Chief Nurse - Critical Care Nursing

Veterans Health Administration • San Francisco, CA

9d • Onsite

About The Position

The Nurse IV, Chief Nurse, Critical Care Nursing, at the San Francisco VA Health Care System provides senior leadership for critical care nursing. The role carries substantial and continuous responsibility for population groups or integrated programs that cross service or discipline lines and influence the organization’s healthcare mission. The Chief Nurse serves as an advisor, administrator, educator, consultant, and mentor, and provides daily clinical and administrative oversight as directed by the Associate Director for Patient Care Services (ADPCS). The position works with nursing, interdisciplinary teams, and facility and network leaders to advance patient-centered and organizational goals, strengthen nursing standards, and support RN residency programs. It also ensures appropriate staff competencies, helps allocate human and material resources, and collaborates with physician counterparts and Sterile Processing Services on operational issues.

The position is based at the San Francisco VA Health Care System. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; telework and virtual work are not available. Relocation or recruitment incentives may be authorized for highly qualified candidates. The position may involve physical activity associated with nursing, including prolonged walking, standing or sitting, moderate lifting, repeated bending, or kneeling.

Applicants must meet VA nursing education, licensure, experience, and Nurse IV scope and dimension requirements. The education and experience pathways include a master's degree with four years of professional nursing experience, including one year of specialized experience equivalent to Nurse III, or a doctoral degree with three years of professional nursing experience, including one year of specialized experience equivalent to Nurse III. A current, full, active, and unrestricted U.S. nursing registration and English proficiency are required, subject to the stated education and licensure provisions and exceptions.

Requirements

• Demonstrated scope consistent with Nurse IV: substantial and continuous leadership accountability for population groups or integrated programs crossing service or discipline lines and influencing organizational mission and healthcare.
• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• Graduation from an appropriately accredited school of professional nursing, or an applicable education pathway or exception described in the announcement.
• 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.
• One of the specified education and experience pathways: MSN plus four years of professional nursing experience; related master's degree plus BSN and four years; nursing doctorate plus three years; or related doctorate plus BSN and three years. Each pathway requires one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse III and fulfillment of Nurse IV dimension requirements.
• Meet Nurse IV dimensions in leadership, business acumen, inspiring an industry-leading lifestyle, communication and relationship management, and professional and social responsibility.
• Meet U.S. citizenship requirements, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Pass required pre-employment drug screening, background/security investigation, and physical evaluation; participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program; and complete onboarding and application requirements.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
• May be required to serve a probationary period.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior leadership and oversight for daily clinical and administrative nursing operations as directed by the ADPCS.
• Integrate and collaborate nursing with other professional disciplines and functional areas to achieve patient-centered and organizational goals.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members, program and service leaders at the facility, and network partners.
• Contribute recommendations for nursing standards of care, policies, and objectives.
• Support RN residency programs.
• Ensure nursing staff working in critical care, including staff who float, have the appropriate documented competencies.
• Develop collaborative relationships with physician counterparts, including the Chiefs of Medicine and Surgery, Chief Resident, and Chief Hospitalist.
• Assess and recommend allocation of human and material resources.
• Formulate follow-up plans with the Nurse Executive Team, Nurse Managers, the service, and the medical center.
• Collaborate with the Chief of Sterile Processing Services to address instrumentation issues.

Benefits

• 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, 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.
• Relocation or recruitment incentives may be authorized for highly qualified candidates.

What This Job Offers

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