Advanced Practice Nurse - Certified Nurse Anesthetist

Veterans Health Administration • Washington, DC

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Certified Nurse Anesthetist provides anesthetic services and develops comprehensive anesthesia plans of care for patients receiving local, regional, general, or monitored anesthesia, both inside and outside the operating room. The role supports safe, high-quality care throughout the facility and collaborates with health care professionals to achieve patient-care, safety, and welfare goals. The position also supports staff education and may serve as a preceptor or adjunct clinical faculty for health care trainees. It develops and implements evidence-based anesthesia practices and prescribes appropriate preoperative, intra-operative, and postoperative orders and medications.

This full-time position has a work schedule to be determined by the supervisor. Telework is available, but this is not a virtual position. Relocation or recruitment incentives may be authorized; permanent change of station is not authorized. The position may be eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to program requirements and approval. EDRP awards may be up to $200,000, with eligibility periods of one to five years. The application must be submitted within four months of appointment, and former EDRP participants are ineligible.

The role requires a master’s or doctoral degree in nurse anesthesia from a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, an active, unrestricted state or U.S. territory license, and current nurse anesthetist certification. The announcement describes Nurse II as the entry grade, for which no experience is required, and Nurse III as requiring one year of specialized experience equivalent to Nurse II. Physical demands include sustained periods of walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing; patient or object transfers may be required. The employee may encounter infectious or contaminated materials, isolation and operative settings, and occasionally combative patients.

Requirements

• Master’s or doctoral degree in nurse anesthesia from a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs at the time of completion.
• 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.
• Current certification from the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists or an equivalent certification recognized by the Council on Accreditation.
• For Nurse II, meet the basic education requirement; no experience is required. Candidates lacking required licensure or certification may be considered for a temporary appointment of up to one year and one day under the stated graduate nurse technician exception.
• For Nurse III, meet the basic education requirement and have one year of specialized Certified Nurse Anesthetist experience equivalent to Nurse II.
• Ability to apply professional nursing principles, including patient autonomy, dignity, privacy, and safety, to anesthesia care.
• Knowledge of current anesthesia research, practice guidelines, techniques, pharmacology, and equipment.
• Ability to obtain, document, and verify informed consent; conduct pre-anesthetic histories and physicals; manage preoperative consultations; and interpret data.
• Ability to develop patient-specific anesthetic plans and explain risks, benefits, and options.
• Ability to administer inhalational, regional, intravenous, local, and topical anesthetics.
• Skill in identifying and treating anesthesia- or surgery-related physiological changes.
• Ability to assess readiness for transfer of care and communicate essential patient information effectively.
• Ability to participate in patient positioning, physiological monitoring, infection control, and anesthesia documentation.
• Ability to respond to emergencies using airway management, fluids, medications, invasive lines, and advanced cardiac life support techniques.
• Ability to keep patient care current with professional developments, including techniques such as ultrasound.
• Ability to practice collaboratively in an interdisciplinary anesthesia-care environment.
• Knowledge of quality-improvement processes and ability to support ongoing evaluation of anesthesia care.
• Ability to emphasize safety, follow established guidelines and protocols, and report unsafe conditions or errors.
• For Nurse III, ability to manage anesthesia for a broad range of complex procedures, adapt care to patient response and comorbidities, and contribute to individualized postoperative anesthesia care.
• For Nurse III, ability to work across technically challenging anesthetizing locations and use advanced equipment and procedures.
• For Nurse III, ability to meet Certified Nurse Anesthetist standards of practice and contribute to trainee education, quality auditing, departmental processes, and interdisciplinary teams.
• For Nurse III, demonstrated commitment to safety risk assessment, reporting concerns, and a just culture.
• U.S. citizenship is required unless qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy; proficiency in written and spoken English is required for direct patient care.
• Must pass required pre-employment screening, including urinalysis for testing-designated positions, background/security investigation, and physical evaluation; annual influenza vaccination and Employee Health requirements apply.
• Must meet Selective Service registration requirements if applicable, complete onboarding and application requirements, and may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Physical capability for visual acuity, keen hearing, clear speech, manual dexterity, and the physical activities and exposures described in the announcement.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with health care professionals to achieve shared goals for patient care, safety, and welfare.
• Provide anesthesia services, including pre-anesthesia evaluation and preparation; induction, maintenance, and emergence; post-anesthesia care; peri-anesthetic and clinical support; and emergency response.
• Develop and implement individualized anesthesia plans for patients receiving local, regional, general, or monitored anesthesia, both inside and outside the operating room.
• Ensure anesthesia services promote patient safety, satisfaction, quality outcomes, and efficiency.
• Provide staff education and serve as a preceptor or adjunct clinical faculty for health care trainees as appropriate.
• Develop and implement evidence-based anesthesia practices.
• Prescribe appropriate preoperative, intra-operative, and postoperative orders and medications.
• Assess patients, obtain and document informed anesthesia consent, perform pre-anesthetic histories and physicals, and manage preoperative consultations.
• Administer anesthetics and respond to anesthesia- or surgery-related physiological changes to maintain homeostasis.
• Support patient positioning, physiological monitoring, infection control, anesthesia documentation, and safe transfer of care.
• Respond to emergencies with airway management, fluid and medication administration, invasive-line insertion and management, and advanced cardiac life support techniques.
• Participate in quality improvement, auditing, safety reporting, and interdisciplinary guidelines and communication as applicable.
• Exemplify the ICARE values of Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program student loan reimbursement may be available, subject to eligibility and approval; awards may be up to $200,000.
• Competitive salary, regular salary increases, and potential performance awards.
• 50 days of paid time off per year: 26 days annual leave, 13 days 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.
• Relocation or recruitment incentives may be authorized.

What This Job Offers

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