Registered Nurse - Assistant Nurse Manager, Nursing Specialty

Veterans Health Administration • Harlingen, TX

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The incumbent functions as a clinical expert and is responsible and accountable for all elements of the nursing process when providing or supervising direct patient care. The role assesses, plans, implements, documents, and evaluates age-specific care, and coordinates care with a focus on patient education, self-management, and customer satisfaction throughout the continuum of care.

The Assistant Nurse Manager provides advanced clinical and care-management support to a designated group of patients, including education, triage, clinic-procedure support, review of patient records and results, appointment preparation, referrals, and coordination with interdisciplinary teams and community resources. The position promotes patient-driven, evidence-based, cost-effective care, including telehealth and other non-face-to-face approaches, and supports patients in self-care, prevention, wellness, and risk reduction.

The role assists the Nurse Manager with clinic and staff management, care-plan quality, staff development, professional performance, and the coordination and delivery of nursing care. It also supports quality improvement and use of clinical data and tools to guide care. The position is onsite; telework and virtual work are not available. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Requirements

• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• Graduation from an appropriately accredited school of professional nursing, or an eligible nursing education pathway described in the announcement.
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted registered nurse licensure in a U.S. State, Territory, or Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; the announcement also describes a Graduate Nurse Technician temporary appointment exception for eligible candidates pursuing licensure.
• Meet the education, specialized nursing experience, and grade-level dimension requirements applicable to the assigned Nurse grade and level.
• Submit transcripts when using education to meet qualification requirements; foreign education requires the specified equivalency documentation.
• U.S. citizenship is required unless appointment of a non-citizen is permitted under VA policy.
• Selected applicants are subject to pre-employment drug testing, background/security investigation, onboarding, and applicable identification requirements.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
• Complete all application requirements in the announcement's Required Documents section.

Nice To Haves

• BSN or MSN.
• Three to five years of Med-Surg, ER, or case-management experience.
• Outpatient clinic experience.
• Three to five years of Nurse Manager or Assistant Nurse Manager leadership or supervisory experience.
• Experience leading and organizing programs or classes.
• Computer skills, including Excel, PowerPoint, and electronic medical records.

Responsibilities

• Use the nursing process and evidence-based practice in collaboration with the care team to meet patient needs.
• Provide patient and family education focused on self-management, prevention, wellness, and Whole Health, based on patient goals.
• Assess, plan, implement, document, and evaluate care for a designated group of patients.
• Educate patients about clinic procedures and what to expect, assist with procedures, and monitor for adverse effects.
• Triage patients and use a collaborative team approach to identify, analyze, and resolve patient-care problems.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members, patients, and caregivers; monitor progress against clinical guidelines and pathways and take appropriate action when variations occur.
• Document interventions, observations, treatments, care provided, education, and patient or caregiver understanding.
• Maintain knowledge of multidisciplinary resources, programs, and services; make referrals to community resources as appropriate.
• Review charts before scheduled appointments, ensure results are available to providers, obtain medical records when applicable, and confirm appointment modality suitability, including VA Video Connect testing when needed.
• Review care options with patients and families, including costs, alternatives, risks, benefits, and available services.
• Screen patients for social-service, home-care, and other community-care needs; keep providers informed of patient progress, issues, and concerns.
• Assess patients' ability to learn self-care and use appropriate resources when they cannot grasp the required knowledge or skills.
• Prioritize patient preferences and use approved standing orders and guidelines to support nursing autonomy.
• Promote cost-effective use of resources, including telehealth, CVT, VA Video Connect, and telephone appointments.
• Use motivational interviewing and Whole Health approaches to promote self-management, health promotion, and risk reduction.
• Participate in policies, procedures, and quality standards that promote evidence-based, patient-driven care.
• Complete and document secure messages within 72 hours as applicable, keep escalation within VHA standards, and ensure a surrogate is identified at all times.
• Perform duties within scope of practice as requested by providers or supervising nursing personnel, and adapt to changing work demands and assignments.
• Model excellent customer service and review Message Manager timely.
• Assist the team in completing pending alerts communicated during the tour of duty within 48 hours.
• Complete and document Nursing Notes and close Encounter Notes in the electronic health record in a timely manner; close notes for patients not seen by a provider by the end of the daily tour of duty, including required encounter and diagnosis information.
• Provide care management for patients with Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions by reviewing records, identifying education needs, and arranging nursing visits or calls between provider visits.
• Collaborate with High-Risk Care Coordinators, Home Telehealth, social work, and dieticians for referrals and care management.
• Use SAIL, HEDIS, SPARQ, EQm, DataMart, and EPRP data to support health promotion, quality care, and risk reduction.
• Promote professionalism, excellence, and conflict resolution at the team level.
• Assist the Nurse Manager in guiding and evaluating staff on care plans, prioritization, nursing diagnoses, individualized interventions, expected outcomes, and documentation quality.
• Assist the Nurse Manager in promoting employee professional development and motivation.
• Assist with overall management of a clinic or area and management of nursing staff delivering care.
• Collaborate with healthcare professionals to coordinate care and exercise sound administrative judgment.

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 a 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: Manager
• Education Level: Associate degree