Summary

The Registered Nurse - Associate Director for Patient Care Services (ADPCS)/Nurse Executive (NE) is located at the West Haven campus. This position is full time at 40 hours per week.

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
• The following Scope - Education and Dimension criteria must be met to qualify for Nurse V: Scope: Practice of an executive nature - comprised of complex leadership and administrative components - associated with critical health care issues and activities that drive meeting the organizational mission - health care and policy
• Education: Master's degree in Nursing (MSN) and 5 years of professional nursing experience - one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse IV and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse V
• OR Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and 5 years of professional nursing experience - one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse IV and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse V
• OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing and 4 years of professional nursing experience - one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse IV and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse V
• OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN and 4 years of professional nursing experience - one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse IV and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse V
• *Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees
• Dimension Requirements: Leadership
• Establishes the strategic direction for health care delivery - evidence-based practices - industry-leading research - and innovative care models
• Creates a shared vision and successfully leads change to improve performance and attain measurable outcomes at the organization or enterprise level
• Business Acumen
• Transforms health care through the application of new processes - technology - informatics - data analytics - business principles - systems thinking and resource management at the organization or enterprise level
• Inspiring an Industry-Leading Lifestyle
• Establishes an industry leading - shared decision-making lifestyle
• a workforce that serves Veterans - families - and caregivers of all backgrounds
• builds trust and lifestyle competencies and catalyzes dynamic teams at the organization and enterprise level
• Communication and Relationship Management
• Drives the effective use of relationship management principles to achieve positive customer service experiences that are consistent with professional and organizational values - beliefs - and practices at the organizational or enterprise level
• Professional and Social Responsibility
• Sets the standard for a lifestyle of holistic care - health advocacy and health equity
• Applies ethical principles in decision-making at the organization or enterprise level
• Advances nursing knowledge through health science research and the translation and dissemination of evidence into practice to maximize the value to Veterans - the community - and the health care industry
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Position is subject to a pre-employment physical and medical examination
• This position requires: lifting - carrying
• reaching above shoulder
• use of fingers
• walking (8 hours)
• standing (8 hours)
• repeated bending
• working alone
• protracted or irregular hours of work and occasional emotional strain.

Duties

• The Registered Nurse - Associate Director for Patient Care Services (ADPCS)/Nurse Executive (NE) functions as an administrator - educator - and consultant with a wide range of experience and authority that is broad enough to improve care for large groups of Veterans through their influence over policy development and decisions at the local - regional - state levels - and beyond
• The position is of an executive nature - comprised of complex leadership and administrative components associated with critical health care issues and activities that influence the organizational mission - health care - and policy
• They are accountable to the Health Care System Medical Director and are an integral part of the senior leadership team
• The ADPCS serves as a member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and is the top executive within nursing services
• The ADPCS is the chief spokesperson for organized nursing services and is the catalyst for the integration and collaboration of nursing with other professional disciplines and functional areas in the mutual achievement of optimal Veteran centered organizational goals
• Duties of the Registered Nurse (Associate Director for Patient Care Services - ADPCS) include but are not limited to the following: A key leader in strategic planning - organization assessment - and program development
• Participates with the ELT and leaders within the facility to initiate and execute planning and decision making processes
• Have the authority and responsibility for establishing standards for the practice of nursing at the health care system level ensuring the continuous and timely availability of quality nursing services
• Responsible for the practice of nursing 24/7
• This includes all registered nurses - advanced practice nurses - and allied health staff (LPNs - NAs - etc.) regardless of line authority
• Exercises final authority and approval for the following: policies and procedures
• standards of patient care - treatment - and services
• nursing practice standards
• staffing plans
• functional statements
• position descriptions
• credentialing of licensed nurses - and standards to measure - assess - and improve patient outcomes
• Delegates activities to those service lines under their purview of the ADPCS
• Ensures all registered nurses - advanced practice nurses - and licensed practical/vocational nurses are licensed - certified - and/or registered upon employment - and thereafter
• Ensures a competency process is in place to evaluate individual practice - as well as a review process for annual performance ratings
• 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 - Monday - Friday - 08:00 AM - 4:30 PM Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: AD-HOC - May be authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized for highly qualified applicants Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Authorized for highly qualified applicants Financial Disclosure Report: Required
• Selectee must file a financial disclosure report - OGE Form 450 - within 30 days of onboarding and then annually after that
• Notifications: This position is not a Bargaining Unit position
• Selectee may be required to work at any VA Connecticut Healthcare System campus - as needed
• 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
• This position is in the Excepted Service
• The salary is based on the grade and step approved for the selected candidate.