Chief Nurse (Acute Care Service)

Summary The Nurse IV demonstrates executive leadership that reflects substantial, continuous responsibility and accountability for managing population groups or integrated clinical programs spanning multiple services and disciplines. This leadership directly influences the organizational healthcare mission and advances strategic goals in patient care. Responsibilities The Chief Nurse for Acute Care, VN-0610-IV, provides executive oversight for all Acute Care nursing operations, including the Acute Care Units, Intensive Care Unit, and Emergency Department. They exercise full programmatic and supervisory authority over Nurse Managers and administrative support personnel, ensuring that nursing policies, procedures, and standards of practice are uniformly implemented. Serving as an administrator, educator, and consultant, the incumbent applies contemporary management theory, evidence-based leadership, and interdisciplinary collaboration to guide service operations in coordination with Patient Care Services and other healthcare partners. Duties for the position include but are not limited to: Maintains ongoing responsibility for planning, organizing, directing, and controlling service-wide operations. Key functions include establishing effective communication systems, maintaining expertise in current nursing and regulatory standards, and developingprocesses that support high-quality patient care and operational efficiency. Design, implement, and sustain comprehensive interdisciplinary programs across the service and medical center, promoting organizational integration and the seamless coordination of care. Operational oversight encompasses assessing, planning, and evaluating daily clinical and administrative processes to ensure the delivery of safe and effective patient care. Performs staffing analyses, recommends and implements adjustments based on patient acuity, workload, and organizational needs, and utilizes models such as Nursing Hours Per Patient Day (NHPPD) when appropriate. Responsibilities include allocating human and material resources, managing overtime utilization, and actively supporting recruitment and retention initiatives. Ensures completion of annual competency assessments and fosters professional growth and engagement among all nursing staff. In the domains of quality, safety, and regulatory compliance, the incumbent applies comprehensive, systematic, and innovative problem-solving methods to analyze patient care issues. Using performance data such as nursing-sensitive indicators, Veteran satisfaction metrics, and other quality measures, the incumbent identifies trends, implements proactive solutions, and collaborates with Nurse Managers and the Nurse Executive Team on follow-up actions. Oversight includes conducting audits and reviews of nursing care, ensuring alignment with professional and regulatory standards, and driving corrective actions as indicated. Oversee development and maintenance of scopes of practice for registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, and unit-based scopes of care to ensure consistency with current standards and regulations. Functions in the role of Associate Director for Patient Care Services (ADPCS) or Deputy ADPCS in their absence when assigned. Performs other duties as assigned, which support the overall mission, operations, and priorities of the organization. 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: Full-time, Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Subject to change to meet the needs of the Agency Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified candidates 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. 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.) 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. The following Scope, Education and Dimension criteria must be met to qualify for Nurse IV: Scope: Executes leadership that is characterized by substantial and continuous responsibility and accountability for population groups or integrated programs that cross service and/or discipline lines and influence organizational mission and health care. Education: Master's degree in Nursing (MSN) and 4 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse III and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IV; OR Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and 4 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse III and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IV; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing and 3 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse III and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IV; OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN and 3 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse III and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IV. *Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees. Dimensions: Leadership. Leads health care delivery by leveraging evidence-based practices, industry-leading research, and innovative care models. Drives a shared vision and successfully leads change to improve performance and attain measurable outcomes at the program or service level. Business Acumen. Transforms health care by implementing new processes, technology, informatics, and data analytics using business models and fundamental concepts of resource management at the program or service level. Inspiring an Industry-Leading Lifestyle. Employs an industry leading, shared decision-making lifestyle. Cultivates a workforce that serves Veterans, families and caregivers of all backgrounds and builds trust, lifestyle competencies and catalyzes dynamic teams at the program or service level. Communication and Relationship Management. Directs the effective use of relationship management principles to achieve positive customer service experiences that are consistent with professional organizational values, beliefs and practices at the program or services level. Professional and Social Responsibility. Operationalizes a lifestyle of holistic care, health advocacy and health equity. Applies ethical principles in decision-making at the program or service level. Advances nursing knowledge through health science research and the translation and dissemination of evidence into practice to maximize the value to Veterans and the community. Preferred Experience: Executive-level progressive management experience Acute Care RN Experience Preferred certifications: Nurse Executive (NE-BC) Nurse Executive-Advanced (NEA-BC) Certified in Executive Nursing Practice (CENP) Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: This position includes a level of physicality normally associated with non-direct patient care duties performed by nurses such as potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, sitting, moderate lifting, repeated bending, or kneeling. This position may require flexibility in schedules and assignments. The position may require travel from time to time to support the organization's and Veterans' needs. The travel may be for training or other work-related duties. This assignment may require the operation of a government vehicle for official purposes and possession of a valid driver's license. 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.