Summary The Associate Chief Nurse provides senior leadership and oversight for daily clinical and administrative operations within Mental Health nursing as directed by the Associate Director for Patient Care Services (ADPCS) and Deputy Nurse Executive. Responsibilities Duties Include but are not limited to: Provides guidance and oversight of program management to ensure proper resource utilization. Assesses and evaluates facility-wide patient care delivery policies and programs to support senior leadership goals. Assures MH Unit(s) are safely staffed meeting Staffing Methodology range as documented. Contributes to visionary thinking that advances the delivery of patient care. Seeks and utilizes healthcare policy and practices to enable the delivery of reliable and accessible healthcare. Sustains relationships at all levels to advance strategic action plans. Communicates effectively within and through the MH matrix of leadership and caregiver support staff. Relates effectively with front-line staff, customers, and leaders at the program and service level. Advances one's knowledge through the continual application of evidence-based research. Advocates for holistic care and health equity in patient care. Translates evidence into practice throughout the organization. Establishes and maintains highly effective relationships at all levels of the organization. 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: 7:30am - 4:00pm, Monday through Friday Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized 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 Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Citizen of the United States in accordance with section 7402(c) to title 38, United States Code (U.S.C.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). Education: Nursing education must be from a school of professional nursing accredited by one of the following accrediting organizations at the time the program was completed by the applicant: The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326. The ACEN accredits all levels of nursing programs, including clinical doctorate, masters/post master's certificate, baccalaureate, associate and diploma nursing education programs. (Note: The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission/NLNAC changed its name to ACEN in May 2013. ACEN's website may be utilized to verify accredited programs using automated inquiry processes; however, for verification of any nursing program's accreditation prior to 1998, an automated inquiry cannot be used and ACEN must be contacted directly via their email contact information on the ACEN website to verify.); OR The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street, NW, Suite 7, Washington, DC 20001. The CCNE is an accrediting arm of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and accredits nursing education programs at the bachelor and master's level. Licensure and Certification: All Nurses must possess and maintain an active, current, full and unrestricted license as a Nurse to practice in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade: Nurse IV: Education and Experience Requirement: Master's degree in nursing and four years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse Ill and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IV. OR Master's degree in a related field and a bachelor level degree in nursing and four years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse Ill and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IV. OR Doctorate in Nursing and three years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse Ill and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IV. OR Doctorate degree in a related field and a master or bachelor level degree in nursing and three years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse Ill and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IV. Dimension Requirement: Nurses at Nurse IV must meet ALL the following dimension requirements to qualify for Nurse IV. Leadership: Leads health care delivery by leveraging evidence based practices, industry-leading research and innovative care models. Drives a shared vision and successfully leads change to improve performance and attain measurable outcomes at the program or service level. Business Acumen: Transforms health care by implementing new processes, technology, informatics and data analytics using business models and fundamental concepts of resource management at the program or service level. Inspiring and Industry-Leading Culture: Employs an industry leading, shared decision-making culture. Cultivates a diverse and inclusive workforce that serves Veterans, families and caregivers of all backgrounds and builds trust, cultural competencies and catalyzes dynamic teams at the program or service level. Communication and Relationship Management: Directs the effective use of relationship management principles to achieve positive customer service experiences that are consistent with professional organizational values, beliefs and practices at the program or services level. Professional and Social Responsibility: Operationalizes a culture of holistic care, health advocacy and health equity. Applies ethical principles in decision-making at the program or service level. Advances nursing knowledge through health science research and the translation and dissemination of evidence into practice to maximize the value to Veterans and the community. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service. Preferred Experience: Five years of supervisory experience. References: Nurse, GS-0610, dated January 29, 2024, Please refer to VA Qualifications Standards - Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) 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.
