Home Based Primary Care Registered Nurse

Veterans Health Administration • Albuquerque, NM

21h • Onsite

About The Position

The New Mexico VA Health Care System is seeking a Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) Outpatient Staff Registered Nurse for its Geriatrics and Extended Care (GEC) Service. The nurse provides competent, evidence-based care to HBPC patients and, as appropriate, oversight of licensed vocational nurses and nursing assistants. The role includes direct Veteran care and care coordination for Veterans in the HBPC Program.

The nurse performs case management, assessment, triage, Veteran education, resource coordination, medication and treatment coordination, and care planning. The nurse plans and delivers technically competent care in Veterans’ homes, addressing complex needs through health promotion and prevention, geriatric care, primary care, and palliative care. Interventions are intended to maximize health capabilities and reduce unnecessary urgent-care and emergency-room visits in accordance with each Veteran’s goals of care. The position makes home visits to Veterans enrolled in the program.

The nurse assists with nursing education, orientation, competency activities, quality improvement, and outcomes utilization. The role demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic home-based care through collaboration, ongoing evaluation of practice using the best available evidence, constructive feedback to peers, and support for a safe environment conducive to professional development. The nurse contributes an outpatient nursing perspective to interdisciplinary-team discussions, partners with others to achieve optimal outcomes, shares knowledge and educational findings with colleagues, questions clinical practices to support evidence-based care, and participates in strategies to sustain an evidence-based-practice culture.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This is not a virtual position. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change-of-station authorization are not available. VA lists a comprehensive total rewards package that includes competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential performance awards, 50 days of paid time off per year, a federal pension, a federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions, and federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term-care insurance. A full, unrestricted license from a U.S. state or territory is required.

Requirements

• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• Graduation from an appropriately accredited school of professional nursing, or qualifying foreign nursing education with the required validation where applicable.
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; a stated Graduate Nurse Technician exception may apply to otherwise qualified candidates pursuing licensure.
• Meet the education, experience, and dimension criteria for the assigned Nurse grade and level. The posting describes grade pathways from Nurse I, Level I through Nurse III, with requirements varying by nursing degree and specialized or professional nursing experience.
• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Pass required pre-employment urinalysis, background/security investigation, and physical evaluation; participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program; complete onboarding and required application documentation.
• Comply with Selective Service registration requirements for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Meet the stated physical demands, including heavy lifting and carrying of 45 pounds or more, pushing and pulling, reaching above shoulder level, use of fingers and both hands, walking and standing up to 8 hours, repeated bending, and rapid simultaneous mental and muscular coordination.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct, competent, evidence-based care to Veterans enrolled in the HBPC Program.
• Coordinate care for Veterans and their care within the HBPC Program.
• Provide oversight of licensed vocational nurses and nursing assistants, as appropriate to the setting.
• Perform case management, assessment, and triage.
• Provide Veteran education and coordinate resources, medications, treatments, and care planning.
• Plan and deliver care in Veterans’ homes for complex needs, including health promotion, health prevention, geriatric care, primary care, and palliative care.
• Use interventions that maximize health capabilities and reduce unnecessary urgent-care and emergency-room visits in accordance with Veterans’ goals of care.
• Make home visits to Veterans enrolled in the program.
• Assist in directing nursing education, orientation, and competency activities, and provide quality improvement and outcomes utilization.
• Demonstrate leadership in improving holistic home-based care through collaboration.
• Evaluate practice on an ongoing basis using the best available evidence and provide peers with constructive feedback.
• Foster a safe and supportive environment for healthcare professionals’ development.
• Contribute an outpatient nursing perspective to interdisciplinary-team discussions and partner with others to achieve optimal outcomes.
• Share knowledge, educational findings, experiences, and ideas with peers to support safe, quality HBPC nursing.
• Question clinical practices and participate in activities that sustain an evidence-based-practice culture.

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.
• 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
• Education Level: Associate degree