Registered Nurse (Perioperative)

The Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) Registered Nurse (RN) provides specialized care in the assessment planning implementing and evaluation of care throughout the peri anesthesia continuum to include the Pre anesthesia Phase Post anesthesia Phase I Post anesthesia Phase II and extended care from sedation/analgesia and/or anesthesia for surgical diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.

Assigned Duties

• Possesses knowledge related to the physiology associated with various anesthesia techniques and surgical interventions.
• Assesses and prepare patients for procedures appropriately. Performs clinical assessment of the patient and readily recognizes contraindication for anesthesia and/or surgical intervention.
• Applies the appropriate post sedation scoring and assesses the patients postoperative status to include cardiovascular and respiratory systems and airway management needs neurological system hemodynamic stability pain and comfort needs and mental status implementing appropriate interventions to maintain or return all physiological system to baseline or above.
• Maintain knowledge of current American Society of Peri anesthesia Nurses (ASPAN) standards Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Directives and service level standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Responsible for ensuring comprehensive documenting of all phases of care and is timely complete and accurate in the electronic health record (EHR).
• Demonstrate leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others. Evaluates practice in an ongoing process based on best evidence.
• Provides peers with informal constructive feedback for improvement.
• Fosters a safe and supportive environment conducive to the professional development of healthcare professionals. Contributes professional nursing perspective in discussions with the interdisciplinary team.
• Partners with others to effect change and produce optimal outcomes. Supports colleagues through knowledge sharing to provide safe quality nursing care. Shares educational findings experiences and ideas with peers.
• Questions clinical practices for the purpose of providing evidence-based care.
• Participates in activities and strategies to sustain an evidence-based-practice culture.
• May be required to perform on-call duties.

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: Supervisory Discretion
NOTE: Compressed schedule of 10 hour shifts 07:45am to 06:15pm

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

• 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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers 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.

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 masters level bridge program in nursing who have completed coursework equivalent to a bachelors 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.

Preferred Experience:

• Minimum of 1-2 years of recent experience in an acute or high acuity setting (ICU Emergency Department Step Down or Telemetry). Prior PACU critical care or post operative recovery experience strongly preferred. Demonstrated competency in airway management hemodynamic monitoring and rapid assessment of post anesthesia patients. Experience identifying and managing post anesthesia complications such as respiratory instability laryngospasm and emergence delirium. Moderate sedation experience with documented competency in monitoring recovery assessment and recognition of sedation related complications. Proficiency in evidence based pain and nausea management during Phase I and Phase II recovery. Ability to prioritize and safely manage multiple patients in different stages of surgical recovery. Familiarity with Aldrete or Modified Aldrete scoring criteria for progression through recovery phases. CPAN/CAPA certification preferred.

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: I Level IDelivers 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 IIDemonstrates 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 IIIDemonstrates 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 Masters degree in nursing (MSN) and no additional professional nursing experience; OR a Masters degree in a *related field with a BSN and no additional professional nursing experience.Nurse IIDemonstrates 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 Masters 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 IIIExecutes 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 Masters 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 Requirements: This position includes 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: (1) Significant amounts of time standing assisting assigned patients. (2) Utilization of safe patient handling and mobility protocols. This position potentially requires flexibility in schedule and assignments. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium dementia or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent 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.