Registered Nurse- ER Nurse Navigator

Veterans Health Administration • Salem, VA

11h

About The Position

The Registered Nurse serves as an ER Nurse Navigator and Care Coordinator, providing patient management, care coordination, and discharge or disposition planning in inpatient and outpatient settings. The role helps Veterans, families, and caregivers identify appropriate services and options for complex health care needs, including acute, chronic, multiple, complex, catastrophic, or life-threatening illness; combat stress; traumatic brain injury residuals; community adjustment; addictions; and other health problems.

The Nurse Navigator addresses psychosocial, nursing, and medical needs through participation on an interdisciplinary care team. The position requires applying theoretical knowledge, critical thinking, and technical nursing skills; managing competing priorities; and using deliberate planning and sound clinical judgment. The nurse coordinates care across the continuum, with a focus on patient education, self-management, and customer satisfaction, and assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates care using age-specific components.

The role includes leadership in complex patient care and in developing and implementing programs to improve care delivery. The nurse follows established policies and standards of care and practice, collaborates with the interdisciplinary team to influence outcomes, and follows applicable procedures and guidelines.

This is a Monday–Friday position, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Compressed or flexible scheduling, telework, and virtual work are not authorized. The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program, subject to program eligibility and approval; awards may be up to $200,000, with an eligibility period of one to five years. Applicants must submit an EDRP application within four months of appointment. Former EDRP participants are ineligible to apply.

Requirements

• Graduate of an accredited school of professional nursing, or another qualifying nursing education pathway described in the posting.
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted professional nurse registration in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; a temporary Graduate Nurse Technician appointment may be available to otherwise eligible candidates pursuing licensure.
• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• Meet the education and experience requirements applicable to the assigned VA nurse grade and level.
• One full and unrestricted license from a U.S. state or territory.
• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Pass required pre-employment physical evaluation or examination.
• Complete required background/security screening, onboarding, and application documentation.
• Applicants tentatively selected for a testing-designated position must undergo pre-employment urinalysis; refusal results in denial of employment.
• Register for Selective Service if applicable to males born after December 31, 1959.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program for VA health care personnel.
• Submit an EDRP application within four months of appointment to be considered for the program; eligibility and award are subject to VHA review.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Nursing.
• Demonstrated proficiency in process improvement approaches.
• Strong skills in tracking, analyzing, and reporting emergency department metrics and quality indicators.
• Experience leading or contributing to performance improvement initiatives.
• Ability to interpret data to guide clinical and operational decisions.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills that support interdisciplinary teamwork within the emergency department.

Responsibilities

• Provide patient management, care coordination, and discharge or disposition planning for inpatient and outpatient settings.
• Assist Veterans, family members, and caregivers in identifying appropriate options and services for complex health care needs.
• Address patients’ and families’ psychosocial, nursing, and medical needs in collaboration with the interdisciplinary care team.
• Manage competing priorities and apply critical thinking, deliberate planning, and competent clinical decision-making.
• Lead and use creative approaches to managing complex patient care.
• Adhere to established policies, standards of care, standards of practice, and procedures.
• Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate care using age-specific components.
• Coordinate care across the continuum, focusing on patient education, self-management, and customer satisfaction.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members to influence care outcomes.
• Develop and implement programs to improve delivery of patient care.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program, subject to eligibility and approval, with awards up to $200,000 and eligibility periods of one to five years.
• Competitive salary, regular salary increases, and potential performance awards.
• 50 days of paid time off per year: 26 days annual leave, 13 days sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting.
• Federal 401(k), with VA contributions up to 5%.
• 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