Registered Nurse (Quality and Patient Safety)

Veterans Health Administration • Tuskegee, AL

6d • Onsite

About The Position

This is a Detail/Temporary position not to exceed 120 days, although it may be extended up to one year without competition. Incumbent may be converted to a permanent appointment without further competition also. One vacancy is available in Tuskegee, Alabama to permanent, current facility employees only. This vacancy is for a Patient Safety Manager in the Quality and Patient Safety department. The Registered Nurse (RN) executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches to management of complex patient care. Collaborates in the development, implementation, evaluation, and revision of policies, procedures, and/or guidelines. The RN practice includes the roles of direct care provider, educator, administrator, researcher, consultant, leader, and advocate. Provides peers with formal or informal constructive feedback for improvement. Supports colleagues and other nurses through knowledge sharing to provide safe, quality nursing care. Fosters a safe and supportive environment conducive to the professional development of health care professionals. Evaluates outcomes of evidence-based decisions and practice changes for individuals, groups, and populations. Responsible for the documented outcomes at the program or service level. Executes leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others. Demonstrates expertise in decision-making and using the nursing process for complex situations that effect performance outcomes at the point of care. Practice is enhanced through development of collegial relationships. Demonstrates leadership and collaboration by using the group process to solve problems. The focus is on leadership in strategically planning long-term goals for the microsystem (unit, team, or workgroup) that impacts operations or resources. Demonstrates critical thinking with efficiency and accuracy in assessing and managing situations. Program or service level outcomes must be broad and complex and can be demonstrated at any organizational level within a facility. An addendum is available for specific position duties. The Patient Safety Manager is responsible for the implementation and oversight of patient safety programs advancing our medical center and associated CBOCs toward a Highly Reliable Organization (HRO). The individual has primary responsibility for training and implementation of the patient safety and Just Culture process to clinicians, management, and all relevant support personnel within the facility and CBOCs. The Patient Safety Manager functions as a resource person and consultant for clinical issues related to patient safety in an effort to ensure that patient care needs are provided in a safe environment and in a timely manner. The nurse is responsible and accountable for all patient care activities related to patient safety to include the provisions of information, education, training, and technical support for all healthcare staff, related to RCA's, adverse events and environment of care. The Patient Safety Manager collaboratively interacts with Senior Leadership in order to provide expert knowledge and information that will result in safe patient care outcomes. The Patient Safety Manager possesses the knowledge and skills to effectively apply all aspects of the quality improvement and patient safety across the facility. The Patient Safety Manager interacts with all levels of staff throughout the facility to assure that patient safety concerns are acknowledged/documented, analyzed, and discussed to assure quality patient care and outcomes are achieved and maintained.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.
• Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• A drug test is required for the position.
• The position is subject to random drug testing.
• English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate accrediting agency and accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies at the time the program was completed by the applicant: The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE); OR Individuals attending a master's level bridge program in nursing who have completed coursework equivalent to a bachelor's level degree in Nursing may have opportunity to become registered as a nurse with a state licensing board prior to completion of the bridge program. Upon achievement of a State license, the individual may be appointed on temporary basis and later converted to a permanent appointment upon successful completion and graduation from the bridge program. (Reference VA Handbook 5005, Appendix G6); OR In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of a current, full, active, and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement for graduation from an approved school of professional nursing to warrant an appointment as a Nurse who has completed an associated degree/entry level Nursing education program. Credit for foreign nursing education higher that associate degree/entry level requires a formal degree equivalency validation from a recognized equivalency evaluation accepted by VA such as International Consultants of Delaware (ICD).
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or the District of Columbia.
• Graduate Nurse Technician (GNT) Exception: Candidates who otherwise meet the basic education requirements, but do not possess the required licensure, may be appointed at the entry step of the grade and level applicable to the completed nursing education as a GNT on a 120-day temporary appointment while actively pursuing licensure (may be extended up to two years on a case-by-case-basis.)
• Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees.

Nice To Haves

• At least one year of Patient Safety or Quality Management experience.

Responsibilities

• Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches to management of complex patient care.
• Collaborates in the development, implementation, evaluation, and revision of policies, procedures, and/or guidelines.
• Provides peers with formal or informal constructive feedback for improvement.
• Supports colleagues and other nurses through knowledge sharing to provide safe, quality nursing care.
• Fosters a safe and supportive environment conducive to the professional development of health care professionals.
• Evaluates outcomes of evidence-based decisions and practice changes for individuals, groups, and populations.
• Responsible for the documented outcomes at the program or service level.
• Executes leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others.
• Demonstrates expertise in decision-making and using the nursing process for complex situations that effect performance outcomes at the point of care.
• Demonstrates leadership and collaboration by using the group process to solve problems.
• Focuses on leadership in strategically planning long-term goals for the microsystem (unit, team, or workgroup) that impacts operations or resources.
• Demonstrates critical thinking with efficiency and accuracy in assessing and managing situations.
• Responsible for the implementation and oversight of patient safety programs advancing our medical center and associated CBOCs toward a Highly Reliable Organization (HRO).
• Has primary responsibility for training and implementation of the patient safety and Just Culture process to clinicians, management, and all relevant support personnel within the facility and CBOCs.
• Functions as a resource person and consultant for clinical issues related to patient safety in an effort to ensure that patient care needs are provided in a safe environment and in a timely manner.
• Responsible and accountable for all patient care activities related to patient safety to include the provisions of information, education, training, and technical support for all healthcare staff, related to RCA's, adverse events and environment of care.
• Collaboratively interacts with Senior Leadership in order to provide expert knowledge and information that will result in safe patient care outcomes.
• Possesses the knowledge and skills to effectively apply all aspects of the quality improvement and patient safety across the facility.
• Interacts with all levels of staff throughout the facility to assure that patient safety concerns are acknowledged/documented, analyzed, and discussed to assure quality patient care and outcomes are achieved and maintained.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• regular salary increases
• potential for performance awards
• 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
• Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting)
• federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
• Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
• 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree