Advanced Practice Nurse (Certified Nurse Anesthetist)

Veterans Health Administration • Salem, VA

17h • Onsite

About The Position

The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) provides anesthetic care to patients within the scope of practice in acute medical and surgical inpatient and outpatient settings. The position is located within Surgical Care service at the Salem VA Medical Center in Salem, Virginia, and is directly responsible and accountable to the supervising anesthesiologist or surgeon. Care includes pre-anesthesia evaluation, peri-operative anesthetic administration, and post-operative management.

The CRNA provides direct care by assessing monitors and administering IV sedation, conduction anesthesia, or general anesthesia. The role includes pre-operative patient evaluation, collaboration with the care team to anticipate needs and prevent complications, and care in accordance with nursing ethics and professional standards. The CRNA maintains BLS and ACLS training, protects confidential information, follows infection-control and equipment-safety practices, and complies with medical-center safety policies. The employee also prepares injury reports and documentation within established time frames using the ASISTS Program.

This is an open continuous announcement. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis, and qualified candidates are considered as vacancies become available. Applications remain on file for 90 days. The position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., including on-call coverage. Telework and virtual work are not available. Relocation or recruitment incentives may be authorized for highly qualified candidates. Eligible candidates may apply for the Education Debt Reduction Program, subject to program requirements and approval; awards may be up to $200,000, with eligibility periods of one to five years.

Requirements

• Master’s or doctoral degree in nurse anesthesia from a professional nursing anesthesia school accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs at the time the program was completed.
• Maintain an active, current, full, and unrestricted license to practice as a Certified Nurse Anesthetist or equivalent in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
• Maintain current certification from the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists or an equivalent certification recognized by the Council on Accreditation.
• Demonstrate proficiency in basic written and spoken English for direct patient care.
• Meet U.S. citizenship requirements, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Meet Selective Service registration requirements, if applicable.
• Pass required pre-employment screening, including a physical evaluation; testing-designated positions require pre-employment urinalysis.
• Be subject to background and security investigation, onboarding requirements, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• For Nurse II, meet the basic education requirement; no experience is required.
• For Nurse II, demonstrate the ability to apply professional nursing principles and patient rights; use current research, guidelines, techniques, pharmacology, and equipment; obtain and document informed consent; assess patients and formulate anesthetic plans; administer inhalational, regional, intravenous, local, and topical anesthetics; manage physiologic changes; communicate and collaborate effectively; respond to emergencies; and support quality improvement and safe practice.
• For Nurse III, meet the basic education requirement and have one year of specialized APN (CNA) experience equivalent to the Nurse II level.
• For Nurse III, demonstrate progressively responsible anesthesia experience, including managing complex procedures, adapting anesthesia to patient response and comorbidities, using advanced equipment and techniques, contributing to trainee education, quality auditing and administrative processes, interdisciplinary work, and safety-culture efforts.
• Candidates appointed temporarily under the graduate nurse anesthetist exception must pursue and obtain required licensure and certification within one year and one day and take the national certification examination at the earliest opportunity.

Nice To Haves

• Highly qualified candidates may be eligible for relocation or recruitment incentives.
• Eligibility for the Education Debt Reduction Program may provide student-loan repayment assistance, subject to VHA eligibility and approval.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct anesthetic care, assess monitors, and administer IV sedation, conduction anesthesia, or general anesthesia.
• Perform pre-operative evaluations, including patient history and physical, management of pre-operative consultations, and interpretation of data.
• Develop patient-specific anesthetic plans and explain relevant risks, benefits, and options to patients.
• Participate in a team approach to patient assessment, anticipate care needs, prevent avoidable complications, and support optimal outcomes.
• Manage peri-operative anesthetic administration and post-operative care.
• Detect and treat anesthesia- or surgery-related physiologic changes to maintain homeostasis.
• Assess whether patients are ready for transfer of care and communicate essential information to other providers.
• Collaborate on patient positioning, physiologic monitoring, infection control, and anesthesia documentation.
• Respond to emergencies using airway management, fluids and medications, invasive-line skills, and advanced cardiac life support techniques.
• Maintain BLS and ACLS training and practice within applicable nursing and anesthesia standards.
• Maintain confidentiality of electronic, written, and verbal patient and employee information.
• Follow infection-control requirements, safe equipment-use practices, and medical-center and service safety policies.
• Prepare injury reports and related documentation within required time frames using the ASISTS Program.
• For the Nurse III level, contribute to mentoring and instruction, quality auditing, administrative processes, interdisciplinary teams, and safety-culture activities, as applicable.

Benefits

• Competitive salary with regular salary increases and potential performance awards.
• 50 days of paid time off per year: 26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting.
• Federal 401(k), with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.
• Potential Education Debt Reduction Program student-loan repayment award of up to $200,000, subject to eligibility and approval.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level