Registered Nurse - Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (RRTP)

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Duties

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This Registered Nurse - Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program position is located in Mental Health Service located at the Togus location. These positions are full-time at 40 hours per week.

Included but are not limited to :

• Establish therapeutic relationships to enhance a trauma-sensitive experience using therapeutic interventions and help eliminate barriers to recovery services by incorporating person-first language.
• Create and maintain a safe, therapeutic, recovery-oriented environment in collaboration with Veterans and other healthcare providers.
• Assess and identify health-related illness using nursing assessments which follow the national standards for nursing assessments.
• Provide education and health teaching (individual or group settings) to Veterans regarding healthcare needs; recovery goals; mental health and substance use problems; treatment regimens; coping skills; stress management and relaxation techniques; crisis management; and medications.
• Play a key role in medication management in Mental Health RRTPs and administer medications as ordered by the credentialed provider for monitoring the effectiveness of those medications. Nursing staff must consistently assess and monitor the physical environment to ensure the safety and security of medications.
• Develop and monitor nursing outcomes. The Registered Nurse is responsible for providing nursing objectives, interventions, and outcomes to help Veterans achieve their treatment goals.
• Responsible for providing and leading the provision of competent, evidence-based care to assigned patients.
• Provide patient-centered and recovery-oriented care and maintain self-awareness while caring for patients living with substance use disorder and / or Mental Health conditions.
• Facilitate shift report, warm hand-offs, and nurse-led psychoeducational groups; use therapeutic communication techniques, practice de-escalation techniques, utilize recovery-oriented language, and provide oversight of the patient safe medication management program.
• Actively participate in Mental Health interdisciplinary treatment team, patient safety, and environment of care rounds, and respond to psychiatric and medical care needs and emergencies as directed.
• Report safety concerns, and document nursing assessments, risk screens, nursing plan of care, patient safety rounds, and environment of care rounds according to facility policy.
• Maintain professional boundaries to protect patient vulnerabilities and act in the best interest of the patient. Foster a safe and supportive environment conducive to the professional development of healthcare professionals. Support colleagues through knowledge sharing to provide safe, quality nursing care. Question clinical practices for the purpose of providing evidence-based care.

Work Schedule : Full-Time, Various Tours of Duty

Telework : Not Authorized

Virtual : This is not a virtual position.

EDRP Authorized : Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact Karen Chapman karen.chapman@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions / assistance. Learn more

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized

Notifications :

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

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package : VA Nurse Total Rewards

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Qualifications

Basic Requirements :

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 :

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

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

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

Preferred Experience : Previous psychiatric nursing experience of 2-3 years preferred. Previous nursing experience working with dually diagnosed individuals in the inpatient and / or ambulatory and residential care settings strongly preferred. Psychiatric mental health nursing certification (PMH-BC) preferred but not required.

Reference : For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

Physical Requirements : All applicants must be physically able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position. A pre-placement physical examination shall be completed prior to appointment.

Education

Note : Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here : If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit :

The Associate Degree Nursing (ADN), Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN), or Master of Science degree in Nursing (MSN) must be fully accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission On Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Verification of accreditation may be obtained from or

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.