Assistant Nurse Manager- Inpatient Behavioral Health

Veterans Health Administration • Pittsburgh, PA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

This Registered Nurse position is located in the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center’s Inpatient Behavioral Health service. The Assistant Nurse Manager (ANM) supports care coordination and bed flow in assigned inpatient units, provides direct patient care, and helps ensure high-quality customer service. The behavioral health units care for veterans with a range of mental health needs, including thought and mood disorders, PTSD, self-harm, and addiction. Care is provided within a recovery model, with groups and activities intended to build positive coping skills and support a therapeutic milieu. The units promote the least restrictive environment and provide 24/7 care from admission through discharge.

The ANM is accountable for nursing care throughout the nursing process, including age-specific assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. The role coordinates transitions across the continuum of care, patient and family education, discharge self-management, and factors that affect customer satisfaction. The ANM considers each individual’s age and life stage, health, race and culture, values, and experiences, and collaborates with the interdisciplinary team to influence care outcomes.

The position frequently functions as a team leader or charge nurse and provides leadership in clinical practice, care planning, safety, quality improvement, and staff development. The role is a daylight tour; some weekends or evenings may be required. Telework is unavailable and the position is not virtual. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized.

Requirements

• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• Graduation from an appropriately accredited school of professional nursing, or an eligible nursing education pathway described in the announcement.
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted registered nurse license in a U.S. State, Territory, or Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; an exception may apply for Graduate Nurse Technicians appointed temporarily while pursuing licensure.
• Meet the education, experience, and dimension criteria for the assigned Nurse grade and level. Requirements vary by grade and may include an ADN or nursing diploma, BSN, MSN, doctoral degree, and specified professional or specialized nursing experience.
• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed only when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Pass required pre-employment screening, including a drug test for applicants selected for testing-designated positions, background/security investigation, and pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Register for Selective Service if applicable to males born after December 31, 1959.
• Complete required online onboarding and provide acceptable identification documents.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Complete application requirements in the announcement’s Required Documents section.
• May be required to serve a probationary period.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate care and bed flow in assigned units while supporting high levels of customer service.
• Provide direct nursing care and assume responsibility and accountability for nursing actions and complex patient care needs.
• Frequently function as a team leader or charge nurse and engage coworkers in problem-solving clinical issues to improve care.
• Use standards of practice, policies, and procedures to develop plans of care.
• Complete initial and ongoing assessments of patient conditions and responses to treatment, and initiate follow-up as needed.
• Develop individualized care plans with patients and the health care team to support discharge planning and continuity of care; involve community resources when appropriate.
• Assess and implement unit-level pain management strategies and document according to policy and procedure.
• Administer medications in accordance with established policy and procedure.
• Use a team approach to implement patient safety goals and support client self-determination.
• Serve as a resource for clients and staff addressing ethical issues.
• Identify and assess resource-use and safety issues and take appropriate action.
• Maintain expertise through acquiring knowledge and skills and participating in educational activities.
• Evaluate personal and others’ practice against professional standards, statutes, and regulations, and take action to improve performance.
• Use group processes to identify, analyze, and resolve care problems; coach colleagues in team building.
• Initiate or participate in quality improvement activities and use research to validate or change workgroup practice.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Competitive salary with regular salary increases and potential performance awards.
• 50 days of paid time off per year, comprising 26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: Associate degree