Registered Nurse - Same Day Procedure Unit

Veterans Health Administration • Washington, DC

1d

About The Position

The Same Day Procedure Unit (SDPU) Registered Nurse provides care to patients before and immediately after surgeries and procedures. The role focuses on validating existing patient information and completing patient preparation. Nursing duties may include physical assessments, obtaining laboratory tests and EKGs, managing patient belongings, confirming consent, and reviewing history and physical information.

As a licensed professional, the RN is responsible and accountable for their practice. The nurse provides patient care and counseling, promotes health and prevents illness and injury through the nursing process, and delivers care during patients’ pre-operative and post-operative phases. The role includes patient and family education, administering and evaluating prescribed therapies, making appropriate referrals, documenting care, responding to emergencies, and applying infection-control precautions.

The RN demonstrates leadership and collaboration in delivering holistic, patient-driven care, supports team efforts, assigns staff according to competencies and care priorities, and applies evidence-based practice and improvement activities to enhance care quality and resource use. Other duties related to the occupation may be assigned to meet agency, department, facility, or service needs.

This is a full-time, non-virtual position. Work schedule details are to be determined; telework is 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 education pathways and exceptions described in the announcement.
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted registered professional nurse licensure in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; a Graduate Nurse Technician temporary appointment exception is described for eligible candidates pursuing licensure.
• Meet the education, experience, and dimension criteria for the applicable Nurse grade and level.
• Pass a pre-employment physical evaluation and complete annual Employee Health requirements.
• U.S. citizenship is required unless appointment of a qualified non-citizen is permitted under VA policy.
• Applicants tentatively selected for a testing-designated position must submit to pre-employment urinalysis; refusal results in denial of VA employment.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must meet Selective Service registration requirements.
• Complete a background/security investigation, online onboarding, acceptable identity-document requirements, and all application requirements listed in the announcement.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• May be required to serve a probationary period.

Nice To Haves

• Preferred: BSN and three years of nursing experience in PACU, ICU, ED, or Step-Down.

Responsibilities

• Provide care and counseling and promote health maintenance and prevention of illness and injury.
• Use the nursing process—including systematic data gathering, assessment, nursing judgment, and evaluation—to address actual or potential health problems.
• Care for patients during pre-operative and post-operative phases.
• Provide peri-procedural education to patients and families, assessing, evaluating, and treating patients across the procedure continuum.
• Administer prescribed therapies using appropriate judgment and evaluate those therapies in a timely, ongoing manner.
• Initiate referrals to other disciplines or services when appropriate.
• Accurately document patient findings, assessments, and care in the medical record.
• Respond appropriately to emergencies, manage complex patient situations, and initiate effective action.
• Apply infection-control precautions appropriate to the Same Day Procedure Unit.
• Assign staff according to competencies and identified priorities to support safe and effective care.
• Provide and direct Veteran- or patient-driven care to optimize patient experience, satisfaction, and safety across a team of patients.
• Promote collaboration and teamwork, and identify and initiate solutions and new approaches.
• Apply evidence-based practice and research, considering patient preferences, and participate in improvement activities to improve care quality and resource utilization.
• Perform other duties related to the occupation as assigned to meet agency, department, facility, or service needs.

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 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