Associate Director for Patient Care Service/ Nurse Executive

Veterans Health Administration • Salem, VA

20d • Onsite

About The Position

The Registered Nurse Associate Director for Patient Care Service (ADPCS)/Nurse Executive (NE) is an advanced healthcare executive who leads, administers, educates, and consults across complex patient care services and programs. The ADPCS/NE is a member of the VA Salem Health Care System Executive Leadership Team and is responsible for nursing practice throughout the Health Care System. The role reports to the Health Care System Medical Director and serves as the highest-ranking nursing executive and chief spokesperson for organized nursing services.

The position provides complex leadership and administrative oversight for critical healthcare issues and activities that affect the organizational mission, healthcare, and policy. It influences policy and organizational decisions to improve care for Veterans; promotes collaboration between nursing and other professional disciplines; and leads or contributes to strategic planning, organizational assessment, program development, and facility decision-making. The ADPCS/NE establishes health-system nursing practice standards and ensures timely, high-quality nursing services are continuously available.

The role is accountable for nursing practice 24/7 across registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, licensed practical/vocational nurses, nursing assistants, and other allied health staff, regardless of reporting structure. It has line authority over the Deputy ADPCS/Deputy Nurse Executive, Sterile Processing Service, and Education and Learning Resources, and provides oversight to the Associate Chief Nurses for Ambulatory Care, Mental Health, and Geriatrics. The ADPCS/NE has final approval authority for job descriptions, policies and procedures, patient care, treatment and service standards, nursing practice standards, staffing plans, functional statements, and measures for assessing and improving patient outcomes.

The position ensures nursing personnel maintain appropriate licensure, certification, or registration; maintains competency evaluation and annual performance rating review processes; and promotes a healthy nursing work environment grounded in shared decision-making, inquiry, evidence-based practice, education, and research. It supports an academic environment that advances nursing and champions a High Reliability Organization culture emphasizing collective mindfulness, prevention, patient safety, and evidence-based healthcare solutions.

The position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework is ad hoc, as determined by agency policy; this is not a virtual position. Relocation/recruitment incentives are not authorized. Permanent Change of Station is authorized.

Requirements

• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• Graduation from an approved school of professional nursing accredited by ACEN or CCNE, or qualifying equivalent education under the stated VA provisions.
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a U.S. State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia, subject to the stated Graduate Nurse Technician exception.
• For Nurse V: a master's degree in Nursing and five years of professional nursing experience, including one year of specialized experience equivalent to Nurse IV; or a master's degree in a related field with a BSN and the same experience; or a doctoral degree in Nursing and four years of professional nursing experience, including one year of specialized experience equivalent to Nurse IV; or a doctoral degree in a related field with a BSN and the same experience.
• Meet the Nurse V dimension requirements in leadership, business acumen, inspiring an industry-leading lifestyle, communication and relationship management, and professional and social responsibility.
• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA policy.
• Applicants tentatively selected for a testing-designated position must submit to urinalysis; refusal results in denial of VA employment.
• Subject to Selective Service registration requirements for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Subject to background/security investigation and completion of online onboarding and pre-employment identification requirements.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA healthcare personnel.
• May be required to serve a probationary period.
• Submit application materials specified in the announcement's Required Documents section.
• Submit transcripts when relying on education to qualify; foreign education requires the specified foreign-equivalency documentation.
• Meet physical demands that may include extended periods of walking, standing, or sitting; possible exposure to infected patients or contaminated materials; and occasional exposure to combative patients. Must be mature, flexible, sensible, and able to work effectively in stressful situations and shift priorities according to patient needs.

Nice To Haves

• Three or more years of managerial or supervisory experience at the Nurse Manager level or higher.

Responsibilities

• Lead, administer, educate, and consult across complex patient care services and programs.
• Influence policy development and organizational decisions to improve care for Veterans at local, regional, state, and broader levels.
• Provide complex leadership and administrative oversight for critical healthcare issues and activities affecting the organizational mission, healthcare, and policy.
• Serve as a member of the Executive Leadership Team and as the highest-ranking nursing executive and chief spokesperson for organized nursing services.
• Promote collaboration between nursing and other professional disciplines to achieve Veteran-centered organizational goals.
• Lead or contribute to strategic planning, organizational assessment, program development, and facility decision-making.
• Establish health-system nursing practice standards and ensure the continuous availability of timely, high-quality nursing services.
• Maintain accountability for nursing practice 24/7 across nursing and allied health staff, regardless of reporting structure.
• Exercise line authority over the Deputy ADPCS/Deputy Nurse Executive, Sterile Processing Service, and Education and Learning Resources.
• Provide oversight to the Associate Chief Nurses for Ambulatory Care, Mental Health, and Geriatrics.
• Approve job descriptions, policies and procedures, patient care, treatment and service standards, nursing practice standards, staffing plans, functional statements, and measures for assessing and improving patient outcomes.
• Delegate responsibilities appropriately to service lines under the ADPCS/NE's authority.
• Ensure nursing personnel are properly licensed, certified, and/or registered at hire and throughout employment.
• Maintain processes for evaluating individual competency and reviewing annual performance ratings.
• Promote a healthy nursing work environment through shared decision-making, inquiry, evidence-based practice, education, and research.
• Support an academic environment that advances the nursing profession.
• Champion a High Reliability Organization culture based on collective mindfulness, prevention, patient safety, and evidence-based healthcare solutions.
• Complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as TB screening or testing.

Benefits

• Competitive salary, 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 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.
• One full and unrestricted license from any U.S. State or territory is accepted.
• Permanent Change of Station is authorized.

What This Job Offers

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