Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens

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The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) administers anesthesia in both inpatient and outpatient settings to patients of all health complexities. The aspects of practice include direct patient care, administration, education, and research activities.

Major duties and responsibilities of the position:

• Collaborate with a variety of health care professionals to achieve common goals for care, safety, and welfare of patients
• Foster high levels of confidence and satisfaction among patients and staff, as well as meet and exceed compliance standards
• Provide anesthetic services within five general categories to include: pre-anesthesia evaluation and preparation; anesthesia induction, maintenance, and emergence; post anesthesia care; peri-anesthetic and clinical support functions; and emergency response techniques
• Develops and implements a comprehensive anesthesia plan of care for patients requiring local, regional, general, and monitored anesthesia both inside and outside the Operating Room (OR) suite
• Ensures anesthetic services delivered throughout the facility are of the highest quality to promote patient safety, satisfaction, and improve outcomes and efficiencies
• Functions as resources for staff education and are willing to be a preceptor and adjunct clinical faculty for health care trainees rotating through the facility
• Develop and implement evidence-based practices that are essential to the delivery of the highest quality anesthesia care
• Prescribe appropriate preoperative, intra-operative and postoperative orders and medications
• Exemplifies the ICARE core values of-Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards

Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards
Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:00am-3:30pm
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
Pay Schedule: CA78

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.
• English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(f), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• 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 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).
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

Qualifications

• Education. A masters or doctoral degree in nurse anesthesia. (Applicants pending the completion of educational requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until the education requirements are met.) Nursing education must be from a school of professional nursing anesthesia accredited by Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education Programs (COA) at the time the program was completed by the applicant
• Licensure and Certification. The following licensure and certification requirements are considered conditions of employment.
  • License. All APRN (CRNAs) must maintain an active, current, full and unrestricted license to practice as a CRNA or equivalent, in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia
  • Basic Certification. All APRN (CRNAs) must maintain full and current certification by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) or an equivalent Nurse Anesthetist certification recognized by the COA

NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and an APRN (CRNA) assignment that are also 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.

The following Education, Experience, and Knowledge, Skills and Abilities must be met for Advanced Practice Nurse (Certified Nurse Anesthetist) II:
Exception to Licensure for Graduate Nurse Technicians. Candidates who otherwise meet the basic requirements, but do not possess the required APRN (CRNA) licensure and/or certification, may be appointed at the entry step of the Nurse II, as a Nurse Anesthetist on a temporary appointment up to any period not-to-exceed one year and a day under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2)(B).

• Education and Experience Requirement. Meets basic education requirement for an APRN (CRNA). Nurse II is considered the entry grade level for APRN (CRNAs); no experience is required
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. The following list of knowledge, skills and abilities present the minimum skill set expected of an Entry Level CRNA. Entry level into practice may include but are not limited to the following:
  • Ability to translate into anesthesia care the principles of professional nursing practice including the patients' rights to autonomy, dignity, privacy, and safety
  • Knowledge of current research and practice guidelines to frame anesthesia practice including up to date techniques, pharmacology, and equipment
  • Ability to obtain, document and verify informed anesthesia consent and perform a pre-anesthetic patient history and physical, which includes managing pre-operative consults and interpreting data
  • Ability to formulate a patient-specific anesthetic plan and describe salient anesthetic risks, benefits, and options to the patient
  • Ability to administer inhalational, regional, intravenous, local, and topical anesthetics
  • Skill in detecting and treating anesthesia or surgically related physiologic changes and ability to treat accordingly in order to maintain homeostasis
  • Skill in assessing patient status for appropriateness of transfer of care to another healthcare provider and communicating essential patient information to other providers effectively
  • Ability to participate in collaborative responsibility for proper patient positioning, physiologic monitoring, infection control and anesthesia documentation
  • Skill in responding to emergency situations by providing airway management, fluid and medication administration, invasive line insertion and management and the use of advanced cardiac life support techniques
  • Ability to provide patient care that is abreast of changing concepts and advancements in the profession, (e.g., ultrasound techniques)
  • Ability to practice anesthesia in an interdisciplinary environment utilizing a collaborative concept of anesthesia care.
  • Knowledge of quality improvement processes to maintain ongoing review and evaluation of anesthesia care to improve outcomes
  • Ability to demonstrate a practice emphasis on safety, current established guidelines and protocols while recognizing the duty to report unsafe conditions or errors

The following Education, Experience, and Knowledge, Skills and Abilities must be met for Advanced Practice Nurse (Certified Nurse Anesthetist) III:

• Education and Experience Requirement: Meets basic education requirement for an APRN (CRNA) AND One year of specialized APRN (CRNA) experience equivalent to the APRN (CRNA) II grade level
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Progressively responsible experience in the administration of anesthetics as indicated in the knowledge, skills and abilities listed below
  • Ability to plan, administer and manage anesthesia for a broad range of complex surgical procedures skillfully employing continuous assessment and anesthetic adaptation based on patient response and comorbidities. Work assignments will vary by facility
  • Ability to participate in assignments that are technically challenging, encompass a variety of anesthetizing locations and utilize advanced equipment and procedures while adapting techniques to solve various complex anesthesia problems including the development of individualized programs of post-op anesthesia care
  • Skill in responsibility and accountability to perform to the extent of the CRNA standards of practice as a licensed healthcare professional in any model of anesthesia practice
  • Ability to contribute to the educational mission as a mentor or preceptor providing didactic and clinical instruction in anesthesia to student nurse anesthetists, medical and dental residents, and other health care trainees
  • Knowledge to participate in the development, implementation and maintenance of auditing processes that ensure and improve the quality and consistency of anesthesia and associated documentation
  • Ability to contribute to departmental administrative processes through quality assurance, shared governance, or committee representation as applicable
  • Ability to serve as a representative on interdisciplinary teams to establish and maintain guidelines and communication.
  • Skill demonstrated in the ability to embrace the safety culture emphasis by continuously assessing for safety risks, actively reporting safety concerns, and maintaining a just culture by identifying faults in systems rather than individuals

Physical Requirements: A pre-placement physical examination is required for all fulltime employees identified by VA Handbook 5019. The pre-placement physical examination shall be completed prior to appointment to determine the physical and mental fitness for candidates for appointment in VA. You must be able to perform work that requires regular and recurrent bending, lifting 30 pounds or more, stooping, climbing, twisting and/or bending, standing and/or walking almost constantly during the course of the day, reaching above the shoulder, stretching, and similar activities supporting various weights; walking and standing for 8 hours; frequent pushing medication carts, wheelchairs, litters, beds; use of fingers, both hands and both legs; emotional stability (you must be able to care for Veterans with various medical and psychiatric illnesses who at times may exhibit unpredictable behavior and may have the potential to be physically or verbally assaultive); near vision correctable at 13" to 16" / far vision correctable in one eye to 20/50 and to 20/100 in the other / both eyes required with ability to distinguish basic colors; hearing aid permitted in order to sufficiently hear various alarms and respond immediately.

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 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.