Registered Nurse-Emergency Department (ED)

Veterans Health Administration • Johnson City, TN

8d • Onsite

About The Position

The Emergency Department (ED) Registered Nurse provides competent, evidence-based care to assigned patients with acute and/or chronic medical and psychiatric conditions. Care may range from basic nursing care to stabilization, resuscitation, and life-support measures. Emergency nursing practice is independent and collaborative, and includes direct care, education, administration, research, consultation, leadership, and advocacy. The nurse delegates and supervises basic nursing care provided by licensed practical nurses and unlicensed assistive personnel, and assists with nursing education, orientation, competency development, quality improvement, and outcomes utilization. The role includes ongoing evaluation of practice using the best available evidence, constructive feedback and knowledge sharing with peers, and fostering a safe environment that supports professional development. The nurse contributes a professional nursing perspective to interdisciplinary discussions, partners with others to improve outcomes, shares educational findings and experiences, and supports an evidence-based practice culture.

This role is at the James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, an interdisciplinary teaching facility serving adult and elderly veterans in medical, surgical, neurological, and psychiatric settings. The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to program eligibility and approval. The work schedule is rotational.

Requirements

• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• Graduation from an appropriately accredited school of professional nursing, or a qualifying foreign nursing education pathway with required equivalency validation where applicable.
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted registered nurse licensure in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; an eligible Graduate Nurse Technician appointment may be available while pursuing licensure.
• Meet the education and experience criteria for the applicable VA nurse grade and level.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification is required for clinically active staff not identified for Advanced Cardiac Life Support training.
• Meet federal employment conditions, including U.S. citizenship or eligibility under VA policy, applicable Selective Service registration, background/security investigation, pre-employment physical examination, and seasonal influenza vaccination.
• Ability to meet the position’s physical requirements, including visual acuity, hearing, clear speech, manual dexterity, and periods of walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, lifting 10 pounds or more, and pushing.
• Ability to transfer patients and objects as required, use protective clothing in applicable exposure situations, and work effectively in stressful situations while shifting priorities based on patient needs.

Nice To Haves

• Two years of bedside emergency room experience within the last 12 months.

Responsibilities

• Provide competent, evidence-based nursing care to assigned patients with acute and/or chronic medical and psychiatric conditions.
• Deliver care ranging from basic nursing care to stabilization, resuscitation, and life-support measures.
• Delegate and supervise basic nursing care performed by licensed practical nurses and unlicensed assistive personnel.
• Assist with nursing education, orientation, competency development, quality improvement, and outcomes utilization.
• Evaluate nursing practice on an ongoing basis using the best available evidence and provide peers with constructive feedback.
• Foster a safe and supportive environment conducive to healthcare professionals’ development.
• Contribute the nursing perspective to interdisciplinary discussions and partner with others to improve patient outcomes.
• Share knowledge, educational findings, experiences, and ideas with peers, and support an evidence-based practice culture.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), with potential loan repayment up to $200,000 for an approved period of one to five years, subject to eligibility and program approval.
• 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 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 may be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

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