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This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. 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 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master's degree in nursing or related field with a BSN and approximately 1-2 years 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 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience. Note regarding MSN degrees: If your MSN was obtained via a Bridge Program that qualifies for professional nursing registration, a BSN is not required. 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 (35 pounds); heavy carrying (35 pounds); straight pulling (2-4 hours); pushing (2-4 hours); reaching above shoulders (1-2 hours); use of fingers; both hands required; walking (4-6 hours); standing (4-6 hours); repeated bending (2-4 hours); both legs required; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and 20/40 in the other; both eyes required; ability to distinguish basic colors and shades of color; hear (aid permitted); mental and emotional stability. ["This is a Registered Nurse (RN) job opportunity within the Community Living Center (CLC) at the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center (HJ Heinz campus). The RN is responsible for applying the comprehensive nursing process in providing care for patients with complex nursing needs, to include guiding and directing others who provide care and effectively prioritizing actual and potential issues/needs. The incumbent must demonstrate clinical competency in the completion of core and practice specific procedures and competencies according to the pre-established unit competency checklist. The incumbent's daily responsibilities may include any or all of the following: Providing comprehensive care for patients admitted to the CLC to include monitoring, evaluation, and assessment for admission and providing health education thereafter. Conducting initial and ongoing assessment and documenting per applicable CLC guidelines. Maintaining responsibility for the assessment, pain management, obtaining of vital signs as ordered, discharge instructions, and patient health education. Initiating discharge planning at the time of nursing assessment and reassessing and revising during the patient's stay as needed; ensuring patient receives written discharge instructions upon final discharge. Administering point of care infusions/injections following the policies and SOPs of the Medical Center. The admitting nurse will be responsible for the assessment, documentation, intravenous access, obtaining EKG and bloodwork, obtaining baseline vital signs, and carrying out all orders. Administering oral and intravenous medications as ordered by the provider and promoting and maintaining pain relief, comfort management, and emotional support. Consulting the patient's Physician during primary care, treatment, rehabilitation, etc. as necessary; notifying the patient's attending Physician and next of kin when there is a change in the patient's condition; assisting with the care planning process to ensure all patient care plans are accurate and up to date; providing guidance and feedback to help others involved in the patient's care to strengthen their knowledge/skills to accomplish unit goals. Utilizing Quality Improvement driven processes to ensure quality outcomes of the following: wounds, pain, restraints, falls, psychoactive medications and others as indicated. Other duties include but are not limited to: answering the unit phones, obtaining specimens, paging Physicians, paging ancillary departments for services, reviewing Physician orders, facilitating and carrying out orders, printing lab labels and patient wristbands, accurately and efficiently taking verbal orders in an emergency, assisting with transportation, coordinating patient bed flow with the Bed Management Center (BMC), checking for expired supplies, and cleaning noncritical Reusable Medical Equipment (RME). VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory Work Schedule: Rotating shifts may include weekends/holidays. Night and days tours available Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized and paid to a Highly Qualified candidate EDRP Authorized: Yes, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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