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Duties

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THIS IS AN OPEN CONTINOUS ANNOUCEMENT WITH A CLOSING DATE OF September 30, 2017

· The initial cut-off date is December 30, 2016.

· Applications will be referred every two weeks thereafter.

· Applications will remain on file for 3 months.

Work Schedule: 1^st Shift 8:00am to 4:30pm NOTE: Shifts may vary depending on patient care needs.

***RELOCATION INCENTIVE/RECRUITMENT INCENTIVE HAS BEEN AUTHORIZE FOR HIGHLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATES/ MOVING EXPENSES ARE NOT AUTHORIZED.***

The primary role of the Psychiatric Registered Nurse Practitioner (RNP) is to provide direct care management of complex psychiatric patients in a designated psychiatric setting. This includes providing psychiatric evaluations for patients in the Outpatient or Inpatient settings. The RNP will also work in collaboration with Mental Health Attending Physicians, Social Workers, Psychologists, nursing staff, and other interdisciplinary team members in the management of mentally ill patients. The incumbent will ensure that the clinical care of all psychiatric patients is consistent with existing mental health best practices and performance measures within their practice setting.

The incumbent should possess advanced education, knowledge, clinical skills, and experience necessary to provide expert care to mentally ill patients in either the Inpatient or Outpatient setting. The incumbent works collaboratively with the interdisciplinary team to support the care of our veterans.

The major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

· Conducting admission, discharges, transfers and care of patients within the Mental Health continuum of care.

· Ensuring mental health best practices are being applied and adhered to appropriately for all psychiatric patients.

· Providing care for psychiatric patients according to their clinical condition. This may include, prescribing, ordering labs, psychological testing, ordering consults and providing counseling.

· Perform clinical follow-up review on all patients as appropriate to the setting and Perform telehealth duties as needed for Mental Health patients in other valley clinics.

· Ensuring continuity of care between mental health staff, patients, and their families.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Must pass pre-employment examination.
Designated and/or Random Drug Testing required.
Background and/or Security Investigation required.
Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.

Drug Testing: All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a drug 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 the VA. In addition, any offer of employment will be rescinded with a verified positive drug test. VA employees in drug testing designated positions are also subject to post appointment random drug testing.

Physical Requirements: This position requires heavy lifting, 45 pounds heavy carrying, 45 pounds straight pulling (2 hours); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking & standing 8 hours - intermittently; repeated bending; both legs required; ability for rapid mental& muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; depth perception; ability to distinguish shades of colors; hearing (aide permitted). 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.

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

· U.S. citizenship. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

· Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate State agency, and accredited by the National League of Nursing Accreditation Commission (NLNAC) which changed to the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN; http://www.acenursing.org ) or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE; http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ ) at the time the program was completed; OR the completion of coursework equivalent to a nursing degree in a MSN Bridge Program that qualifies for professional nursing registration constitutes the completion of an approved course of study of professional nursing. In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of current, full, active and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing.

· Licensed or otherwise recognized as a nurse practitioner in a State and possesses a full and current certification as a nurse practitioner from the American Nurses Association or another nationally recognized certifying body. (NOTE: The certification must be in the specialty to which the individual is being appointed or selected: Psychiatric - Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and/or Adult Psychiatric - Mental Health Nurse Practitioner).

In addition to the basic requirements, the following criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade:

· 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 approximately 1 year of nursing practice/experience; OR an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a bachelor's degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience; OR a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional nursing practice/experience.

· Nurse I Level III - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a Bachelor's degree in a related field and approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a BSN with approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) or related field with a BSN and no additional nursing practice/experience.

· Nurse II - A BSN with approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a Bachelor's degree in a related field and approximately 2-3 year's of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master's degree in nursing or related field with a BSN and approximately 1-2 year's of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing or meets basic requirements for appointment and has doctoral degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience required.

· Nurse III - Master's degree in nursing or related field with BSN and approximately 2-3 year's of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing or related field and approximately 2-3 year's of nursing practice/experience.

References: VA Handbook 5005/72, Part II, Appendix G6 Nurse Qualification Standard, dated March 17, 2009, http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/Directives-Handbooks/Documents/5005.pdf

Business Necessity:

· One (1) year of full-time experience as a licensed professional nurse.

Preferred Criteria:

· Current Basic Life Support (BLS) provider card issued by American Heart Association (AHA) or Military Training Network (MTN).

· Registered Nurse Practitioner experience caring for and managing complex psychiatric patients.

· RN experience managing Mental Health patients using telehealth technology.

· Possess prescriptive privileges (Nurse Practitioner Furnishing Number) with a current DEA number from the United States Drug Enforcement administration for Schedule II-V controlled substances with demonstration of meeting California State Board of Nursing requirements to prescribe controlled substances

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

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.

Additional information

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We may not make assumptions regarding your experience.

Your application, résumé and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

NOTE: Applicant's education and length of nursing practice (experience) will be considered by a Nurse Professional Standards Board in determining the grade and step of the applicant selected.

Required Documents

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All applicants are required to submit the following supporting document(s):

· Resume (Required for ALL applicants)

Applicants are not required, but highly encouraged to submit the following document:

· Non-Award SF-50 (VA, other Federal Employees, and Reinstatement eligible)

· OF-306 Declaration For Federal Employment: http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/of0306.pdf (Required if selected)

· VA Form 10-2850a - Application for Nurses and Nurse Anesthetists (Available at http://www.va.gov/vaforms/medical/pdf/vha-10-2850a-fill.pdf) (Required if selected)

· Copy of Transcripts (Official transcripts will be required if selected)

Please use this checklist to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided and provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) and/or documentation related to your active duty service which shows dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veterans Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. For more information, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.

Faxing Applications or Supporting Documents: You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you are unable to apply online or unable to upload your supporting documents to your online application, follow the directions located at the following site: Fax Options. The Vacancy ID of the job opportunity announcement is 1859981.

NOTE: If you applied online and your application is complete, do not fax the paper application (1203-FX) as this will overwrite your prior online responses and may result in you being found ineligible.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Help

All applicants are encouraged to apply online.

To apply for this position, you must complete the View Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Saturday, September 30, 2017 to receive consideration.

1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.

2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Agency contact information

VAPAHCS USAS

Phone: (650)694-6000
Fax: (478)757-3144
Email: V21PALWORKFORTHEVA@VA.GOV

Address: VHA Palo Alto HCS
Department of Veterans Affairs
Palo Alto Health Care System
NO MAIL/EMAIL/IN-PERSON APPLICATIONS
Mountain View, CA 94043

Next steps

After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. During our review, if your résumé and application package do not support your questionnaire answers, we will adjust your rating accordingly. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email (if provided); otherwise, applicants will receive a notification letter via the U.S. Postal Service. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account and clicking on "Application Status." For a more detailed update of your status, click on "more information." Information regarding applicant notification points can be found in the USAJobs Resource Center.

Required Documents

Help

All applicants are required to submit the following supporting document(s):

· Resume (Required for ALL applicants)

Applicants are not required, but highly encouraged to submit the following document:

· Non-Award SF-50 (VA, other Federal Employees, and Reinstatement eligible)

· OF-306 Declaration For Federal Employment: http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/of0306.pdf (Required if selected)

· VA Form 10-2850a - Application for Nurses and Nurse Anesthetists (Available at http://www.va.gov/vaforms/medical/pdf/vha-10-2850a-fill.pdf) (Required if selected)

· Copy of Transcripts (Official transcripts will be required if selected)

Please use this checklist to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided and provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) and/or documentation related to your active duty service which shows dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veterans Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. For more information, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.

Faxing Applications or Supporting Documents: You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you are unable to apply online or unable to upload your supporting documents to your online application, follow the directions located at the following site: Fax Options. The Vacancy ID of the job opportunity announcement is 1859981.

NOTE: If you applied online and your application is complete, do not fax the paper application (1203-FX) as this will overwrite your prior online responses and may result in you being found ineligible.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Help

All applicants are encouraged to apply online.

To apply for this position, you must complete the View Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Saturday, September 30, 2017 to receive consideration.

1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.

2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Agency contact information

VAPAHCS USAS

Phone: (650)694-6000
Fax: (478)757-3144
Email: V21PALWORKFORTHEVA@VA.GOV

Address: VHA Palo Alto HCS
Department of Veterans Affairs
Palo Alto Health Care System
NO MAIL/EMAIL/IN-PERSON APPLICATIONS
Mountain View, CA 94043

Next steps

After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. During our review, if your résumé and application package do not support your questionnaire answers, we will adjust your rating accordingly. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email (if provided); otherwise, applicants will receive a notification letter via the U.S. Postal Service. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account and clicking on "Application Status." For a more detailed update of your status, click on "more information." Information regarding applicant notification points can be found in the USAJobs Resource Center.