Nurse Manager Surgical Specialty Care

The incumbent practices as a direct supervisor for nurses within Montana VA Health Care System and supports the mission and vision of the healthcare system. The Nurse Manager has immediate oversight of the nursing staff in the Operating Room (OR), Endoscopy, Therapeutic Infusion Clinic, and Pain Management Clinic. The Nurse Manager is responsible for the overall delivery of care in assigned area and also for the direct supervision of the nurses in his or her assigned area. Assignment may include (but is not limited to) scheduling, staffing, evaluating, counseling, and directing nurses in assigned units. This position may include working as a staff nurse when needed.

Designated first-line supervisory authority, responsibility, and accountability for the 24/7 operations of the OR, Endoscopy, Therapeutic Infusion Clinic, and Pain Management Clinic, ensuring that subordinate personnel provide timely nursing care which complies with generally accepted standards of clinical practice. This includes the authority to accept, amend, or reject the work of subordinates. Has continuing responsibility for all the following functions:

1. Planning work to be accomplished by subordinates, setting priorities, and preparing schedules for completion of work
2. Assigning work to subordinates based on priorities, selective consideration of the difficulty and the requirements of the assignments, and the capabilities of subordinates
3. Evaluating the performance of subordinates
4. Making recommendations for appointments, advancements, or reassignments of subordinates
5. Giving advice, counsel, or instruction to subordinate personnel on work and administrative matters
6. Hearing and resolving complaints of subordinates and referring more serious complaints not resolved to higher level supervisors
7. Recommending and/or taking disciplinary action where appropriate
8. Identifying developmental and training needs of subordinates and providing or making provision for such development and training (VA Handbook 5007, Part III, Chapter 8).

Additionally responsible for performance improvement, customer service/patient satisfaction, patient and employee safety, interviewing applicants, employee relations, standards of care and practice, the work environment, and accreditation and regulatory standards. Actively develops and manages collaborative partnerships with physicians and other clinicians. Responsible for staffing the OR and Endoscopy units on a continual basis (24/7) and staffing the Therapeutic Infusion Clinic and Pain Management Clinic during established operational hours, validating the daily patient census, and working with other Nurse Managers to identify and share resources. Responsible for timely scheduling of the unit, coaches staff, addresses employee conduct and performance issues, completes recurring reports and performance evaluations in a timely manner. Participates on service and medical center committees and task forces to improve nursing practice and patient care. Identifies educational needs of staff and ensures that these needs are addressed. Has an integral role in supporting and facilitating student nurse clinical experiences, as well as orienting new Nurse Managers. Works in partnership with the union and adheres to EEO principles. in the absence of a Nurse Manager, a cross-covering Nurse Manager will be designated to handle administrative and clinical issues, such as staffing coverage, granting leave, and patient and/or staff issues. It may include temporary coverage for other Nurse Mangers.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday; 8:00 to 4:30 or as agreed upon with the possibility of extended hours and weekends.
NOTE: Candidates must be willing to work weekends, irregular work hours and extended hours. The candidate must be willing to be assigned to other related services and/or locations, if necessary.
Financial Disclosure Report: Not RequiredBasic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate State-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). 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. OR The completion of coursework equivalent to a nursing degree in a MSN Bridge Program that qualifies for professional nursing registration constitutes the completion of an approved course of study of professional nursing. Students should submit the certificate of professional nursing to sit for the NCLEX to the VA along with a copy of the MSN transcript. (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.
• 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.

Preferred Experience: Experience in a leadership position.

Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade:

• Nurse I Level I - An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional nursing practice/experience required.
• Nurse I Level II - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 1 year of nursing practice/experience; OR an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a bachelor's degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience; OR a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional nursing practice/experience.
• Nurse I Level III - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a Bachelor's degree in a related field and approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a BSN with approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) or related field with a BSN and no additional nursing practice/experience.
• Nurse II - A BSN with approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a Bachelor's degree in a related field and approximately 2-3 year's of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master's degree in nursing or related field with a BSN and approximately 1-2 year's of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing or meets basic requirements for appointment and has doctoral degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience required.
• Nurse III - Master's degree in nursing or related field with BSN and approximately 2-3 year's of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree.

Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-6 Nurse Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, kneeling, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. 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.

Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume

SF-50: If you are applying as a current federal employee or as a reinstatement eligible you must submit a copy of your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action)

Optional Forms
VA Form 10-2850a - Application for Nurses and Nurse Anesthetists can be found at: http://www.va.gov/vaforms/search_action.asp?FormNo=2850&tkey=&Action=Search.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214
• OF-306
• VA Form 10-2850a Application for Nurses and Nurse Anesthetists
• Other Veterans Document
• Resume
• SF-15
• SF-50
• Transcript