Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. Open to U.S. Citizens

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Care will be provided in the least restrictive, most cost-effective manner. HT is a program that applies care and case management principles to coordinate care using health informatics, disease management and HT technologies to facilitate access to care and to improve the health of Veterans with the specific intent of providing the right care, in the right place, at the right time. Duties include but are not limited to:

• Works to improve clinical outcomes and access to care while reducing complications, hospitalizations, and clinic or emergency room visits for Veterans in post-acute care settings and high-risk patients with chronic and mental health disease.
• Provides initial and ongoing comprehensive assessment to include a review of systems which establishes a comprehensive plan of care.
• Triages and assesses all data received from HT patients such as vital signs, reported symptoms and question responses.
• Identifies and intervenes for potential exacerbations of complications to facilitate timely care in Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) clinic, Emergency Department (ED)/Urgent Care (UC), and or/care in the community.
• Provides communication and data exchange with community-based providers when there is co-managed care.
• Provides interdisciplinary consultation and interventions such as with Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) and other non-institutional care programs and venues, Mental Health (MH), Social Work (SW), Pharmacy, Nutrition, etc.
• Identifies patients' knowledge, health factors, skills, and behaviors that support self-management and identify gaps therein.
• Provides health care coaching, patient education, and motivational counseling. Communicates and facilitates with the interdisciplinary team regarding progress to goals; patterns or trends of data, symptoms or findings; concerning findings; need for provider assessment and/or interventions.
• 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.

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.
• 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 identification 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).
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

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.)

• 3 - 5 years of nursing experience with additional preference given to those nurses with emphasis on critical care, ambulatory care, and/or case management experience..
• BSN or higher.
• Certification in Case Management.
• Two or more years of experience as a NII.
• 1-2 years of experience with technology applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, CPRS, and Vista.
• Excellent organizational, time management, and critical thinking skills.
• Excellent written/verbal communication skills and ability to interact with professionals/stakeholders at all levels of the medical facility in a professional manner.
• Ability to provide patient education, training, and support.
• Ability to present information in a meaningful way that is easy for the veteran to understand.

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.

Open to U.S. Citizens.

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.