Registered Nurse - Intensive Care

Veterans Health Administration • Beckley, WV

22h • Onsite

About The Position

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Registered Nurse provides competent, evidence-based care to assigned patients and oversees licensed vocational nurses and nursing assistants, as appropriate to the setting. The nurse assists in directing nursing education, orientation, and competency activities and provides consultation on quality improvement and outcomes utilization. The role demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaboration, ongoing practice evaluation, and support for a safe environment conducive to healthcare professionals’ development. The nurse contributes a professional nursing perspective to interdisciplinary discussions, partners with others to effect change and achieve optimal outcomes, supports colleagues through knowledge sharing, shares educational findings and experiences with peers, questions clinical practices to promote evidence-based care, and participates in strategies to sustain evidence-based practice.

The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to program eligibility and approval. The maximum award is $200,000, with an eligibility period of one to five years; former EDRP participants are ineligible. The role is a permanent, onsite position with 12-hour tours, including weekdays, weekends, and rotating holidays. Tours are determined by service needs. Telework and virtual work are not available. Relocation, recruitment, and permanent change of station incentives are not authorized.

VA describes its total rewards package as including competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential performance awards, 50 days of paid time off per year, a federal pension, 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 one full and unrestricted license from a U.S. state or territory.

Requirements

• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• Graduation from an approved and appropriately accredited school of professional nursing, subject to the stated provisions for bridge-program and foreign-school graduates.
• 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 appointment may be available to otherwise qualified candidates pursuing licensure.
• Must meet the education, experience, and dimension criteria for the applicable VA Nurse grade and level.
• Must meet U.S. citizenship requirements, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Selected applicants in testing-designated positions must undergo urinalysis for illegal drug use before appointment; refusing testing results in denial of employment.
• Must comply with Selective Service registration requirements where applicable.
• Subject to background and security investigation, online onboarding, acceptable identification and other pre-employment requirements, and a pre-employment physical evaluation or examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA healthcare personnel.
• May be required to serve a probationary period.
• Must complete the application requirements listed in the announcement’s Required Documents section.
• Physical capabilities include visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, manual dexterity, and the ability to work effectively in stressful situations and shift priorities based on patient needs.
• May be required to walk, stand, stoop, sit, bend, pull, push, and transfer patients or objects for potentially long periods; may encounter infectious patients, contaminated materials, protective clothing requirements, and occasionally combative patients.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
• Two or more years of registered nurse experience.
• Two or more recent years of critical care experience.
• Charge nurse experience.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Excellent time management skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide competent, evidence-based care to assigned ICU patients.
• Oversee licensed vocational nurses and nursing assistants as appropriate to the setting.
• Assist in directing nursing education, orientation, and competency activities.
• Provide consultation on quality improvement and outcomes utilization.
• Lead delivery and improvement of holistic care through collaboration with others.
• Evaluate nursing practice on an ongoing basis and contribute to improvement.
• Foster a safe and supportive environment conducive to healthcare professionals’ development.
• Contribute a professional nursing perspective to interdisciplinary team discussions.
• Partner with others to effect change and produce optimal outcomes.
• Support colleagues through knowledge sharing to provide safe, quality nursing care.
• Share educational findings, experiences, and ideas with peers.
• Question clinical practices to promote evidence-based care and participate in strategies to sustain evidence-based practice.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and approval, with an award of up to $200,000 and an eligibility period of one to five years.
• Competitive salary, regular salary increases, and potential performance awards.
• 50 days of paid time off per year, comprising 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: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree