Nurse Practitioner (Mental Health)

Quality Care Our Heroes Deserve Now is the time to take your career to the next level and become part of the high-caliber talent that is VA. Experience what 250,000 current VA employees already have state-of-the art practice settings, access to the latest technology, a multi-disciplinary team environment and the opportunity to provide the men and women who have bravely served this country with the finest patient care, benefits and customer satisfaction. And with VA Patient Satisfaction Scores leading the healthcare industry, youll be joining one of the most respected facilities in the Nation. JOB SUMMARY: Vacancy Identification Number (VIN): 673332 Salary: To be determined by a Compensation Panel. Tour of Duty: Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This position will remain open until filled; consequently, it may be filled before the posted closing date. To fulfill President Lincoln s promise To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan by serving and honoring the men and women who are America s Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans? As a VA professional nurse, your opportunities are endless. With many openings in the multiple functions of VA, you will have a wide range of opportunities at your fingertips. Not only is it the largest, most technologically advanced integrated health care system in the nation, but we also provide many other services to Veterans through the Benefits Administration and National Cemeteries. VA professionals feel good about their careers and their ability to balance work and home life. VA offers generous paid time off and a variety of predictable and flexible scheduling opportunities. For more information on the Department of Veterans Affairs, go to http:www.vacareers.va.gov DUTIES: The nurse practitioner must be board certified as a psychiatric nurse with prescriptive authority. -Must have advanced competencies and skills necessary for assessing psychosocial healthillness status of individuals, families, and groups of patients. -Shehe practices direct and indirect patient care with emphasis on mental health promotion, maintenance, and management of minor acute and stable chronic mental disorders. -Care of patients is provided individually in clinics or with teams within the scope if hisher preparation, accountability and in compliance with Standards of Care. -Provides optimum direct nurse practitioner care for selected patients through the application of advanced clinical skills. -Assesses any deviation from normal in emotional, social, or physical parameters and takes steps to implement the appropriate health care plan. -Coordinates mental health prevention and maintenance programs utilizing available resources. -Provides psychological support to clients and significant others. Makes independent judgments and collaborative decisions with the physicians. -Identifies and promotes system changes to meet patient care needs to improve the quality of nursing care. -Acts as a consultant within the mental health care setting andor community related to area of expertise. -Initiates and leads patient groups for patient education and health promotion. -Provides patient care, which is appropriate to the cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturation needs of the young, middle, and older adult patient. - Participates in the development and evaluation of clinical competencies, standards of care, policies, and standards of practice. -Develops and evaluates measurable goals and objectives for area of practice and participates in performance improvement activities. -Assists in the evaluation of nursing care within the department including documentation of clinical record. -Assists in preparation of reports such as management briefing, service evaluations, performance measures, goals and objectives. -Participates in selected nursing and health care system committees and task forces, project teams and process action teams. -Participates in selected studies that contribute to health care. -RELOCATIONRECRUITMENT EXPENSES ARE NOT AUTHORIZED. KEY REQUIREMENTS o U.S. Citizenship o Full unrestricted Licensure, Certification, or Registration required. o Must pass pre-employment examination. o Designated andor Random Drug Testing required. o Background andor Security Investigation required. o English Language Proficiency required. Required Skills: QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED: -Citizen of the United States. -A nurse practitioner must be licensed or otherwise recognized as a nurse practitioner in a state, possess a masters degree from a program accredited by the NLNAC or CCNE, and maintain full and current certification as a nurse practitioner from the American Nurses Association or another nationally recognized certifying body. - Must be certified as a psychiatric nurse practitioner with prescriptive authority. -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. -In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of current, full, active and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing. -Must be proficient in spoken and written English. Applicant s education and length of nursing practice (experience) will be considered by a Nurse Professional Standards Board in determining the grade and salary of the applicant selected. Experience as an RN will be evaluated to determine if the experience is of an acceptable level of quality with regard to the following four dimensions of nursing: Practice, Professional Development, Collaboration and Scientific Inquiry. Each dimension of practice has criteria that demonstrate essential core competencies for VHA Nursing Personnel. The criteria are as follows: Practice: practice, ethics and resource utilization, Professional Development: performance, educationcareer development, Collaboration; collaboration, collegiality, Scientific Inquiry: quality of care, research. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Reference: VA Handbook 500527, Part II, Appendix G-6 NURSE QUALIFICATION STANDARD Veterans Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference on their application or resume. Applicants claiming preference based on service-connected disability, or based on being the spouse or mother of a disabled or deceased Veteran, must complete an SF 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference. Veterans who are still in the service may be granted tentative preference on the basis of information contained in their applications, but they must produce a DD Form 214 or other proof prior to appointment to document entitlement to preference. For more information on Veterans Preference, please visit http:www.fedshirevets.govjobveterans.aspx. HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED: Your application, resume andor supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. ? You may also be evaluated based upon the question responses you provide during a structured interview