Summary The St. Cloud VA Health Care System is looking to fill an Advanced Practice Nurse position for a Primary Aligned Care Team (PACT) in the Primary Care service line. Duties include chronic disease management, preventative health care and evaluation of episodic acute illness to a predominately male population. Responsibilities The APN is a licensed independent practitioner with advanced education and national certification who provides evidence-based care for a population of patients. The APN is responsible for the planning, integrating, implementing, modifying and evaluating the effectiveness of the Veteran's care. The APN is the lead of the integrated care team established by the St. Cloud VA Health Care System. The APN will serve as a liaison to both internal and external providers and will be responsible for managing the care of the Veteran and the seamless transition to and from the community. He/she possesses the knowledge related to VHA guidelines, utilization review criteria, current evidence-based standards of care, compliance guidelines and local policy related to Delegation of Authority as established by the facility Chief of Staff. Core elements of performance include knowledge and active participation in unit/program level quality improvement processes and initiatives as well as customer service programs. The APN's functional role includes following the standardized care coordination model, incorporating case management principles if applicable, knowledge of processes related to referral and authorization and secure medical documentation exchange. The ability to identify Veterans requiring disease management and the process to obtain these resources internal or external to the VA if applicable. The APN will focus on providing care that is unique to Veteran needs and continues to monitor, track and intervene, if necessary, in the episode of care across the continuum. The APN will demonstrate effective communication skills to collaborate and co-manage the Veteran's care with the multidisciplinary team in a cost-effective manner. The APN provides care and counseling of persons or in the promotion and maintenance of health and prevention of illness and injury based upon the nursing process that includes systematic data gathering, assessment, appropriate nursing judgment, and evaluation of human responses to actual or potential health problems through such services as case finding, health teaching, health counseling; provision of care supportive to or restorative of life and well-being; and executing medical regimens including administering medications and treatments prescribed by a licensed or otherwise legally authorized provider. The nurse's primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, or community. 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: Monday-Friday, 800-1630 Telework: Ad-hoc only. Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) Authorized: This position is eligible for 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 your start date. Program 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. Former participants are ineligible to apply for the EDRP incentive. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov for questions or assistance. Requirements 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. English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(f), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. You may be required to serve a probationary period. 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Qualifications 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 and Certification: 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 Certification. All APN (NPs) must maintain full and current board certification in an area of clinical specialty 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. Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting (45# or more), moderate carrying (up to 45#), reaching above shoulders, use of both hands and legs, use of fingers, prolonged walking and standing, intermittent crawling, kneeling, and bending, ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, far binocular correctable to 20/40, vision, hearing (aide permitted), mental and emotional stability. Education Additional Information Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. 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 criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
