Registered Nurse - Performance Improvement Coordinator

Veterans Health Administration • Milwaukee, WI

1d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is located at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center in the Quality, Safety, and Value Division. The Performance Improvement Coordinator Registered Nurse functions as an advanced clinician, demonstrating leadership, experience, and creative approaches to managing complex patient care. The role is responsible for auditing and investigating matters that affect the agency’s internal security and for supporting quality management across the Medical Center and its off-site locations.

The coordinator investigates and audits patient care records for fact finding, sentinel events, surveillance, performance improvement, root cause analyses, Healthcare Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (HFMEA), and requests from regulatory agencies. The position collects data, monitors staff compliance with relevant policies, directives, and standards, reports trends, and supports services in planning, designing, integrating, implementing, modifying, and administering a comprehensive quality management program. The nurse applies specialized principles and practices to promote a systems approach to healthcare delivery and is responsible for documented outcomes at the program or service level.

The work schedule is 0800–1630. Telework is not available, and this is not a virtual position. Relocation and recruitment incentives and Permanent Change of Station authorization are not available. VA offers a total rewards package that includes competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential performance awards, paid time off, retirement benefits, and federal insurance programs.

Requirements

• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• Graduation from an appropriately accredited professional nursing program, or qualifying equivalent education as 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; a temporary Graduate Nurse Technician exception is described for eligible candidates pursuing licensure.
• Meet the education and experience requirements for the applicable VA Nurse grade and level.
• For Nurse III, the stated pathways include a qualifying master’s degree and two years of specialized nursing experience, or a qualifying doctoral degree and the specified specialized nursing experience, with applicable Nurse II equivalency and dimension requirements.
• Preferred experience includes 3.5 years of clinical nursing experience, preferably in acute care, critical care, or a quality assurance setting.
• Preferred experience supporting or leading Quality, Safety, Value, Performance Improvement, Utilization Review, or Patient Safety activities.
• Preferred familiarity with PDSA cycles, root cause analysis, process mapping, and other structured improvement methodologies.
• Preferred strong understanding of infection control practices, healthcare quality standards, and regulatory or accreditation requirements such as CDC, OSHA, and Joint Commission standards.
• Preferred knowledge of VA or healthcare quality systems, including evidence-based practice councils, Patient Safety programs, and performance measurement tools.
• Preferred proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel and familiarity with data dashboards or quality analytics platforms.
• Preferred excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to collaborate and provide regulatory and process education.
• Preferred experience developing and delivering training for clinical and non-clinical staff.
• Preferred ability to support interdisciplinary discussions and guide teams through improvement processes.
• Preferred ability to interpret data, identify trends, and recommend evidence-based solutions.
• Preferred demonstrated success developing and implementing corrective action plans, including post-survey remediation.
• Preferred ability to assess gaps, evaluate risks, and support sustainable improvement.
• Preferred ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary teams, including providers, leadership, and frontline staff.
• Preferred flexibility and responsiveness to evolving standards, organizational priorities, and healthcare changes.
• Meet applicable conditions of employment, including U.S. citizenship subject to the stated exception, pre-employment drug screening for testing-designated positions, background/security investigation, pre-employment physical evaluation, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• Complete applicable onboarding and application requirements; Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.

Nice To Haves

• 3.5 years of clinical nursing experience, preferably in acute care, critical care, or a quality assurance setting.
• Experience supporting or leading Quality, Safety, Value, Performance Improvement, Utilization Review, or Patient Safety activities.
• Prior involvement with Joint Commission, Office of Inspector General, or CMS surveys.
• Familiarity with PDSA cycles, root cause analysis, process mapping, and other structured improvement methodologies.
• A master’s degree.
• CPHQ, Lean Six Sigma Yellow/Green Belt, or comparable improvement-focused credentials.
• Strong understanding of infection control practices, healthcare quality standards, and regulatory or accreditation requirements.
• Knowledge of VA or healthcare quality systems, including evidence-based practice councils, Patient Safety programs, and performance measurement tools.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel and familiarity with data dashboards or quality analytics platforms.
• Experience developing and delivering training for clinical and non-clinical staff.

Responsibilities

• Protect the agency’s internal security by investigating and auditing patient care records.
• Conduct record reviews for fact finding, sentinel events, surveillance, performance improvement, root cause analyses, HFMEA, and regulatory agency requests.
• Manage assigned quality management program activities for the Medical Center and all off-site locations.
• Collect data and monitor staff compliance with applicable policies, directives, and standards.
• Prepare reports detailing trends.
• Provide direct staff support to services in planning, designing, integrating, implementing, modifying, and administering a comprehensive quality management program.
• Apply specialized principles and practices to support a systems approach to healthcare delivery.
• Ensure documented outcomes at the program or service level.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 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: Senior
• Education Level: Associate degree