Nursing Service is seeking Staff Nurse (MICU) to join the team!  

As a Staff Nurse you will provide prescribed medical treatment and personal care services to ill and injured veterans. Some of the primary duties are: Administer blood products; apply the nursing process (assessment, plan, implement and evaluate) for all patients in the ICU; uses pain scale to complete initial pain assessment, reassessment of pain and evaluate effectiveness of pain management and utilizes pain assessment for cognitively impaired patient when appropriate; completes all electronic/written nursing documentation (nursing admission assessment, shift documentation notes, trifolds, etc.); utilizes the appropriate notes for critical value notification, skin documentation, fall assessment, CIWA and heparin protocols and proper use of BCMA; demonstrates competency of mobilization devices and lift devices; initiate and manage gastric decompression, gastric lavage and gastric/intestinal tube feeding; initiate, maintain and discontinue IV access and therapy; discontinue arterial lines and/or central line; manage IV fluids, vasoactive medication drips and IV pain management drips, Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) Pump, and epidural infusions; administer intravenous medications by infusion or direct IV push as ordered by the physician and medically safe; manage patient on intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation (IABC), pacemaker therapy (transcutaneous, transvenous, and epicardial) and perform 12-lead EKG and right sided leads when necessary; initiate Open Chest Resuscitation as needed; The incumbent will also be expected to manage patients' airways to include: Endo tracheal tubes, Tracheotomies, Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) oral/naso-pharyngeal airways and oral airways; monitor and assess neuromuscular blockade with the peripheral nerve stimulator; monitor and assess patients receiving procedural sedation/analgesia for procedures; obtain blood specimens from venous, central venous access catheter (i.e. PICC, Groshong, Swan ganz), arterial catheters and pulmonary artery catheters; obtain blood specimens through venous and arterial phlebotomy when needed; perform hemodynamic monitoring with care of venous and arterial access sites and integrate numerical values with patient's assessment; perform dressing changes for all central lines, arterial lines, IV sites, surgical and non-surgical wounds utilizing aseptic/sterile technique as appropriate; provide care to acute hemodialysis and Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) patients, utilizing dialysis unit nurses as a resource; review, verify and do 24 hour chart review of electronic physician orders in the clinical setting; take telephonic/verbal orders with "write down, read back"verification and electronic computer entry; utilize isolation precautions as appropriate; provide post-anesthesia monitoring and care for all cardio thoracic patients and for other patients according to circumstances especially off hours or previously admitted to ICU as needed. Incumbent leads by example in defining a customer service culture to ensure that all customers are treated with respect and civility. Ensures that whenever possible works to cultivate partnerships with our customers in developing solutions to meet their needs.

Work Schedule: Rotating Shift

Position Description Title/PD#: Staff Nurse Functional Statement / N/A
Fair Labor Standards Act: Exempt
Bargaining Unit Status Code: 1276

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.

Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting (45 lbs and over); Heavy carrying (45 lbs and over); Straight pulling and pushing; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking and standing up to 8 hours; repeated bending; Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; hearing aid permitted. 

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-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).  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.

·         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.  Students should submit the certificate of professional nursing to sit for the NCLEX to the VA along with a copy of the MSN transcript. (Reference VA Handbook 5005, Appendix G6)

·         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. 

Preferred Experience:  3 years experience in Critical Care within the last 5 years.

Grade Determinations:  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.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

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.

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.

Experience as an RN will be evaluated to determine if the experience is of an acceptable level of quality with regard to the following four dimensions of nursing: Practice, Professional Development, Collaboration and Scientific Inquiry. Each dimension of practice has criteria that demonstrate essential core competencies for VHA Nursing Personnel.  The criteria are as follows:

• Practice: practice, ethics and resource utilization;
• Professional Development: performance, education/career development;
• Collaboration; collaboration, collegiality;
• Scientific Inquiry: quality of care, research.