This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.
Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) Basic Requirements Education: A post-master's certificate or master's or doctoral degree as a Nurse Practitioner. (Applicants pending the completion of educational requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until the education requirements are met.) Must be a 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). NOTE: Foreign Education. Graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing programs, the nurse practitioner degree equivalency must be validated through an Agency recognized degree equivalency evaluation agency, such as the International Consultants of Delaware (ICD). Candidates with equivalent nurse practitioner masters or doctorate level degrees who possess current, full, active, and unrestricted registration and certification will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing to warrant appointment. License - All APN (NPs) must possess and maintain an active, current, full, and unrestricted APN license to practice as an NP in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Basic Board Certification - All APN (NPs) must maintain full and current basic board certification as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) from one of the following: the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB), or other nationally recognized certifying body in the area in which the Nurse Practitioner is academically prepared. NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and an APN (NP) assignment that are also 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. The following Scope, Education and Experience, and Dimension criteria must be met to qualify for Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) II: Exception to Licensure for Graduate Nurse Technicians. Candidates who otherwise meet the basic requirements, but do not possess the required licensure and/or certification, may be appointed at the entry step of the Nurse II, as a Graduate Nurse Technician - Nurse Practitioner on a temporary appointment up to any period not-to-exceed one year and a day under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2)(B). Scope: Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others Education and Experience Requirement: Meets basic education requirement for APN (NP). Nurse II is considered the entry grade level for APN (NPs); no experience is required. Dimension Requirement: APNs (NPs) at level II are expected to meet the following dimension requirements: Clinical Practice. Delivers evidence-based health care, demonstrating proficiency in the ability to manage a patient panel, population, or program. Outcome Focus. Utilizes research and evidence-based practice to evaluate the patient care delivery system within a patient panel or program, presents findings and contributes to changes that enhance the quality and timeliness of veteran/patient care. Leadership. Works effectively as a leader within a team/unit/group and seeks interdisciplinary collaboration as appropriate to enhance patient care. Professional Development. Acquires knowledge and skills to develop expertise in area of practice. Professionalism/Collegiality. Demonstrates effective communication skills and professional behavior, promoting cooperation and teamwork. Participates in interdisciplinary teams and processes that positively impact patient outcomes. The following Scope, Education and Experience, and Dimension criteria must be met to qualify for Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) III: Scope: Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches to management of complex client care. Education and Experience Requirement: Meets basic education requirement for an APN (NP) AND one year of specialized APN (NP) experience equivalent to the Nurse II grade level. Dimension Requirement: APN (Nurse Practitioners) at grade III are expected to meet the following dimension requirements: Clinical Practice. Influences and models the delivery of evidence- based health care, demonstrating expertise in the ability to manage a patient panel, population, or program. Outcome Focus. Leads and implements changes that enhance the quality and timeliness of Veteran/patient care applying research and evidence in the delivery of healthcare for patient populations. Leadership. Initiates and leads interdisciplinary teams informed by structured approaches and processes to improve outcomes that positively impact care for a patient panel, population, or program. Professional Development. Acquires knowledge and skills, then disseminates acquired information within and/or outside the medical facility. Professionalism/Collegiality. Initiates and leads interdisciplinary teams developing systems that positively impact outcomes at the panel, population, or program level. Demonstrates effective communication skills and professional behavior, promoting cooperation and teamwork Physical Requirements: All applicants must be physically able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position. A pre-placement physical examination shall be completed prior to appointment.
This Advanced Practice Nurse position is with the Mental Health Service located in the Brockton campus. This is a full-time position totaling 40 hours per week. The Advanced Practice Nurse works 20 hours per week fulfilling duties as the Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Residency Director and the other 20 hours per week performing clinical duties as a Mental Health Advanced Practice Nurse in the inpatient Mental Health Service. Duties of the Nurse Practitioner Residency Director for 20 hours per week include, but are not limited to: Responsible for curriculum planning, implementation, and monitoring. Ensures that the training goals and objectives are being met. Assesses, plans, designs, implements, coordinates and evaluates the program. Development, implementation, and coordination of learning resources. Monitors participants' progress; support for faculty and staff development; participation in recruiting and evaluation of MH NP residents. - Maintenance of Program records and the completion of all required reports to include an annual report of the program's accomplishments; and collaboration with key stakeholders, BC-SON, interdisciplinary disciplines, specialty clinics, and internal and external to the VAMC Healthcare System. Assumes teaching responsibilities (including direct and indirect). Collaborates and coordinates curricula and activities with the program director of the Psychiatry Residency Programs and other specialties. Communicates any concerns/issues that may arise to appropriate program stakeholders. Deals proactively with issues/problems confronting Mental Health Nurse Practitioners Residents. Ensures that residents have opportunities to give feedback regarding supervising practitioners, the training program, and the VA medical facility. Evaluation of the program and residents and using the results to make appropriate changes if needed. Ensures completion of evaluation form as well as collecting and submitting data to the Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA) and/or Office of Nursing Services (ONS), as, as requested. Duties of the Inpatient Mental Health Nurse Practitioner for 20 hours per week include, but are not limited to: Serves as primary clinician for a caseload of inpatients. Performs a comprehensive psychiatric assessment; conducts medication reconciliation; writes admission, ongoing, transfer, and discharge orders; orders consults, labs, and other work-up as indicated. Performs suicide and homicide risk assessments and if indicated, comprehensive suicide risk evaluations (CSREs) on admission, discharge and when indicated. Performs daily rounding on patients, conducts daily psychiatric/medical assessments, prescribes psychotropic medications, detox medications and medication-assisted therapies, and provides follow-up care for all patients in his/her caseload. Writes/documents initial psychiatric assessments, daily progress notes, treatment plans, discharge instructions, discharge summaries. Provides ongoing inpatient treatment to include mental status examination; monitoring medications to adjust for changes in symptoms and/or side effects; providing supportive psychotherapy and/or case management services as needed, including outreach activities, especially with the patient's support system. Performs treatment planning and discharge planning Demonstrates leadership and engages in collaboration with other mental health and specialty care professionals in treatment plan development Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 am-4:30 pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: As determined by the agency policy (Ad-Hoc) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Notifications: This is not a Bargaining Unit Position. This position is in the Excepted Service. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. Veterans preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees. May be subject to satisfactory completion of our credentialing process. 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. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards