Summary

The Wilkes Barre Medical Center is currently recruiting for a Acute Care Registered Nurse for our Intensive Care Unit.

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/12733065
• 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: This clinical position includes a level of physicality normally associated with direct patient care duties performed by nurses such as potentially long periods of continued walking - standing - sitting - moderate lifting - repeated bending - or kneeling
• Examples may include but are not limited to: -Significant amounts of time standing assisting assigned patients -Utilization of safe patient handling and mobility protocols.

Duties

• The Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) assists in directing provisions of nursing education - orientation - competencies and provides quality improvement & outcomes utilization consultation
• Provides direct care for acutely/critically ill patients at high risk for actual or potential life-threatening health problems & high intensity care and vigilance - while refining assessment skills and data obtained from a variety of invasive/noninvasive monitoring technology
• Evaluates practice in an ongoing process - provides peers with informal constructive feedback for improvement - fosters a safe and supportive environment conducive to the professional development of healthcare professionals
• Contributes professional nursing perspective in discussions with the interdisciplinary team
• Partners with others to effect change and optimal outcomes
• Supports colleagues providing safe - quality nursing care
• Shares educational findings - experiences - and ideas with peers
• Questions clinical practices - participates in activities/strategies to sustain evidence-based-practice culture - experience with situations in which they are ultimately expected to perform - integrating theoretical concepts - strong critical thinking skills & exhibits a robust technically skilled practice
• The job duties in this RN ICU/PCU position include but are not limited to: - Knowledge in recalling arrhythmia events in both ICU/Telemetry - establishing and/or changing alarm parameters - and obtaining a rhythm strip each shift to be scanned into the electronic chart
• - Troubleshoots when signals are not coming in properly
• Patients will be provided education on reasons - purpose and restrictions associated with cardiac monitoring and telemetry
• - Responsible for providing nursing care to medical and surgical patients who require continuous and concentrated monitoring
• - Knowledge and expertise in: Arrhythmia interpretation Invasive hemodynamic monitoring Cardioversion Cardiac resuscitation Pacemakers - external and transvenous Acute MI protocol IV thrombolytic Volume expanders Chest tube Mechanical ventilation Post anesthesia patients IV pain management Rx of GI and renal patients Rx of pulmonary edema Rx of severe respiratory patients & CO2 monitoring Overdose protocols Immediate post-op care of vascular patients - abdominal surgery - neuro-surgery - orthopedic surgery - pacemaker surgery Rx of patients with epidural catheters Education of patients and significant others in their treatment in ICU/telemetry Conscious sedation Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) bundles: Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP)/Central Venous Line (CVL) IV vasoactive and inotropic medication Provides care to Telemetry patients
• Maintains Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certification
• Provides care to acute stroke victims and patients with altered level of consciousness
• Knowledgeable in caring for psychiatric patients with acute medical illness including - but not limited to - patients on Suicide - Violence - Eloper (SVE) precautions
• Assess care for patients with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) - Pulmonary Edema - Sepsis - and Respiratory Distress Syndromes
• Assesses patients need on admission with respect to developmental stage - age - sex - religion - ethnicity - socioeconomic status and illness
• Assists Physician/Hospitalist with a variety of bedside procedures such as intubation - thoracentesis - CVL insertion - paracentesis - bone marrow aspiration
• Provides Patient Health Education (PHE) to patients and families with regard to current treatment - health issues - and patient/family concerns in accordance with educational level of patient/family
• Acts as a member of Code Blue - Code White - and Rapid Response Teams (RRT)
• Provides assistance to other areas such as Emergency Department (ED) - Triage - 4 East - Ward 9 - Community Living Center (CLC)
• Demonstrates good judgment in determining need for safety devices
• With a physician order - an ACLS RN will accompany patients on transfer to another VA or a private facility as needed
• 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: 8:00pm to 8:00am for 6 shifts - plus an 8 hour shift (midnight to 8am) in a two week period /rotating 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