Summary

Department of Veterans Affairs offers healthcare services to eligible military veterans at VA medical centers and outpatient clinics across the country. Driven by the mission to fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for him who shall have borne the battle - and for his widow - and his orphan" - VA strives to serve and honor America's veterans by adhering to the highest standards of compassion - commitment - excellence - professionalism - integrity - accountability - and stewardship.

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: 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:
• 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: VA Regulations - specifically VA Handbook 5005 - Part II - Appendix G-6 Nurse Qualification Standard
• This can be found in the local Human Resources Office
• Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity - keen hearing - clear distinctive speech - and manual dexterity
• This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking - standing - stooping
• sitting - bending - pulling - and pushing
• Transferring patients and objects may be required
• The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to wear 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 job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies
• This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

Duties

• Applications are being accepted for the Infection Control Coordinator (RN) - Quality - Safety - and Value (QSV)
• The Infection Control Coordinator provides facility-wide support for VASNHS in all aspects of infection prevention - quality management - assessment - data measurement - and process improvement related to patient care - safety - and organizational functions
• Major duties and responsibilities include - but are not limited to: Candidates must hold a full - current - active - and unrestricted professional nursing license from an NLNAC- or CCNE-accredited program
• A BSN is required
• a Master's degree in Nursing or a related field is preferred
• A minimum of four years of RN experience in a hospital setting is required
• Three to four years of Infection Prevention experience and Certification in Infection Control (CIC) are preferred
• Leads infection prevention initiatives - including designing and maintaining HAI surveillance programs (CLABSI - SSI - C
• difficile - MRSA) - conducting outbreak investigations - and ensuring compliance with VHA Directive 1131 and NHSN reporting standards
• Conducts and documents comprehensive Infection Control Risk Assessments (ICRAs) - including water safety - construction/ICRA - and reusable medical equipment
• Provides clear - actionable recommendations to facility leadership
• Demonstrates professional practice in infection prevention and epidemiology - including construction-related infection control - quality management - and patient safety
• Performs Infection Control tracers and uses clinical expertise to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of clinical performance across services - ensuring compliance with accreditation and VHA standards
• Develops - implements - and updates infection control policies and procedures aligned with VHA Directive 1131 - The Joint Commission - CMS - OSHA - and state regulatory requirements
• Serves as a subject-matter expert in infection prevention - providing training and education in epidemiology - asepsis - immunizations - and infection prevention practices
• Consults with clinical teams to support problem solving and exchange of expertise
• Collects - analyzes - trends - and reports infection prevention data
• Manages Clinical Case Registries (HIV/AIDS - Hepatitis C) and communicates findings to clinical staff to support care coordination and risk mitigation.