Summary The VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS), Surgery Service, is recruiting for a Nurse Manager to lead the Referral Coordination Program. The incumbent provides first-line supervisory oversight of clinical referral coordination operations, ensuring timely, high-quality care in accordance with VA policies and professional standards while leading interdisciplinary collaboration, referral management, quality improvement, and Veteran-centered care initiatives. Responsibilities Duties and Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Provides administrative and clinical leadership for the Referral Coordination Program (RCP), ensuring effective coordination of referral management activities across the organization. Oversees the coordination, implementation, and continuous improvement of clinical referral management processes to ensure timely, appropriate, and Veteran-centered care. Serves as the liaison between Surgery Service, specialty providers, nursing staff, administrative personnel, and leadership to facilitate efficient referral coordination and communication. Supervises nursing and clinical staff by planning work assignments, establishing priorities, monitoring workload distribution, and ensuring efficient daily operations. Ensures nursing care and referral management activities comply with Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Office of Community Care (OCC), accreditation, regulatory, and professional practice standards. Leads quality improvement initiatives by analyzing referral management data, monitoring program performance metrics, identifying trends, and recommending operational improvements. Develops, revises, and implements standard operating procedures, policies, and workflows in response to changes in national directives, OCC guidance, VISN requirements, and facility policies. Collaborates with physicians, specialty consultants, and interdisciplinary teams to improve clinical coordination, referral processes, and patient outcomes. Reviews clinical documentation to ensure compliance with Referral Coordination Initiative requirements, regulatory standards, and organizational policies. Monitors program performance through data analysis, prepares reports and presentations, and provides recommendations to executive leadership for process improvement. Recruits, interviews, selects, mentors, and develops staff while collaborating with Human Resources to support timely hiring and workforce planning. Evaluates employee performance by establishing expectations, conducting competency assessments, completing performance evaluations, and providing ongoing coaching and feedback. Identifies staff educational needs and coordinates orientation, continuing education, competency validation, and mandatory training to support professional development and regulatory compliance. Addresses employee relations matters by resolving workplace concerns, counseling staff, recommending disciplinary actions when appropriate, and ensuring adherence to labor relations and Equal Employment Opportunity requirements. Ensures exceptional customer service by promoting Veteran-centered care, improving patient satisfaction, and supporting safe, respectful, and equitable healthcare delivery. Maintains operational readiness by monitoring compliance with accreditation standards, patient safety initiatives, infection prevention practices, and organizational performance requirements. Performs referral management and clinical review activities to maintain subject matter expertise, identify operational barriers, and support efficient patient access to specialty care. Participates in facility, VISN, and interdisciplinary committees, task forces, and workgroups to advance nursing practice, referral coordination, and organizational initiatives. Analyzes current and future workforce requirements to determine staffing needs, competency requirements, and resource allocation to meet program objectives. Provides leadership coverage for senior Referral Coordination Program management as assigned and performs other related duties necessary to support organizational and patient care objectives. 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, 7:00am - 3:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized 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 evaluation. 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.) Preferred Experience: 3-5 years management/supervisory experience Exceptional communication and team-building skills, demonstrated through documented experience leading committees, task forces, councils, or workgroups (e.g., shared governance, unit practice council), or precepting/mentoring/onboarding staff Experience in change management - led a process improvement, unit rollout, or EHR transition Data analytics, data collection, and project management experience - e.g., staffing models, quality metrics, dashboards, or reporting Education Level: Master of Science in Nursing/ Doctor of Nursing Practice 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. Grade Determinations: The following Scope, Education and Dimension criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade. The Dimension requirements (Practice, Veteran/Patient Driven Care, Leadership, Professional Development and Evidence-Based Practice/Research) are detailed for each grade and level within the online assessment: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13027916. Grade/Level Scope Education Nurse I, Level I Delivers fundamental, knowledge-based care to assigned clients while developing technical competencies. An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional professional nursing required. Nurse I, Level II Demonstrates integration of biopsychosocial concepts, cognitive skills and technically competent practice in providing care to clients with basic or complex. An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 1 year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 1 ;OR a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional professional nursing experience required. Nurse I, Level III Demonstrates proficiency in practice based on conscious and deliberate planning. Self-directed in goal setting for managing complex client situations. An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 2 years of professional nursing experience in which one year is equivalent to Nurse I, Level 2; OR a BSN and 1 year of professional nursing experience equivalent to the Nurse I, Level 2; OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) and no additional professional nursing experience; OR a Master's degree in a related field with a BSN and no additional professional nursing experience. Nurse II Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others. A BSN with 2 years of professional nursing equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR an MSN with one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR a Master's degree in a related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with no professional nursing experience; OR a Doctoral degree in a related field with a BSN with no additional professional nursing experience. Nurse III Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience and creative approaches to management of complex client care beyond the immediate practice setting. MSN and 2 years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Master's degree in related field with BSN and two years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Doctoral degree in a related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III. Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: This position is primarily performed in an office and/or administrative setting. The position may require long periods of sitting through meetings and/or at the computer. Work requires lifting less than 15-lbs such as books, supplies, and reports. The incumbent must be mature, flexible, sensible individuals capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient, staff and/or facility needs. This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. The incumbent must be able to work alone, in groups, and at times in close proximity to staff when providing instructions. 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.
