Registered Nurse - Endoscopy - Gastrointestinal Specialty

Veterans Health Administration • Baltimore, MD

11d • Onsite

About The Position

The Registered Nurse provides and supervises direct patient care throughout the nursing process and coordinates care focused on patient education, self-management, and satisfaction. The role includes administering medications and procedures according to established policies and guidelines and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team to influence care outcomes.

In the Endoscopy setting, the RN provides evidence-based procedural care to assigned patients and, as appropriate, oversees licensed vocational nurses and health or nursing assistants. The nurse delivers and coordinates care, health promotion, education, and coaching for wellness, disease prevention, and chronic care management. The role also contributes to nursing education, orientation, competency development, quality improvement, and outcomes utilization.

The Endoscopy RN manages care for inpatients and outpatients undergoing diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy. Responsibilities include assessing patients’ physical and mental status before procedures, educating patients about procedural and post-procedural care, documenting responses and findings, and reporting changes. The nurse partners with patients, families, and the interdisciplinary team to support safe transitions across the care continuum and the Veteran’s goals of care.

The nurse may perform pre-procedure assessment, post-procedure recovery, and assistance to physicians during procedures. The role requires maintaining proficiency in the maintenance, cleaning, and preparation of endoscopy equipment; recognizing changes in patient condition and initiating appropriate emergency responses; and adapting to schedule changes. The RN may be assigned call and must follow facility policies for response time.

The position is scheduled 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Compressed or flexible scheduling is at supervisory discretion. Telework is not authorized; this is not a virtual position. Relocation, recruitment incentives, and permanent change of station are not authorized.

Requirements

• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• Graduation from an appropriately accredited school of professional nursing, or qualifying nursing education as described in the posting, including applicable foreign-education equivalency requirements.
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted registered professional nurse license in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; a temporary Graduate Nurse Technician appointment may be available for eligible candidates pursuing licensure.
• Meet the applicable education, experience, and grade-level requirements for the assigned Nurse grade.
• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed only when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Pass the required pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Comply with pre-appointment drug screening for testing-designated positions, background/security investigation, onboarding, identification requirements, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• Register with Selective Service if male and born after December 31, 1959.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the announcement’s Required Documents section.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is highly preferred.
• Two to three years of recent experience in Acute Medical/Surgical, ICU, PACU, ED, or outpatient endoscopy is highly desired.
• Endoscopy nursing experience is highly desired.
• Moderate sedation experience within the last three years is highly desired.
• ACLS certification is highly desired.
• SGNA Board Certification is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide and supervise direct patient care, administering medications and performing procedures according to established policies and guidelines.
• Coordinate care focused on patient education, self-management, and satisfaction throughout the continuum of care.
• Collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to influence care outcomes and promote safe transitions that reflect the Veteran’s goals of care.
• Provide evidence-based procedural care to patients undergoing diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy, including inpatients and outpatients.
• Oversee licensed vocational nurses and health or nursing assistants when appropriate to the procedural setting.
• Assess patients’ physical and mental status before procedures; educate them on procedural and post-procedural care; document responses, interventions, and findings; and report changes.
• Provide health promotion, education, and coaching on wellness, disease prevention, and chronic care management.
• Assist in directing nursing education, orientation, competencies, quality improvement, and outcomes utilization.
• Provide peers with constructive feedback, share educational findings and experiences, foster professional development, question clinical practices, and support an evidence-based-practice culture.
• Perform roles that may include pre-procedure assessments, post-procedure recovery, and assisting physicians during procedures.
• Maintain proficiency in maintaining, cleaning, and preparing endoscopy-specific equipment.
• Recognize changes in patient-care situations and initiate appropriate emergency responses.
• Adapt to changes in the daily schedule and, if assigned call, follow facility response-time policies.

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 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