Summary The Chief Nurse, Mental Health Nursing at San Francisco VA Health Care System executes leadership that is characterized by substantial and continuous responsibility and accountability for population groups or integrated programs that cross services and/or discipline lines, and influence the organizational healthcare mission. Responsibilities The Nurse IV Chief Nurse, Mental Health Nursing functions as an advisor, administrator, educator, consultant, and mentor who possesses a wide range of experience and leadership ability. They provide senior leadership and oversight for daily clinical and administrative operations within nursing as directed by the Deputy Associate Director for Patient Care Services/Nurse Executive (DADPCS/NE). Duties for the position may include but are not limited to: Provides mental health nursing leadership at the medical center facility; provides supervision and direct oversight to nursing mental health inpatient and outpatient Nurse Managers to ensure medical facility and program initiatives, goals, and operations are met and that nursing care complies with all laws, accrediting organizations standards and VA and VHA policies and procedures; and collaborates with Mental Health (MH) Leadership and other Leadership Stakeholders to ensure that program requirements are coordinated and provided as indicated in governing directives. Provides key leadership in the operations of 4 inpatient and 8 outpatient programs. The Inpatient Programs include: (1) Acute Recovery Center (ARC), (2) Behavioral Education Support Team (BEST), (3) Psychiatry Emergency Service (PES), and (4) Ketamine Infusion Clinic. The Outpatient Programs include: (1) Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP- all sites of care), (2) Opiate Treatment Program (OTPOakland/Fort Miley), (3) Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI- Fort Miley/Santa Rosa), (4) HUD VASH (5) Caregiver Support Program (CSP), (6) Mental Health Intensive Case Management/Intensive Community Mental Health Recovery (MHICM/ICMHR), (7) Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), and (8) Psychosocial Recovery and Rehabilitation Center (PRRC). Supports the integration and collaboration of nursing with other professional disciplines and functional areas in the mutual achievement of patient-centered and organizational goals. Champions a High Reliability Organization (HRO) of safety founded on a systems approach to developing evidence-based health care solutions based on prevention, not punishment, with collective mindfulness. Contributes ideas and recommendations for the establishment of standards of care, policies, and objectives for the enhancement of nursing. Responsible for fully supporting the provisions of mental health nursing care services to ensure the needs of Veterans are met across all treatment settings in a safe and therapeutic environment. Executes high level of leadership characterized by substantial and continuous responsibility for population groups and integrated programs that cross services and/or discipline lines and influence the organizational health care mission. Works in partnership with the RN Recovery Coordinator and Local Recovery Coordinator in the promotion of recovery-oriented model of care within the service and throughout the medical facility. Leads in the compliance of staff training and education fostering an established competency verification promoting safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable services across all sites of care. Supports the daily operations of the nursing service providing partnerships and coverage to Service Chiefs and to Nursing Executive Leadership as deemed appropriate. Other related duties as assigned. 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; 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.; Subject to change to meet patient care needs. Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified candidates. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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. 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 examination. 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. The following Scope, Education and Dimension criteria must be met to qualify for Nurse IV: Scope: Executes leadership that is characterized by substantial and continuous responsibility and accountability for population groups or integrated programs that cross service and/or discipline lines and influence organizational mission and health care. Education: Master's degree in Nursing (MSN) and 4 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse III and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IV; OR Master's 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 III and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IV; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing and 3 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse III and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IV; OR a Doctoral degree in a related field with a BSN and 3 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse III and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IV. *Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees. Dimensions: 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 an Industry-Leading Lifestyle. Employs an industry leading, shared decision-making lifestyle. Cultivates a workforce that serves Veterans, families and caregivers of all backgrounds and builds trust, lifestyle 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 lifestyle 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: This position may include a level of physicality normally associated with duties performed by nurses such as direct patient care, and potentially long periods of walking, standing, sitting, moderate lifting, repeated bending, or kneeling. Examples may include but are not limited to: Significant amounts of time standing assisting assigned patients Utilization of safe patient handling and mobility protocols May occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders Must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment May be required to drive and/or ride in GSA-vehicles Education 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 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.
