Registered Nurse - Nurse Informaticist

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Harlingen (TX); On-site; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

US Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a registered nurse responsible for all elements of the nursing process and coordination of care focused on patient education and self-management. The incumbent administers medications and procedures per policy and collaborates with the interdisciplinary team to improve outcomes across the care continuum.

Qualifications include nursing degree from an approved program, active RN licensure in the US, and English proficiency.

Qualifications

• English language proficiency required to serve in direct patient care positions.
• Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by accrediting bodies (ACEN/CCNE) or equivalent.
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted RN license in a US state, territory, or DC.

Responsibilities

• Delivers and coordinates patient care using the nursing process.
• Administers medications and procedures per policies and guidelines.
• Collaborates with the interdisciplinary team to optimize care outcomes.
• Promotes education, self-management, and patient satisfaction across the continuum of care.
• Provides leadership in coordinating interprofessional informatics and clinical activities.

Skills

Nursing care

English proficiency

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Patient education

Medication administration

Education

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Nursing Diploma

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Doctoral degree in Nursing or related field

Job description

Incumbent is responsible and accountable for all elements of the nursing process when providing and/or supervising direct patient care. Assumes responsibility for the coordination of care focused on patient education, self-management, and customer satisfaction throughout the continuum of care. Administers medications and procedures per established policies and guidelines. Influences care outcomes by collaborating with members of the interdisciplinary team.

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 and 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/13099146.

Nurse I, Level I - Scope: Delivers fundamental, knowledge-based care to assigned clients while developing technical competencies. Education: An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional professional nursing required.

Nurse I, Level II - Scope: Demonstrates integration of biopsychosocial concepts, cognitive skills and technically competent practice in providing care to clients with basic or complex. Education: 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 - Scope: Demonstrates proficiency in practice based on conscious and deliberate planning. Self-directed in goal setting for managing complex client situations. Education: 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 - Scope: Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others. Education: 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 - Scope: Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience and creative approaches to management of complex client care beyond the immediate practice setting. Education: 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.

Applicants pending completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Preferred Experience

• 2-3 years of Nursing Informatics experience
• Master's Nursing Informatics certification
• Understanding of Clinical Workflows

Continued from Duties Section

• Promotes health promotion and risk reduction strategies. Actively participates in policies, procedures, and standards to promote evidence-based patient-driven care.
• Develops recommendations and strategies to address and resolve complex issues and problems, providing direction for all key stakeholders.
• Establishes formal and informal consultative relationships that can also provide professional development and mentorship opportunities. Utilizes clinical, financial, technical, and community resources and systems to implement the plan.
• Incorporates new knowledge and strategies to initiate change in clinical health informatics and nursing practices if desired outcomes are not achieved.
• Leads and/or supports the use of clinical guidelines, such as but not limited to the integration of clinical guidelines into practice, information system and informatics solutions, and knowledge bases.
• Provides leadership in the coordination of interprofessional informatics activities.
• Coordinates system and community resources that enhance delivery of care across continuums.
• Functions as an expert in clinical informatics practice and/or areas related to the assigned roles and responsibilities.
• Uses professional standards of care, scientific evidence, and informatics practice to evaluate programs and/or services activities.
• Provides leadership at program or service level by enabling healthcare capabilities and the evolution of technology adjoined to the EHR to deliver quality care by developing, implementing, monitoring, maintaining, and optimizing informatics tools and access to them.

Reference

For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.