Registered Nurse PACT CBOC (Portsmouth)

Veterans Health Administration • Portsmouth, NH

16h • Onsite

About The Position

The Registered Nurse works in the Ambulatory Care Service at the Portsmouth Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC), providing patient-centered, evidence-based care as an integral member of the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT). The nurse conducts initial and ongoing patient assessments and coordinates plans of care. This is a full-time position for 40 hours per week, with a Monday–Friday schedule of either 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. or 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Telework and virtual work are not available. Occasional travel may be required for education, organizational needs, or nursing support at other CBOCs in Portsmouth, Tilton, and Conway, or at the Manchester VA Medical Center.

The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to program eligibility and approval. Applicants must submit an EDRP application within four months of appointment; the program office determines approval, award amount (up to $200,000), and eligibility period (one to five years). Former EDRP participants are ineligible to apply. The position is in the Excepted Service, is not a Bargaining Unit position, and is covered by a special rate.

Applicants must meet VA nursing education and licensure requirements and the qualifications for the assigned grade and level. A full, active, unrestricted U.S. nursing license is required, with a limited temporary Graduate Nurse Technician exception for eligible candidates pursuing licensure. The announcement describes grade qualifications spanning Nurse I through Nurse III, based on education, experience, and demonstrated practice dimensions. A pre-placement physical examination is required, and applicants must be physically able to perform the duties satisfactorily.

Requirements

• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• Graduation from an appropriately accredited school of professional nursing, or qualifying bridge-program or foreign-education pathway as described in the announcement.
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted registered nurse licensure in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia, subject to the stated Graduate Nurse Technician exception.
• Meet the education, experience, and practice-dimension requirements for the applicable Nurse I, Nurse II, or Nurse III grade and level.
• Be physically able to satisfactorily perform the duties; a pre-placement examination is required.
• U.S. citizenship is required, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Selected applicants are subject to pre-employment urinalysis, background/security investigation, onboarding, and credentialing requirements; seasonal influenza vaccination is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
• Submit an EDRP application within four months of appointment if seeking program participation and meeting eligibility requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Primary care experience.
• Medical office experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide initial and ongoing patient assessments and coordinate patients’ plans of care as a PACT systems coordinator.
• Initiate PACT preplanning for scheduled clinic visits and participate in daily huddles and team meetings to coordinate patient care.
• Conduct follow-up calls after hospitalizations and Emergency Department visits, review records, and coordinate follow-up care.
• Participate in direct patient care for scheduled and unscheduled visits.
• Manage a designated panel of patients and use VA-developed protocols to support prevention and manage chronic conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, COPD, and CHF.
• Identify and care-manage high-risk patients through in-person visits, virtual video connections, secure messaging, and telephone calls.
• Coordinate patient-care transitions with specialists and consultants.
• Assess patients’ comprehensive needs and connect them with appropriate services, resources, and opportunities.
• Partner with Veterans to support self-management, prevention, and wellness, using health coaching and motivational interviewing to support behavior change and patient goals.
• Provide patient-centered, evidence-based, patient-driven care across the care continuum.
• Perform lab phlebotomy, point-of-care testing, and specimen labeling.
• Travel occasionally for education, organizational needs, or nursing support at other CBOCs or the Manchester VA Medical Center.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), with approved awards up to $200,000 for 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, including 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 VA contributions.
• 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