Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. Current Veterans Health Administration employees will be given 1st consideration. CURRENT SF-50 must be submitted as proof of current employment. If you do not submit SF-50, you will not be given 1st consideration.

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The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) IV provides anesthesia care to patients across all levels of health complexity in both inpatient and outpatient settings. This role encompasses direct patient care, administration, education, and research activities. The CRNA Chief must have four years of progressively responsible CRNA experience-including one year at the APN (CNA) III level-covering clinical, administrative, educational, or research areas. At this level, the role emphasizes strategic planning, administrative leadership, and the development and execution of long- and short-term goals for the anesthesia department.

Duties include but not limited to the following:

• Collaborates with a variety of health care professionals to achieve common goals for care, safety, and welfare of patients.
• Fosters high levels of confidence and satisfaction among patients and staff, as well as meet and exceed compliance standards.
• Provides 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 resource for staff education and is willing to be a preceptor and adjunct clinical faculty for health care trainees rotating through the VAMC.
• Develops and implements evidence-based practices that are essential to the delivery of the highest quality anesthesia care.
• Prescribes appropriate preoperative, intra-operative and postoperative orders and medications.
• Makes recommendations that may significantly affect the content, interpretation or development of VA policies or programs concerning critical matters or major issues within the anesthesia arena.
• First line supervisor and administrative responsibility for nurse anesthesia staff (i.e., performance reviews, Focused Professional Practice Evaluation (FPPE) and Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluations (OPPE}, peer review). Administrative responsibility may extend to other healthcare professionals within the department.
• Exemplifies the ICARE core values of-Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence.

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 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

Advanced Practice Nurse (Certified Nurse Anesthetist) Basic Requirements

• 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 APN (CNAs) must maintain an active, current, full and unrestricted license to practice as a CNA or equivalent, in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia.
  • Basic Certification. All APN (CNAs) 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.

• Education and Experience Requirement. Meets basic education requirement for an APN (CNA) AND Four years of APN (CNA) progressively responsible assignments in clinical, administrative, education and/or research related to CNA practice, one of which is specialized experience equivalent to the APN (CNA) III grade level. At this level, emphasis is placed on strategic planning and administrative responsibilities.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Must have the ability to perform long and short-term planning goals for their anesthesia department. Chief APN (CNA) functions may include, but are not limited to, the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
  • • Ability to assume progressive responsibility for planning organizing, directing, and evaluating section and departmental processes and programs.
    • Ability to supervise staff, students, or ancillary personnel and to ensure proper scheduling and staffing.
    • Skill to perform as a provider and mentor for unusually extensive and complex anesthetic cases.
    • Knowledge to participate in a continual audit of anesthesia care and to ensure periodic performance and professional practice (focused and ongoing) evaluation requirements are met.
    • Knowledge to represent departmental interests at interdisciplinary committee meetings, participate in departmental reviews, collaborate in problem solving and develop quality improvement initiatives.
    • Knowledge to engage in departmental resource stewardship, evaluation of staffing, equipment, and time value management.
    • Ability to interpret efficiency data as well as implement and evaluate cost-effective operational strategies.
    • Ability to prioritize and delegate tasks to enhance employee investment offering opportunities for staff leadership development.
    • Skill to collaborate and support the development of clinical and educational programs and anesthesia protocols to improve patient outcomes and improve service level performance.

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.