Registered Nurse (Community Care Coordinator)

Veterans Health Administration • Sheridan, WY

9d • Onsite

About The Position

The Registered Nurse (RN) Community Care Coordinator executes a streamlined approach to receiving, triaging, and directing timely, coordinated care. The nurse demonstrates proficient practice and decision-making, deliberate planning, and critical thinking, and serves as a liaison to internal and community providers while managing Veterans’ care throughout the consult process.

The coordinator supports timely access to high-quality community care, guides Veterans through VA and community care options, and coordinates care from referral through completion of the episode. The role includes triaging requests and referrals, developing care coordination plans, reviewing community-provider medical documentation, communicating care needs, and helping Veterans navigate scheduling and care processes. The coordinator works collaboratively with the Office of Integrated Veteran Care and interdisciplinary teams, follows VA policies and standards, uses health information solutions to document and track coordination, and supports quality improvement, patient education, self-management, customer satisfaction, and colleagues’ professional development.

This is a permanent, non-virtual position. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; telework is not available. Relocation and 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, subject to the stated education and foreign-education provisions.
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted registered nurse license in a U.S. State, Territory, or Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; a stated Graduate Nurse Technician exception may apply to eligible candidates pursuing licensure.
• Meet the education, experience, and dimension criteria for the assigned Nurse grade and level.
• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Selected applicants must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation and applicable background/security investigation; applicants in testing-designated positions are subject to pre-employment drug testing.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program and completion of annual Employee Health requirements are conditions of employment.
• Applicants may be required to serve a probationary period and complete the online onboarding and application requirements.
• Ability to meet the position’s physical requirements, including visual acuity, hearing, clear speech, manual dexterity, and potentially extended periods of walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing; patient or object transfers may be required.
• Ability to work effectively in stressful situations, shift priorities according to patient needs, and respond appropriately to potentially combative patients and exposure risks.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with VA Community Care Programs, referral and authorization processes, community-provider coordination, and VA clinical and administrative systems.
• Experience managing complex patient needs, coordinating interdisciplinary care, resolving access-to-care barriers, and communicating effectively with Veterans and healthcare providers.

Responsibilities

• Perform and be accountable for all elements of the nursing process when providing or supervising direct patient care.
• Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of Veterans’ care.
• Support the delivery of high-quality, timely care to Veterans receiving services in the community.
• Coordinate care with a focus on patient education, self-management, and customer satisfaction throughout the continuum of care.
• Follow established procedures, policies, and guidelines.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members within VA and in the community to influence care outcomes.
• Participate in unit- or program-level quality improvement initiatives and customer service programs.
• Apply knowledge of internal referral processes, clinical review criteria, utilization management standards, documentation requirements, community care regulations, and VHA standards and guidelines.
• Use nursing knowledge and systems theory to assess, organize, facilitate, and guide Veterans through VA direct-care and community-care options.
• Work collaboratively within the Office of Integrated Veteran Care to triage Requests for Services and coordinate processes defined by the IVC Field Guidebook.
• Develop care coordination plans, review medical documentation from community providers, communicate coordination needs, and support Veterans through completion of the episode of care.
• Comply with VA-mandated processes and use health information solutions to assess, document, exchange, and track care coordination information.
• Use delegated authority, when applicable, to perform at the appropriate role level and align care with key performance indicators and practice standards.
• Share knowledge with colleagues and nurses to support safe, quality nursing care and foster a supportive environment for professional development.
• Evaluate outcomes of evidence-based decisions and practice changes for individuals, groups, and populations.
• Triage incoming referrals, discuss available care options, provide scheduling guidance, and serve as a resource within the service.
• Serve as liaison between referring VA providers and specialty care services by clinically triaging consults or referrals and confirming requested care and required pre-work and tests.

Benefits

• 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 and a 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