Registered Nurse - Acute Care

Veterans Health Administration • Northport, NY

7d • Onsite

About The Position

The Acute Care Registered Nurse is responsible and accountable for all elements of the nursing process when providing or supervising direct patient care. The role coordinates care focused on patient education, self-management, and customer satisfaction throughout the continuum of care; administers medications and procedures according to established policies and guidelines; and collaborates with the interdisciplinary team to influence care outcomes.

The Acute Care Staff RN provides competent, evidence-based care to assigned patients and oversees licensed practical/vocational nurses, health technicians, and nursing assistants as appropriate to the care setting. The nurse contributes to education and orientation, quality improvement, and outcomes utilization; supports professional development and evidence-based practice; documents assessments and care plans; reports and helps resolve safety concerns; and advocates for patients, families, and caregivers. The role also works to improve patient experience and outcomes, support ethical care, and implement high-reliability principles and I CARE values.

This is a night-tour position, scheduled 7:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Telework is not available, and the position is not virtual. Permanent Change of Station is not authorized. The position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

Requirements

• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• Graduation from an appropriately accredited school of professional nursing, or an eligible nursing education pathway described in the announcement.
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a U.S. State, Territory, or Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; an exception may apply to Graduate Nurse Technicians pursuing licensure.
• Meet the education, experience, and dimension criteria for the assigned Nurse grade and level. The announcement describes grade pathways ranging from an ADN or nursing diploma for Nurse I, Level I to additional education and specialized nursing experience for higher grades.
• Pass a pre-employment physical evaluation or examination.
• Meet applicable U.S. citizenship requirements; non-citizens may be appointed only when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Selected applicants in testing-designated positions are subject to pre-appointment urinalysis for illegal drug use.
• Meet Selective Service registration requirements if applicable.
• Complete a background/security investigation and online onboarding process, including acceptable identification and application requirements.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• May be required to serve a probationary period.
• Meet the position's physical requirements, including visual acuity, keen hearing, manual dexterity, clear distinctive speech, ability to perform nursing procedures requiring technical skills, and capacity for potentially long periods of walking, standing, stooping, sitting, and bending; bending, lifting, and carrying light items may also be required.

Nice To Haves

• Med/Surg experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide and supervise direct patient care using all elements of the nursing process.
• Coordinate care focused on patient education, self-management, and customer satisfaction throughout the continuum of care.
• Administer medications and procedures in accordance with established policies and guidelines.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members to influence care outcomes.
• Provide competent, evidence-based care to assigned patients and oversee licensed practical/vocational nurses, health technicians, and nursing assistants as appropriate.
• Assist in directing nursing education, orientation, and competency activities, and provide quality-improvement and outcomes-utilization consultation.
• Demonstrate leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaboration and ongoing evaluation of practice based on best evidence.
• Provide peers with constructive feedback and foster a safe, supportive environment for healthcare professionals' development.
• Contribute a professional nursing perspective to interdisciplinary discussions and support colleagues through knowledge sharing.
• Share educational findings, experiences, and ideas with peers; question clinical practices to support evidence-based care; and participate in strategies that sustain evidence-based practice.
• Report and assist in resolving safety concerns.
• Document nursing assessments, plans of care, patient-safety observations, and environmental safety rounds according to facility policy.
• Maintain professional boundaries and act in the patient's best interest.
• Resolve patient experience issues related to care coordination, timeliness, process concerns, recurring dissatisfaction, or the care environment in the immediate practice setting.
• Incorporate patient, family, and caregiver knowledge, values, and beliefs into care without judgment or discrimination.
• Advocate for patients, families, and caregivers to improve outcomes and serve as a resource for resolving ethical issues in the immediate practice setting.
• Lead implementation of high-reliability principles and I CARE values to improve consistency of care and patient outcomes.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

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