Spinal Cord Injury Nurse Clinician

Veterans Health Administration • Hampton, VA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Spinal Cord Injury Nurse Clinician provides nursing care to Veteran patients with spinal cord injury and disorders in outpatient and inpatient settings. The clinician coordinates care focused on patient education, self-management, and customer satisfaction; applies the nursing process in a collaborative, interdisciplinary practice setting; and supports health promotion, prevention, patient safety, and optimal patient functioning. The role includes direct patient care and ensuring plans of care comply with applicable standards and directives, including those of JC, OSHA, and VHA.

The Nurse Clinician educates nursing staff on current practices and treatment modalities for acute medical and chronic spinal cord injury/disorder problems. The position coordinates educational programs, orientation, training, and in-services for nursing staff and affiliate students. Educational responsibilities include assessing learner needs, identifying outcomes, planning and implementing education, and evaluating its effectiveness. Care must be appropriate to the age-related needs of adult and geriatric patients.

The position may be assigned at one of several nurse grades and levels, with responsibilities ranging from developing technical competencies and providing evidence-based patient care to overseeing other nursing staff and demonstrating leadership in managing complex care. The role requires a current, unrestricted nursing registration, qualifying nursing education and experience for the applicable grade, and English proficiency. Preferred experience includes a master's-prepared nurse educator and/or spinal cord injury experience. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday with rotating weekends. Telework and virtual work are not available.

Requirements

• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• Graduation from an appropriately accredited school of professional nursing, subject to the stated exceptions for qualifying bridge-program candidates and foreign nursing education.
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted professional nurse registration in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia, subject to the Graduate Nurse Technician exception described in the posting.
• Education and professional nursing experience meeting the applicable Nurse I, Level I through Nurse III grade requirements.
• Ability to provide age-appropriate care, including understanding aging-related changes and principles of adult and geriatric growth and development.
• Ability to assess patient status and interpret information to identify individual care needs.
• Ability to determine appropriate delegation of nursing tasks consistent with the obligation to provide optimal care.
• Visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity.
• Ability to work effectively in stressful situations, adapt to shifting priorities, and function as a mature, flexible, and sensible individual.
• Complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual tuberculosis screening or testing.
• Transcripts are required for consideration.
• Meet applicable U.S. citizenship, background investigation, drug-testing, onboarding, and other conditions of employment described in the announcement.

Nice To Haves

• Master's-prepared nurse educator.
• Spinal cord injury experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct nursing care to Veteran patients with spinal cord injury/disorders in inpatient and outpatient settings.
• Coordinate care focused on patient education, self-management, and customer satisfaction across the continuum of care.
• Apply the nursing process in a collaborative, interdisciplinary practice setting, including assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• Conduct nursing assessments, including physical, learning-readiness, psychosocial, and functional assessments, and use patient- and family-specific assessment scales as required.
• Implement plans of care in accordance with regulatory standards and directives, including JC, OSHA, and VHA requirements.
• Protect patient safety, promote positive outcomes, and provide care based on patient status, age-specific needs, and functional requirements.
• Educate nursing staff on current nursing practice and treatment modalities for acute medical and chronic spinal cord injury/disorder problems.
• Coordinate educational programs, orientation, training activities, and in-services for nursing staff and affiliate students.
• Assess learner and audience needs, identify educational outcomes, plan and deliver education, and evaluate its effectiveness.
• Support health promotion and prevention practices and the continuing professional competence of nursing staff.
• Provide oversight of licensed vocational nurses and nursing assistants as appropriate to the applicable grade and setting.
• Demonstrate leadership and creative approaches to the management of complex patient care, as required for the applicable grade.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• Potential performance awards.
• 50 days of paid time off per year, consisting of 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
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree