Summary
The
Registered Nurse - Nursing Officer of the Day (NOD) position is located at John Cochran or Jefferson Barracks campus in VA Saint Louis Health Care System. The RN - Nursing Officer of the Day demonstrates leadership, experience, and creative approaches to the management of complex patient care. The incumbent demonstrates the ability to plan and organize the delivery of care to ensure continuity of care and peer accountability for practice, including access to care and discharge planning.
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Duties
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The
Registered Nurse - Nursing Officer of the Day (NOD) position is located at Jefferson Barracks or John Cochran Medical Center in VA Saint Louis Health Care System. The RN - Nursing Officer of the Day demonstrates leadership, experience, and creative approaches to the management of complex patient care. The incumbent demonstrates the ability to plan and organize the delivery of care to ensure continuity of care and peer accountability for practice, including access to care and discharge planning. The NOD is skilled in the delivery of patient care and serves as the facility nursing expert at all hours to support, provide and facilitate emergency medical support throughout the facility.
The incumbent serves as the facility expert for all patient care areas in identifying escalating medical crises, environmental factors, and in allocating staffing resources appropriately throughout the facility to meet the care needs of Veterans. The incumbent functions to deliver and coordinate safe, efficient, and effective patient care throughout all areas of the facility. The RN - NOD provides care and directs others in the promotion and maintenance of health and prevention of illness and injury based upon the nursing process which includes systematic data gathering, assessment, appropriate nursing judgment, and evaluation of human responses to actual or potential health problems. The RN - NOD executes medical regimens including administering medications and treatments prescribed by a licensed or otherwise authorized provider. The nurse's primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, or community and the facility.
The position services the John Cochran and Jefferson Barracks Campuses on all shifts and days. The RN - NOD will serve as Incident Commander in the absence of the ELT.
Duties include, but are not limited to:
- Uses clinical knowledge and judgment to promote staff involvement in planning, decision-making, and evaluating outcomes.
- Functions proficiently in clinical practice and/or areas related to the assigned roles and responsibilities.
- Evaluates current practice and formulates outcomes for groups of patients and/or organizational processes within an area of expertise.
- Guides, develops, and supports staff from a leadership perspective using professional standards of care, scientific evidence, and practice to evaluate programs and/or service activities.
- Demonstrates advanced leadership at the systems level with sustainable, experienced, and creative approaches to the management of complex situations.
- Assumes authority, responsibility, and accountability for managing and directing employees, staffing units, and allocating resources as necessary during weekends, holidays, and after-hours tours during the absence of nursing management/leadership.
- Responsible for rounding and is a consultant to providers.
- Collaborates with the Administrative Officer of the Day (AOD) and other members of the interdisciplinary team as needed for decisions related to on-going patient care and actions taken in emergency situations and disasters.
- Provides programmatic outcomes to nursing leadership to assist with improving organizational processes and the delivery of patient care.
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: Full Time, Six 12-hr and One 8-hr shift per pay period, to include Days/Evenings/Nights/Weekends/Holidays. Schedule subject to change based on the needs of the healthcare system.
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.
Requirements
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Conditions of employment
- U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
- All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
- Subject to background/security investigation.
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
- You may be required to serve a probationary period.
- Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
Qualifications
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/13014971.
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:
- 2 years recent Acute Care / ICU / Emergency Dept experience preferred
- Previous Nursing Supervisor / Nursing Leadership experience preferred
Physical Requirements: This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, and sitting. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Must comply with any Employee Health requirements as a condition of employment. This includes but is not limited to carrying/lifting 45 pounds and over; walking and/or standing for eight hours at a time; and kneeling and repeated bending throughout shift. Significant amounts of time standing assisting assigned patients Utilization of safe patient handling and mobility protocols.
Additional information
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's crimi
