Summary The Iowa City VA Health Care System (ICVAHCS) is currently recruiting for one (1) Full-Time Registered Nurse- Emergency Department position. ICVAHCS is in Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 23. The Emergency Department position falls under the clinical pathway, as a direct care nurse, & reports to the Clinical Manager, Intensive Services Service Line. 72/80 Schedule Eligibility: Successful completion of unit orientation; Adherence to hospital policy & procedures, including leave policy. Responsibilities The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Duties include but are not limited to: Able to assess a patient who presents to the Emergency Department and triage to the appropriate Emergency Severity Index. Able to continuously anticipate, intervene, prioritize and evaluate the patient's condition and requirements according to the patient's health care needs. Able to rapidly initiate protocols or intervene to enhance, maintain or stabilize a patient's status utilizing interventions proven to be beneficial through evidence based practice Must demonstrate or quickly adapt knowledge and skills related to the use of appropriate Emergency Department equipment and computer programs. Must be proactive in professional growth and Emergency Dept., Service, Facility, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN, or Federal goals and mandates which enhance processes and provision of care. Must have critical thinking skills and take ownership in promoting knowledge and skills to remain current incorporating, evidence based research shown to be of benefit in decreasing mortality and morbidity. Must obtain and maintain Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Prevention and Management of Disruptive Behavior Level IV, and Trauma Nursing Core Course certifications throughout employment. 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: Rotating shifts, day, evening, night, weekends, and holidays. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Must pass pre-employment physical examination Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. Qualifications Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Education Accreditation Requirement. Nursing education must be from a school of professional nursing accredited by one of the following accrediting organizations at the time the program was completed: The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). All Nurses must possess and maintain an active, current, full and unrestricted license as a Nurse to practice in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Exception to Licensure for Graduate Nurse Technicians. 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 Graduate Nurse Technician (GNT) on a temporary appointment under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2)(B). Nursing Qualifications Nurse I Level I - An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional nursing practice/experience required. Nurse I Level II - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and 1 year of nursing practice/experience equivalent to Nurse 1 Level 1; OR a Bachelor's in nursing with no additional nursing practice/experience. Nurse I Level III - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and 2 years of nursing practice/experience, 1 of which is a year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 2; OR a Bachelor's degree in nursing with 1 years of nursing practice/experience equivalent to Nurse 1, Level 2; OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) and no additional nursing practice/experience; OR a Master's degree in a related field with a bachelor's degree in nursing with no professional nursing experience. Nurse II - A Bachelor's degree in nursing with 2 years of nursing practice/experience, 1 of which is a year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse 1, Level 3; OR a Master's degree in nursing and 1 years of nursing practice/experience equivalent to a Nurse 1, Level 3; OR a Master's degree in a related field with a bachelor's degree in nursing with 1 year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse 1, Level 3; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing with no professional nursing experience; OR a Doctoral degree in a related field with a master's or bachelor's degree in nursing with no additional nursing practice/experience required. Nurse III - Master's degree in nursing and 2 years of nursing practice/experience, 1 of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets the dimension requirements of Nurse III; OR a master's degree in a related field with a bachelor's degree in nursing with 2 years of specialized nursing experience, 1 of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing with 1 year of specialized nursing experience which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimensions requirements for Nurse III; OR a Doctorate degree in a related field with a master's or bachelor's degree in nursing with 1 year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirement for Nurse III. Dimension Requirement for Nurse III. Nurses at Nurse III must meet ALL the following dimension requirements to qualify for Nurse III. Practice. Demonstrates expertise in professional practice using the nursing process (assessment, diagnosis, outcome identification, planning, implementation and evaluation) with improved evidence-based and/or data-driven outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting. Veteran/Patient Driven Care. Leads initiatives to improve Veteran/patient experience. Satisfaction and/or safety beyond the immediate practice setting. Leadership. Communicates and collaborates as an effective leader of the interprofessional team, at the expert level, with improved evidence-based and/or data-driven outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting. Professional Development. Enhances knowledge base and practice evaluation, at the expert level, with improved outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting. Evidence Based Practice/Research. Leads the identification and integration of evidence-based practice/research with clinical expertise to improve quality of care and resource utilization at the expert level with improved outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting. Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-6 Nurse Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Preferred Experience: Prior ED nurse experience ACLS BLS TNCC Physical Requirements: The population of male and female veterans served ranges from the adult, age 18, to the elderly adult, age 65 and over. ICVAHCS is a major interdisciplinary teaching facility, serving medical, surgical, and neurological inpatients and outpatients. There is a large outpatient psychiatric population, with visits to the Emergency Department and admissions for medical co-morbidities. This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires up to the entire shift of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Incumbent is required to lift up to 45 pounds, as transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. This position potentially requires flexibility in schedule and assignments, as this is a 24/7 hospital. Must complete annual Employee Health requirements as a condition of employment. The incumbent who provides care in home settings or other off-site locations may be required to drive and/or ride in GSA-vehicle. This position requires heavy lifting (45 lbs and over), Heavy Carrying (45 lbs and over), Strait pulling (1 hour), Pulling hand over hand (2 hours), Pushing (2 Hours) reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, both arms/hands required or the equivalent required, walking 8-12 hours, standing 8-12 hours, crawling 0.5 hours, kneeling 1 hour, repeated bending (4 hours), climbing, legs only (0.5 hours), both legs required or the equivalent required, twisting (2 hours), ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, stooping, stretching (2 hours), near vision correctable at 13 to 16 to Jaeger 1 to 4, specific visual requirement (read medication label and equipment manuals), both eyes required, ability to distinguish basic colors, hearing (aid may be permitted) adequate to hear medical alarms/whispered voice, ability to perform Prevention and Management of Disruptive Behavior, patient lifting (mechanical assistance available), sitting (8-12 hours), ability to perform Basic Life Support, emotional and mental stability. Environmental factors include: outside and inside, dust, electrical energy, working around machinery with moving parts, working with hands in water, working closely with others, working alone, protracted or irregular work hours and repetitive use of hand hygiene. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. Additional Information As a VA employee, you will enjoy a truly rewarding career, comprehensive benefits, competitive pay and other generous perks to help build a fuller, more balanced life for you and your family. Strong starting salary, career growth, and recognition VA Nurse Locality Pay System (LPS) - ensuring our nurses are paid competitive rates within each local labor market VA Special Rates - providing regular performance-based increases and potential accelerated increases for outstanding performance Premium Pay - including overtime, Saturday, Sunday, holiday, on-call and night work Incentive Awards - including Superior Performance Awards, Special Contribution Awards, VA Honor Awards, and Non-Monetary Recognition. 8 hours of annual leave (Vacation Time) accrual for full-time Nurses and Nurse Anesthetists for each full biweekly pay period (The highest leave accrual of any VA employee!). 4 hours of Sick leave accrual per full biweekly pay period. 12 Weeks of Paid Parental Leave Organ Donor Leave Military Leave Disabled Veteran Leave Health Insurance - pre-taxed premiums and a variety of plans to choose from, ranging from traditional HMO/PPO plans with low co-pays, to High- Deductible plans. Single, spouse and family plans available. Dental Insurance Vision Insurance Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) -Tax deferred retirement savings account that is similar to private sector 401(k). You may be eligible for an automatic 1% agency contribution, plus a 4% matching agency contribution. Flexible Spending Accounts - medical & dependent care Life Insurance - with available additions for family coverage Long Term Care Insurance Leave Sharing Program Holidays - 11 paid Federal holidays each year Child Care Subsidies Employee Assistance Program Wellness and Physical Fitness Programs Transit Subsidies Continuing Education Opportunities Based on the needs of the organization, employees selected may be called on to perform duties at other locations within VA Iowa City. To verify claimed Facility or Agency employee eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) (dated within the past year). This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. 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. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.