Registered Nurse - Quality Management Consultant

Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; West Haven (CT); Presencial; USD 85.000 - 110.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

Veterans Health Administration's West Haven VA Connecticut Healthcare System seeks a Registered Nurse - Quality Management Consultant in the Sterile Processing service. The role is full-time, located in West Haven, CT, focusing on quality assurance, process improvement, and compliance across instrument processing.

The position emphasizes leadership in nursing practice, education, and collaboration with SPS staff to ensure safety, accuracy, and efficiency in sterilization and distribution of

Formación

• Must hold an active RN license in the United States.
• Extensive knowledge of sterile processing equipment, processes and workflow.
• Experience with quality audits and inspections to verify standards compliance.
• Education/Training/Mentorship experience per VA standards.
• Knowledge of quality management systems.

Responsabilidades

• Assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates quality assurance activities for cleaning, decontamination, sterilization, and distribution of instruments.
• Collaborates with SPS leadership and teams to identify operational concerns and drive process improvements.
• Coordinates quality activities to improve instrument set accuracy, reprocessing reliability, and workflow efficiency.
• Supports monitoring of staff compliance and provides education or corrective action as needed.
• Collects and analyzes quality data and prepares reports identifying trends and opportunities for improvement.

Conocimientos

Nursing license

Quality management

Sterile processing

Auditing

Educación

BSN or higher

State Nursing License

Herramientas

Sterile processing equipment

QA tools

Descripción del empleo

Summary

This Registered Nurse - Quality Management Consultant position is in the Sterile Processing service at the West Haven VA Connecticut Healthcare Systems - located in West Haven - CT. This position is full-time at 40 hours per week.

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
• Preferred Experience: Extensive knowledge of Sterile Processing Services equipment - processes and workflow
• Knowledge of quality management systems
• Experience with quality audits and inspections to verify standards compliance
• Education/Training/Mentorship experience
• 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/13097997
• 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: Position is subject to a pre-employment physical and medical examination
• This position requires: lifting - carrying
• reaching above shoulder
• use of fingers
• walking (8 hours)
• standing (8 hours)
• repeated bending
• working alone
• protracted or irregular hours of work and occasional emotional strain.

Duties

• The Registered Nurse - Quality Management Consultant focuses on individual growth and development in practice with increased levels of self-direction in quality-of-care outcomes
• The QM Consultant brings principals and theory with limited application of critical thinking skills
• Duties include but are not limited to: Assesses - plans - implements - and evaluates quality assurance and quality control activities related to the cleaning - decontamination - inspection - assembly - packaging - sterilization - storage - and distribution of reusable instruments and equipment
• Collaborates with SPS leadership - staff - and interdisciplinary teams to identify operational concerns - reduce errors - standardize practices - and support process improvement initiatives
• Coordinates assigned quality activities to improve instrument set accuracy - reprocessing reliability - workflow efficiency - timely availability of instruments and equipment - and customer satisfaction
• Follows established policies - procedures - guidelines - and manufacturer instructions for use
• Supports monitoring of staff compliance and identification of practices requiring clarification - education - or corrective action
• Applies sterile processing principles and quality management concepts while developing critical thinking skills to recognize process variations - evaluate potential causes of deficiencies - and recommend improvements
• Participates in evaluating SPS program outcomes through audits - quality control checks - and performance monitoring
• Assists in determining whether improvement activities and corrective actions achieve intended results and sustain gains in quality - safety - accuracy - and efficiency
• Assumes responsibility for assigned SPS quality management program activities at the Medical Center and applicable off-site locations - supporting consistent practices and coordination across service areas
• Collects and analyzes quality data - reviews reprocessing and sterilization monitoring documentation - monitors compliance with relevant policies and standards - and prepares reports identifying trends and opportunities for improvement
• Provides staff support in planning - designing - implements - modifying - and evaluating assigned SPS quality management activities
• Participates in facility councils - committees - and workgroups addressing sterile processing quality - safety - compliance - and operational improvement
• Shares findings and contributes to the development and follow-up of action plans
• Work Schedule: Monday- Friday day shift with evening/weekends if needed
• Telework: Ad-hoc as determined by agency policy
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
• Notifications: This position is not a AFGE Bargaining Unit position
• Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50 (Notice of Personnel Action)
• The SF-50 must identify the position title - series - grade - step - tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted)
• In some cases - more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held
• This position is in the Excepted Service
• The salary is based on the grade and step approved for the selected candidate
• 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
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards