Inpatient Mental Health Registered Nurse-Unit 24B

Veterans Health Administration • Brockton, MA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The Inpatient Mental Health Registered Nurse position is in the Nursing, Mental Health service at VA Boston Healthcare System in Brockton, Massachusetts. This is a full-time position working 40 hours per week, with one day-shift and one evening-shift schedule listed. The nurse provides and leads competent, evidence-based care, including patient-centered and recovery-oriented psychiatric care, milieu management, and self-awareness when caring for patients with mental health conditions. The role includes participating in interdisciplinary treatment and safety activities, supporting colleagues and professional development, and contributing to an evidence-based mental health practice culture.

The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to VHA eligibility requirements and application review. The potential award is up to $200,000 for an eligibility period of one to five years; former EDRP participants are ineligible. The position is in the Excepted Service, is not a bargaining-unit position, and does not authorize relocation or recruitment incentives. The incumbent may be required to travel to other VA campuses and community-based outpatient clinics. Telework and virtual work are not available.

VA benefits listed include competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential performance awards, 50 days of paid time off per year, a traditional federal pension with five-year vesting, a federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions, and federal health, vision, dental, term-life, and long-term-care insurance. The position requires a full and unrestricted nursing license from a U.S. state or territory. Candidates must satisfy the applicable nursing education, licensure, experience, and grade-level qualifications described in the announcement.

Requirements

• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• Graduation from an appropriately accredited school of professional nursing, subject to the education pathways 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; a temporary Graduate Nurse Technician pathway is described for eligible candidates pursuing licensure.
• Must meet the applicable education, experience, and dimension requirements for the assigned nurse grade and level.
• Must be physically able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position.
• U.S. citizenship is required, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Selected applicants are subject to pre-employment drug screening, background/security investigation, pre-employment examination, credentialing, and completion of onboarding requirements.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA health care personnel.
• May be required to serve a probationary period.
• The incumbent may be required to travel to other VA campuses and community-based outpatient clinics.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must meet Selective Service registration requirements.

Responsibilities

• Provide and lead competent, evidence-based psychiatric mental health nursing care.
• Independently provide patient-centered and recovery-oriented care, manage the milieu, and maintain self-awareness while caring for patients with mental health conditions.
• Facilitate shift reports, warm hand-offs, and nurse-led psychoeducational groups.
• Use therapeutic communication, de-escalation techniques, and recovery-oriented language.
• Participate actively in the mental health interdisciplinary treatment team and Mental Health Environment of Care rounds.
• Assume team-lead responsibilities during psychiatric emergencies.
• Report safety concerns and assist in resolving them.
• Document nursing assessments, plans of care, patient safety observations, and environmental safety rounds in accordance with facility policy.
• Maintain professional boundaries and act in the best interests of patients, protecting their vulnerabilities.
• Provide oversight of licensed vocational nurses and nursing assistants as appropriate to the setting.
• Assist with directing nursing education, orientation, competencies, quality improvement, and outcomes-utilization consultation.
• Provide peers with informal, constructive feedback and foster a safe, supportive environment for healthcare professionals’ development.
• Contribute a professional nursing perspective to interdisciplinary discussions and support colleagues through mental health knowledge sharing.
• Share mental health educational findings, experiences, and ideas with peers; question clinical practices to support evidence-based care; and participate in efforts to sustain an evidence-based mental health practice culture.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program eligibility, with a potential award up to $200,000 for one to five years, subject to program approval and eligibility.
• 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.
• 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: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree