Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

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The Nurse Manager for ASU, PACU, Interventional Radiology (IR), and Cath/EP Lab reports to the Associate Nurse Executive for Perioperative Services and serves as the designated first-line supervisor with 24/7 accountability for safe, efficient, high-quality patient care. The Nurse Manager plans, organizes, directs, and evaluates clinical and administrative operations across four procedural care areas: Ambulatory Surgery Unit (ASU), Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), IR, and Cath/EP Lab. Responsibilities include coordinating nursing, technical, and support staff; managing patient flow and transitions of care; ensuring appropriate staffing based on patient acuity, complexity, and service needs; and optimizing use of personnel, supplies, equipment, and other system resources. The incumbent serves as a clinical and operational resource for staff and provides leadership grounded in evidence-based practice, current clinical recommendations, and applicable professional standards. The Nurse Manager collaborates with physicians, supervisors, nursing staff, patients and families, ancillary departments, and executive leadership to support coordinated perioperative and procedural care.
Key responsibilities include:

• Providing clinical leadership in developing, implementing, revising, and enforcing nursing policies, procedures, standards of care, care-delivery models, clinical guidelines, and evidence-based protocols.
• Ensuring staff competence, completion of mandatory education and training, professional development, and ongoing assessment of educational needs and quality of nursing care.
• Supervising staff performance; completing performance appraisals; addressing performance concerns and disciplinary matters; maintaining competency records; and participating in recruitment, interviewing, reference checks, retention efforts, staffing methodology, and position-description development.
• Leading quality improvement, system redesign, Lean, rapid process improvement workgroups, peer reviews, and patient-safety initiatives to improve outcomes for Veterans.
• Monitoring and acting on quality and performance metrics, including SAIL, nurse-sensitive indicators, CAUTI, CLABSI, BCMA, workload data, patient event reports, and other operational and clinical measures.
• Analyzing occurrence reports, Joint Patient Safety Reports (JPSR), sentinel events, and other high-risk or problem-prone areas; implementing system improvements as appropriate.
• Collaborating with frontline staff and Unit Practice Councils to implement improvements based on staff feedback, including All-Employee Survey results.
• Maintaining compliance with VA requirements and applicable standards from The Joint Commission, CDC, AAMI, OSHA, ASPAN, AACN, ARIN, AMSN, ANA, and SICP.
• Managing daily operations, including timekeeping, labor maps, scheduling, emergency/disaster response, surgical scheduling, staff meetings, audits, Mock Tracers, TMS compliance, Environment of Care rounds, inspections, centralized temperature monitoring, reusable medical equipment oversight, and regulatory compliance.
• Overseeing supply and equipment needs, including supply-chain requests, implants, new equipment requests, and the department Equipment Inventory List.
• Supporting compliance with applicable union agreements in collaboration with Human Resources.
• Facilitating effective communication across departments and meeting regularly with medical staff to share information, resolve issues, and promote teamwork.
• Representing the department at required meetings and participating in professional-development activities aligned with VA mission, goals, and strategic priorities.
• Demonstrating ethical leadership, sound judgment, safe work practices, effective prioritization, proficient use of clinical and computer systems, and professional communication that promotes respect, cooperation, and teamwork.
• The Nurse Manager is expected to independently manage multiple priorities, identify and mitigate patient-care, safety, staffing, and resource risks, and promote an environment of accountability, continuous improvement, and exceptional Veteran-centered care.

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 evaluation/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.)

• MSN; Current BLS; ACLS optional; Must have 3-5 years current inpatient and/or periprocedural experience; Experience in a perioperative or procedural setting (Ambulatory Surgery, PACU, Interventional Radiology, Cath Lab, or EP Lab) preferred; Preferred experience as a Perioperative Nurse Manager or Assistant Nurse Manager; Preferred certifications: CAPA, CPAN, RCIS, or CNML; Experience as a charge nurse or clinical coordinator in a perioperative or procedural area; Educator experience (orientation, competency development, policy development) preferred; Administrative experience (time cards, staff evaluations; leave, disciplinary and recognition); and Experience with accreditation and regulatory readiness (Joint Commission, CMS), sedation standards, and radiation safety preferred

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.