Registered Nurse- Community Living Center Programs for Excellence Resident Assessment Coordinator

Veterans Health Administration • Temple, TX

25d • Onsite

About The Position

The Registered Nurse (RN)–Community Living Center (CLC) Programs for Excellence Resident Assessment Coordinator (RAC) is accountable for all elements of the nursing process when providing or supervising direct patient care. The role coordinates care with a focus on patient education, self-management, and customer satisfaction across the continuum of care, and administers medications and procedures according to established policies and guidelines.

The RAC leads the CLC Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI)/Minimum Data Set (MDS) program, including administration of the program and its software, and promotes use of assessments in resident care planning. The role supports accurate and timely assessments, staff education, quality improvement, regulatory readiness, and collaboration among the CLC interdisciplinary team and leadership. The position is onsite rather than virtual, with a Monday–Friday schedule from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Telework is not available.

Requirements

• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• Graduation from an appropriately accredited school of professional nursing, or qualifying education under the stated VA provisions for bridge-program candidates or graduates of foreign nursing schools.
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted professional nurse registration in a U.S. State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; the stated Graduate Nurse Technician exception may apply to qualifying candidates pursuing licensure.
• Meet the applicable VA Nurse grade requirements for education, professional or specialized nursing experience, and position dimensions. Requirements vary by grade and level.
• Nursing education used to qualify must be accredited by ACEN or CCNE, as applicable.
• Submit transcripts when relying on education to qualify; foreign education requires the specified equivalency documentation.
• Meet the physical requirements described for the position, which include lifting and carrying, pushing and pulling, walking, standing, sitting, bending, reaching, and other specified physical and sensory abilities.
• Meet stated conditions of employment, including U.S. citizenship subject to the stated exception, background/security investigation, pre-employment testing and physical evaluation, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.

Nice To Haves

• RAC-CT certification.
• One to two years of RAC/MDS Coordinator experience.
• Experience with CMS Skilled Short Stay and Long Stay Quality Measures.
• Belt or Systems Redesign training, experience, or certification.
• SNT/GNT/RNTTP completion within the past five years.
• Professional Governance participation.
• Preceptor or charge nurse experience or training; a combination of experience and training is acceptable.
• Evidence-Based Practice experience or training; a combination of experience and training is acceptable.

Responsibilities

• Provide competent, evidence-based care to assigned residents and oversee licensed vocational nurses and nursing assistants as appropriate to the setting.
• Assist in directing nursing education, orientation, competency development, quality improvement, and outcomes-utilization consultation.
• Lead and improve holistic care through collaboration with others.
• Lead the CLC RAI/MDS program, serve as its Facility Administrator, administer MDS software, and promote use of RAI/MDS assessments in resident care planning.
• Direct the RAI/MDS RN responsible for coding assigned nursing sections and Care Area Assessments (CAAs).
• Identify CLC interdisciplinary team members to conduct interrater reliability reviews at least quarterly.
• Collaborate with CLC management or the charge nurse to support quarterly interrater reliability reviews, assess RAI/MDS accuracy, and report error trends.
• Complete the quarterly interrater reliability report and submit it to the CLC leadership team.
• When the CLC MDS RN is absent, document and take corrective action when notified of coding or documentation discrepancies identified during interrater reliability reviews.
• Transmit RAI/MDS assessments to the Austin Information Technology Center.
• Communicate CMS guideline changes, educational sessions, MDS coding changes, and RAI/MDS program updates to CLC staff; develop and implement staff education plans for the RAI/MDS process and software.
• Ensure the interdisciplinary team completes RAI/MDS assessments in accordance with current CMS and VHA requirements; provide recommendations and develop and update procedures for the process.
• Educate CLC staff on the RAI/MDS process and appropriate completion of assessments.
• Consult as an expert on identifying quality-of-care deficiencies and assist with performance improvement projects related to quality management and CLC Compare.
• Download, validate, and distribute quality management and Resource Utilization Group (RUG) reports to the CLC interdisciplinary team and leadership.
• Assist with readiness for the annual unannounced survey and Interim Quality Oversight surveys.
• Ensure the CLC schedules quarterly and comprehensive MDS assessments in accordance with regulatory guidelines.
• Provide peers with informal, constructive feedback to support improvement.
• Foster a safe and supportive environment for healthcare professionals’ professional development.
• Support colleagues through knowledge sharing to provide safe, quality nursing care.
• Question clinical practices to promote evidence-based care.

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 VA contributions.
• 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: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree