Clarification from the agency

All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees, current permanent Federal employees of other agencies and all US Citizens. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens.

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Patient Safety Manager/Registered Nurse duties include but not limited to:

• Designs/redesigns, implements, evaluates and collaboratively maintains the Medical Center's Patient Safety Program and High Reliability Organization (HRO) Program.
• Collects, monitors, analyzes, and reports patient safety data and makes recommendations for performance improvement.
• Manages the patient safety reporting system; reporting system; reporting trends, outliers, concerns, and appropriately referring reports for follow up.
• Appropriately follows up on reported events, using the Patient Safety tools of Focused Review, RCA, local survey, audits, and facilitates problem solving and process improvement.
• Provides expert leadership and facilitation for Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and Healthcare Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (HFMEA) teams and other groups that have the objective of improving organizational reliability and patient safety.
• Ensures that RCAs and HFMEAs are complete, timely, technical requirements are met and all implementation requirements are accurately identified.
• Tracks completion of action items identified by RCA and HFMEA teams. Works with service chiefs to ensure timely completion of all proposed actions and outcomes and evaluation of their effectiveness.
• Demonstrates thorough knowledge of patient safety standards and requirements of external accrediting and regulatory bodies, e.g. Joint Commission, OIG etc.
• Communicates and interacts appropriately and courteously with internal and external partners.
• Monitors organizational Patient Safety activities using the National Patient Safety Goals as defined by the Joint Commission.
• Maintains confidentiality of patient/employee information at all times and in all forms.
• Integrates both systems improvement and HRO principles into his/her professional practice.
• Utilizes current evidence-based literature and research on organizational reliability and patient safety science in daily practice.
• Demonstrates excellent group management skills, including the ability to facilitate stakeholders through conflict and toward mutually agreeable solutions.
• Guides and supports staff development from a leadership perspective, using scientific evidence and practice to evaluate programs and/or services and their safety and effectiveness.
• Participates in continuing education and achieving and maintaining certification. Sets a high standard for professional achievement.
• Looks for opportunities to acquire and/or teach new skills and functions as a clinical/program expert.
• Acts as a resource to ancillary staff and facilitate their function as it affects the patients' outcome.
• Contributes to program and organizational success by developing and participating in performance improvement activities.
• Promotes staff involvement in planning, decision-making and evaluating outcomes because it facilitates a supportive environment for all staff to best meet the patient's individual needs.
• Identifies, analyzes, and resolves care problems.
• Uses advanced clinical knowledge/judgment to promote staff involvement in planning, decision-making and evaluating outcomes, contributes to organizational success as they improve patient care systems.
• Acts as a resource for practice standards and oversight body requirements.
• Provides expert leadership and facilitation of Clinical Team Training (CTT) and baseline HRO training.
• Leads HRO systems improvement projects and mentors a subset of HRO project champions from diverse services.

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: M-F, 8:00-4:30pm
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

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.)

NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and 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.

Grade Determinations: The following Scope, Education and Dimension criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade. The Dimension requirements (Practice, Veteran/Patient Driven Care, Leadership, Professional Development and Evidence-Based Practice/Research) are detailed for each grade and level within the online assessment: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12749908.

Grade/Level	Scope	Education
Nurse I, Level I	Delivers fundamental, knowledge-based care to assigned clients while developing technical competencies.	An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional professional nursing required.
Nurse I, Level II	Demonstrates integration of biopsychosocial concepts, cognitive skills and technically competent practice in providing care to clients with basic or complex.	An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 1 year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 1 ;OR a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional professional nursing experience required.
Nurse I, Level III	Demonstrates proficiency in practice based on conscious and deliberate planning. Self-directed in goal setting for managing complex client situations.	An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 2 years of professional nursing experience in which one year is equivalent to Nurse I, Level 2; OR a BSN and 1 year of professional nursing experience equivalent to the Nurse I, Level 2; OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) and no additional professional nursing experience; OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and no additional professional nursing experience.
Nurse II	Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others.	A BSN with 2 years of professional nursing equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR an MSN with one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with no professional nursing experience; OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN with no additional professional nursing experience.
Nurse III	Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience and creative approaches to management of complex client care beyond the immediate practice setting.	MSN and 2 years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Master's degree in *related field with BSN and two years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III.

*Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees.

Preferred Experience:

• Four to five years of acute inpatient nursing experience
• MSN or health care related Masters
• Experience with data collection, root cause analysis (RCA), and healthcare failure mode effect analysis (HFMEA).
• Experience in preparing and reviewing reports involving trend analysis and ensuring patient safety follow up throughout the health care system.

Salary for this position ranges dependent upon applicant qualifications
Nurse I Levels 1-3: $152,363-$211,773 annually
Nurse II: $175,217-$225,700 annually
Nurse III: $192,738-$225,700 annually

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: ???????This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. The position requires potentially, long periods of combined walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable or working effectively in stressful situation, able to shift priorities based on needs of the organization. The incumbent may be required to travel occasionally. This position potentially requires flexibility in schedule and assignments. Telework is position dependent and appropriate approvals are required; telework is not guaranteed and incumbent must comply with all regulations relevant to telework agreements, policies, and processes. If a position requires driving, incumbent is required to maintain compliance with all relevant policies and processes.

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.