Certified Nurse Anesthetist-Recruitment/Relocation Incentive/EDRP Approved

Veterans Health Administration • Dallas, TX

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The Certified Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) administers anesthesia to patients of all health complexities in inpatient and outpatient settings. The role includes direct patient care, administration, education, and research. The CRNA provides anesthetic services throughout the facility, develops and implements anesthesia plans for patients receiving local, regional, general, or monitored anesthesia inside and outside the operating room, and supports safe, high-quality care and improved outcomes. The position also contributes to staff education, trainee precepting, evidence-based practice, and the delivery of anesthesia care consistent with VA’s ICARE values: Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence.

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to VHA eligibility requirements and approval. Applicants must submit an EDRP application within four months of appointment. The program office determines approval, award amount (up to $200,000), and eligibility period (one to five years); former EDRP participants are ineligible. Recruitment or relocation incentives may be authorized. The schedule is flexible; telework and virtual work are not available. Permanent Change of Station benefits are not authorized.

The position requires a master’s or doctoral degree in nurse anesthesia from an appropriately accredited program, an active, full, unrestricted nurse anesthetist license, and current nurse anesthetist certification, subject to the stated exception for certain temporary graduate nurse technician appointments. Nurse II is the entry grade and requires no experience; Nurse III requires one year of specialized experience equivalent to Nurse II. The role is covered by a two-year probationary period and requires U.S. citizenship except where VA policy permits otherwise, English proficiency, background and security screening, and a pre-employment physical evaluation. A pre-employment drug test may be required for testing-designated positions, and participation in seasonal influenza vaccination is required for VA health care personnel.

Requirements

• Master’s or doctoral degree in nurse anesthesia from a nurse anesthesia program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs at the time of completion.
• Master of Science in Nursing or doctoral degree must be accredited by ACEN or CCNE, as specified in the education section.
• Maintain an active, current, full, unrestricted license to practice as a nurse anesthetist or equivalent in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
• Maintain current certification by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists or an equivalent certification recognized by the Council on Accreditation.
• Nurse II entry-level grade requires no experience; Nurse III requires one year of specialized nurse anesthetist experience equivalent to the Nurse II grade.
• Demonstrate ability to apply professional nursing principles while respecting patient autonomy, dignity, privacy, and safety.
• Demonstrate knowledge of current research, practice guidelines, anesthesia techniques, pharmacology, and equipment.
• Demonstrate ability to obtain and document informed consent, complete pre-anesthetic history and physical examinations, manage preoperative consults, and interpret data.
• Demonstrate ability to plan and administer anesthesia and respond to anesthesia- or surgery-related physiologic changes.
• Demonstrate skill in patient status assessment, transfer-of-care decisions, and communication with other providers.
• Demonstrate ability to provide emergency airway management, fluid and medication administration, invasive-line management, and advanced cardiac life support.
• Demonstrate knowledge of quality improvement, safety practices, established guidelines, protocols, and the duty to report unsafe conditions or errors.
• Demonstrate ability to practice collaboratively in an interdisciplinary anesthesia-care environment.
• Meet U.S. citizenship requirements, except where VA policy permits appointment of non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Demonstrate basic written and spoken English proficiency for direct patient care.
• Meet applicable background/security screening, onboarding, identification, pre-employment physical, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• Submit an EDRP application within four months of appointment to be considered for the program; eligibility and approval are determined by the VHA program office.
• Serve a two-year probationary period, subject to written certification that continued employment advances the public interest.

Nice To Haves

• Board-certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.
• Significant experience conducting preoperative anesthesia evaluations for minor through major surgeries involving patients with ASA 1 and above status.
• Experience managing anesthesia for major surgeries involving patients with ASA 1 and above status.
• Experience supervising and training registered nurse anesthesia residents in preoperative settings and potentially in the operating room.
• Experience placing invasive lines and providing regional anesthesia.
• Experience opening and closing encounters.
• Experience evaluating preoperative patients using telehealth or other remote evaluation methods.
• For Nurse III-level work, experience mentoring or providing didactic and clinical instruction to student nurse anesthetists, medical and dental residents, and other health care trainees.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with health care professionals to support shared goals for patient care, safety, and welfare.
• Promote patient and staff confidence and satisfaction while meeting or exceeding compliance standards.
• Provide pre-anesthesia evaluation and preparation; anesthesia induction, maintenance, and emergence; post-anesthesia care; peri-anesthetic and clinical support; and emergency response.
• Develop and implement comprehensive anesthesia plans for patients requiring local, regional, general, or monitored anesthesia inside and outside the operating room.
• Ensure anesthetic services throughout the facility are high quality and support patient safety, satisfaction, outcomes, and efficiency.
• Serve as a resource for staff education and, as willing, precept or provide adjunct clinical instruction to health care trainees.
• Develop and implement evidence-based practices for high-quality anesthesia care.
• Prescribe appropriate preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative orders and medications.
• Obtain, document, and verify informed anesthesia consent; conduct pre-anesthetic histories and physicals; manage preoperative consultations; and interpret relevant data.
• Formulate patient-specific anesthetic plans and explain risks, benefits, and options to patients.
• Administer inhalational, regional, intravenous, local, and topical anesthetics; assess and respond to physiologic changes to maintain homeostasis.
• Assess readiness for transfer of care and communicate essential patient information to other providers.
• Participate in patient positioning, physiologic monitoring, infection control, and anesthesia documentation.
• Respond to emergencies using airway management, fluids and medications, invasive line insertion and management, and advanced cardiac life support techniques.
• Participate in quality improvement, auditing, safety reporting, departmental administration, shared governance, committees, and interdisciplinary teams as applicable.
• For Nurse III assignments, mentor and instruct trainees, contribute to quality and documentation processes, and adapt anesthesia techniques to complex procedures, locations, equipment, and patient needs.

Benefits

• Competitive salary with regular salary increases and potential performance awards.
• 50 days of paid time off per year, including 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 may be carried into retirement.
• Education Debt Reduction Program reimbursement of up to $200,000, subject to program approval and eligibility.
• Recruitment or relocation incentives may be authorized.

What This Job Offers

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