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The New Mexico VA Health Care System is seeking Registered Nurses for our Medical and Surgical Intensive Care Units. Desire RNs who values civility, professionalism, and the care of our Nation's Veterans. Incumbent leads by example in defining a customer service culture to ensure that all customers are treated with respect and civility. Recruitment incentive is available! Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate State-accrediting agency and accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies at the time the program was completed by the applicant: The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of current, full, active and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing. OR The completion of coursework equivalent to a nursing degree in a MSN Bridge Program that qualifies for professional nursing registration constitutes the completion of an approved course of study of professional nursing. Students should submit the certificate of professional nursing to sit for the NCLEX to the VA along with a copy of the MSN transcript. (Reference VA Handbook 5005, Appendix G6) OR In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of a current, full, active and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement for graduation from an approved school of professional nursing. Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or the District of Columbia. Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade: Nurse I Level I - An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional nursing practice/experience required. Nurse I Level II - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 1 year of nursing practice/experience; OR an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a bachelor's degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience; OR a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional nursing practice/experience. Nurse I Level III - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a Bachelor's degree in a related field and approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a BSN with approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) or related field with a BSN and no additional nursing practice/experience. Nurse II - A BSN with approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a Bachelor's degree in a related field and approximately 2-3 year's of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master's degree in nursing or related field with a BSN and approximately 1-2 year's of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing or meets basic requirements for appointment and has doctoral degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience required. Nurse III - Master's degree in nursing or related field with BSN and approximately 2-3 year's of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree and approximately 2-3 year's of nursing practice/experience. For foreign education equivalency the only certifying body the VA recognizes is CGFNS and its' subsidiary, International Consultants of Delaware (ICD). Without certification of BSN-equivalency, the VA can only consider the degree at the associates level and pay will be determined accordingly. Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-6 Nurse Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting (45 lbs and over); Heavy carrying (45 lbs and over); Straight pulling and pushing; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking and standing up to 8 hours; repeated bending; Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; hearing aid permitted. All registered nurses with less than 12-months of RN experience upon entry on duty (EOD) date, will complete a 12-month nurse residency program. The RN Transition-to-Practice (RNTTP) Residency Program complies with VHA Directive 1077. See https://www.va.gov/NURSING/workforce/RNTTP.asp for details. ["VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards The Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) and Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) at the Raymond G. Murphy, New Mexico VA Health Care System (NMVAHCS) provide care to Medical/Surgical ICU and Step Down level patients. All ICU RNs are rotated through the Rapid Response Team (RRT) and one nurse is assigned per shift from either MICU or SICU. The RRT RN rounds on all inpatient Veterans to identify early deterioration for prompt intervention. The SICU staff RNs deliver post-anesthesia/post-operative recovery care of patients during off tours hours. The SICU staff RNs are also trained in open heart recovery of the cardiothoracic patient. As an ICU Nurse you will provide prescribed medical treatment and personal care services to ill and injured veterans. Some of the primary duties are: Administer blood products; apply the nursing process (assessment, plan, implement and evaluate) for all patients in the ICU; uses pain scale to complete initial pain assessment, reassessment of pain and evaluate effectiveness of pain management and utilizes pain assessment for cognitively impaired patient when appropriate; completes all electronic/written nursing documentation (nursing admission assessment, electronic shift documentation notes, trifolds, etc.); utilizes the appropriate notes for critical value notification, skin documentation, fall assessment, CIWA and heparin protocols and proper use of BCMA; demonstrates competency of mobilization devices and lift devices; initiate and manage gastric decompression, gastric lavage and gastric/intestinal tube feeding; initiate, maintain and discontinue IV access and therapy; discontinue arterial lines and/or central line; manage IV fluids, vasoactive medication drips and IV pain management drips, Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) Pump, and epidural infusions; administer intravenous medications by infusion or direct IV push as ordered by the physician and medically safe; manage patient on intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation (IABC), pacemaker therapy (transcutaneous, transvenous, and epicardial) and perform 12-lead EKG and right sided leads when necessary; initiate Open Chest Resuscitation as needed. The incumbent will also be expected to manage patients' airways to include: Endo tracheal tubes, Tracheotomies, Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) oral/naso-pharyngeal airways and oral airways; monitor and assess neuromuscular blockade with the peripheral nerve stimulator; monitor and assess patients receiving procedural sedation/analgesia for procedures; obtain blood specimens from venous, central venous access catheter (i.e. PICC, Groshong, Swan ganz), arterial catheters and pulmonary artery catheters; obtain blood specimens through venous and arterial phlebotomy when needed; perform hemodynamic monitoring with care of venous and arterial access sites and integrate numerical values with patient's assessment; perform dressing changes for all central lines, arterial lines, IV sites, surgical and non-surgical wounds utilizing aseptic/sterile technique as appropriate; provide care to acute hemodialysis and Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) patients, utilizing dialysis unit nurses as a resource; review, verify and do 24 hour chart review of electronic physician orders in the clinical setting; take telephonic/verbal orders with \"write down, read back\" verification and electronic computer entry; and utilize isolation precautions as appropriate. In the SICU, the RN will provide post-anesthesia monitoring and care for all cardio thoracic patients and for other patients according to circumstances especially off tour hours or previously admitted to SICU as needed. The incumbent identifies signs and symptoms of impairment, verbalizes importance of adherence to controlled substance policies, reports events through the Joint Patient Safety Event Reporting Form (JPSR) on the VA Intranet for reporting any suspicious behavior. Work Schedule: Rotating shifts.\nTelework: Not Available.\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized.\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required."]