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Registered Nurse - Nursing Home

Veterans Health Administration | Lebanon, PA

Posted Date 5/29/2025
Description This position is located at Lebanon VA Medical Center within Geriatrics and Extended Care - Community Living Center. The RN will provide care to Veterans assigned to the Nursing Home.The Community Living Center (CLC) Nursing Home RN is an RN who will utilize the nursing process and evidence based practice in order to develop individual plans of care for patients in the CLC. The RN is a key member of the multidisciplinary team. The RN is responsible for patient advocacy and collaboration with other team members, promoting effective communication, and ethical practice. The RN functions within their scope of practice to provide high quality direct patient care to patients at various stages of life. The RN facilitates communication among licensed and unlicensed staff, the physician, the Veteran, his/her family, and other department personnel, as needed. The RN, in collaboration with patient and family members, builds an educational plan that meets their educational needs. The RN provides rehabilitative, restorative and supportive/bereavement nursing care to prevent deterioration when possible, to achieve and maintain optimal levels of functioning, independence and comfort, maximizing the Veterans' ability to adapt and adjust to living as independently and safely as possible. The RN provides ongoing bereavement support, recognizing each Veteran's desire for autonomy and their right to dignified care throughout the end-of-life process. The RN assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates care based on age-specific components and assumes responsibility for the continuum of care, patient and family education, and customer satisfaction.Major duties include, but are not limited to:
  • Demonstrates ability to function effectively in charge nurse, team leader or other leadership roles requiring application of problem skills at the unit or team level and uses team approaches to identify, analyze, and resolve problems.
  • Serves as a role model in assessing, planning, and evaluating patient status and identifying priority needs for care throughout the health continuum.
  • Develops and updates the nursing care plan, serving as a resource person to less experienced staff.
  • Includes patient/family/significant other/health care providers in establishing realistic, measurable goals related to the treatment plan and health education.
  • Demonstrates skill in implementation of nursing and physician orders for patients with complex patient care needs.
  • Assesses and treats pain utilizing the pain management protocol.
  • Documents administrative and clinical information in a thorough and accurate manner.
  • Adapts meeting the requirements for age related competencies to incorporate the special needs of the Veteran facing a terminal disease process.
  • Demonstrates the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and care requirements for population specific needs, such as, culture, Veteran era, etc., and plans and delivers care appropriately.
  • Patient identifiers are used to reliably identify patients.
  • Performs as a role model for other professionals by maintaining standards in nursing practice.
  • Completes all assigned routine documentation and insures completion of all shift documentation by other nursing staff.
  • Assures that the necessary components are in place, prior to authorized absences and discharges (when applicable), to ensure a safe transition to an alternate environment.
  • Ensures that patients are assessed for all risk and appropriate interventions and effectiveness are documented.
  • Initial pressure ulcer risk assessment done at admission using valid tool; and ongoing per policy; interventions documented for at risk patients. Initiates preventative measures, interventions and nursing consults, as needed.
  • Utilizes positive interpersonal skills in assigning and directing personnel in the implementation of patient care.
  • Identifies interpersonal skills between staff members that could detrimentally affect patient care, customer service or staff cohesiveness and acts as a mediator to resolve problems promptly.
  • Participates, as a unit representative, in committees and groups that influence facility nursing practice.
  • Performs additional duties as assigned.
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: 2:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. with rotating weekends and holidays.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Basic Requirements:
  • English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f), 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 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); OR Individuals attending a master's level bridge program in nursing who have completed coursework equivalent to a bachelor's level degree in Nursing may have opportunity to become registered as a nurse with a state licensing board prior to completion of the bridge program. Upon achievement of a State license, the individual may be appointed on temporary basis and later converted to a permanent appointment upon successful completion and graduation from the bridge program. (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 to warrant an appointment as a Nurse who has completed an associated degree/entry level Nursing education program. Credit for foreign nursing education higher that associate degree/entry level requires a formal degree equivalency validation from a recognized equivalency evaluation accepted by VA such as International Consultants of Delaware (ICD).
  • 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. Graduate Nurse Technician (GNT) Exception: Candidates who otherwise meet the basic education requirements, but do not possess the required licensure, may be appointed at the entry step of the grade and level applicable to the completed nursing education as a GNT on a 120-day temporary appointment while actively pursuing licensure (may be extended up to two years on a case-by-case-basis.)
NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the standard (1/29/2024) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/certification.

Grade Determinations: The following Scope, Education and Dimension criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade. The Dimension requirements (Practice, Veteran/Patient Driven Care, Leadership, Professional Development and Evidence-Based Practice/Research) are detailed for each grade and level within the online assessment: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12742418.
Grade/Level Scope Education
Nurse I, Level I Delivers fundamental, knowledge-based care to assigned clients while developing technical competencies. An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional professional nursing required.
Nurse I, Level II Demonstrates integration of biopsychosocial concepts, cognitive skills and technically competent practice in providing care to clients with basic or complex. An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 1 year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 1 ;OR a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional professional nursing experience required.
Nurse I, Level III Demonstrates proficiency in practice based on conscious and deliberate planning. Self-directed in goal setting for managing complex client situations. An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 2 years of professional nursing experience in which one year is equivalent to Nurse I, Level 2; OR a BSN and 1 year of professional nursing experience equivalent to the Nurse I, Level 2; OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) and no additional professional nursing experience; OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and no additional professional nursing experience.
Nurse II Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others. A BSN with 2 years of professional nursing equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR an MSN with one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with no professional nursing experience; OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN with no additional professional nursing experience.
Nurse III Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience and creative approaches to management of complex client care beyond the immediate practice setting. MSN and 2 years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Master's degree in *related field with BSN and two years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III.
*Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Preferred Experience: At least one year of long-term care experience.

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.
Salary79,855.00 - 137,050.00 Annual

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