manipulation for 4-8 hours - Twisting for 2 hours.

Duties

• CTVHCS is in the process of making a cultural change - shifting from a disease-focused approach to a health and wellbeing approach - in order to implement the Whole Health System of Care
• This is a VA-wide initiative to provide a comprehensive and systematic approach to improve healthcare delivery at all stages of Veteran care
• This entails moving from an episodic - "siloed" approach to an interdisciplinary - holistic approach - emphasizing self-care in the larger context of well‑being
• All staff in this facility will be part of this process - shifting the focus from the question - "What's the matter with you?" to the question - "What matters to you - and how can we help you live your best life?" This strategy also involves integrating a full range of conventional approaches with Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) approaches in order to optimize lifelong health and well‑being - as defined by the Veteran - rather than narrowly focusing on disease management
• Major duties include - but are not limited to: Supporting the Nurse Manager in daily operations of the Acute Psychiatry unit - ensuring safe - timely - and high-quality patient care
• Overseeing staff orientation - training - competency development - and providing input on performance evaluations
• Assisting with staffing functions including drafting schedules - monitoring workload - and coordinating leave for supervisory review
• Applying clinical judgment to guide and support nursing staff in planning - delivering - and evaluating evidence-based patient care
• Promoting interdisciplinary collaboration to remove barriers - improve processes - and enhance patient outcomes across the continuum of care
• Ensuring compliance with accreditation - regulatory standards - VA policies - and nursing practice guidelines
• Participating in hiring processes - including interviewing - providing recommendations - and supporting onboarding activities
• Monitoring work assignments - documenting issues - and assisting with fact-finding to support managerial decisions
• Leading or supporting unit-based performance improvement initiatives and integrating evidence-based practice into care delivery
• Enhancing patient and family engagement - promoting a therapeutic environment - and ensuring a positive patient experience
• Serving as a role model and clinical resource - demonstrating leadership - ethical practice - and adherence to high-reliability principles
• Supporting staff in addressing ethical issues - patient advocacy needs - and safety concerns within the psychiatric care environment
• Ensuring appropriate care for diverse age groups and populations - incorporating age‑specific and culturally sensitive practices
• Upholding privacy - security - and data protection requirements in all clinical and administrative activities
• 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: Full-time - Monday - Friday - 11:30 a.m
• - 8:00 p.m
• Telework: Not Available
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized