Clarification from the agency

Consideration will be given to current, permanent employees of the VA Puget Sound Health Care System.

Videos

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Implementation, maintenance, and evaluation of the facilities' SPHM Program (including policy, procedures, culture, and infrastructure)
• Leadership, implementation, maintenance, and evaluation of the SPHM Unit/Service Peer Leader (PL) Program
• UPL mentoring, coaching, education, and training
• Facility education and training related to SPHM for multiple stakeholder groups
• Coordination with SPHM UPL team and multi-disciplinary stakeholders such as service lines, therapy teams, and clinical supervisors to ensure ongoing monitoring/ maintenance of SPHM equipment, and availability of slings and other SPHM supplies as well as identification of needed SPHM equipment
• Provide oversight of service line request for SPHM equipment proposals and purchase of SPHM equipment
• Ensuring that SPHM Program meets standards of care as established by governing and accreditation bodies
• Ensure the SPHM Program follows evidence-based practices- Collaborate with Safety Department for patient care ergonomic evaluations and bariatric care throughout the continuum of care for all areas of VAPSHCS
• Participate in Environment of Care rounds for SPHM to identify hazards and needs and direct responsible parties to mitigate deficiencies
• Data collection and analysis to monitor program performance including tracking and reporting of reviews and investigation of injuries and incidents related to patient handling, both for staff and patients
• Collaborate with Safety, Infection Prevention, Wound Care, falls program, and other stakeholders to recommend and implement methods to decrease injury risk for program performance and improved outcome
• Serve as SPHM Subject Matter Expert (SME) on facility oversight committees and/or sub-committees to communicate SPHM Program goals, initiatives, and advancements with oversight committees and key administrators and leader
• Providing educational instruction and training of SPHM for nursing staff in clinical and outpatient units including Specialty Care, CBOCS and American Lake
• Designing/updating SPHM curriculum, program management, classroom teaching and evaluating program outcomes.
• orientation of new employees on SPHM, evaluating their progress in the orientation process, and development and implementation of a learning plan for improving identified deficiencies
• Supports emergency response with SPHM SME to include BLS response and Code Green situations; evaluating responses and recommending strategies for improvement
• Supporting of nurse residency programs with SPHM program and principles including the development of curriculum utilizing strategic learning methodologies such as simulation, lecture case studies and virtual reality
• Coaching and mentoring
• Evaluating current SPHM practice, formulate outcomes for groups of patients and staff and/or organizational processes within area of expertise
• Collaborate/Consult with other Nurse Educators and intra professional healthcare teams in the ongoing SPHM clinical education activities including in-services, training, competency assessment and evaluations of both current and new staff nursing skills
• Reviewing of current nursing literature for new trends and changes based on evidenced based research with ability to propose revision based on evaluation of outcomes
• Collaborating with the Nursing leadership and unit managers to identify SPHM educational and training needs for nursing staff
• Supporting activities that foster competence, critical thinking and decision making, compliance with The Joint Commission, VHA and Puget Sound Health Care policies, regulations, and best practices
• Developing and maintaining individualized learning goals for professional development of self through familiarity and association of nursing and community professional affiliates and organizations
• Executing leadership principles demonstrating strategic thinking through creative and innovative approaches to learning
• Providing consultation and collaboration through the participation within organizational committees/councils and intra -professional teams
• Utilizing educational technology including learning management systems excel/project management /SharePoint/power BI
• Analyzing, interpreting and evaluating data to determine outcomes and changes related to educational program

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.
• 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. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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).

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.)

• Experience with Safe Patient Handling and Mobility concepts, strategies, and program management
• Experience in curriculum design, program management, classroom teaching and evaluation of program outcomes.
• Understanding of instructional design, implementation and application related to education and training
• Performing learning needs assessments, develop educational and trainings for clinical staff within organization
• Orientation of new employees, evaluation of their progress in the orientation process, and development and implementation of a learning plan for improving identified deficiencies.

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, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

NOTE: Candidate's education, scope, and length of nursing practice (experience) will be considered in determining the grade and salary of the applicant selected. The recommended salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy.

Experience as an RN will be evaluated to determine if the experience is of an acceptable level of quality with regard to the following five dimensions of nursing: Practice, Veteran/Patient Driven Care, Leadership, Professional Development, and Evidence/Based Practice/Research. Each dimension of practice has criteria that demonstrate essential core competencies for VHA Nursing Personnel.

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.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

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

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.