Clinical Nurse Specialist - Critical Care

Summary

This position is eligible for 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

The CNS APRN Critical Care assumes the following major functions/duties expected of the role: 1. Collaborates with Chief Nurse Nursing Education & Research (NEaR), Nurse Manager NEaR, Chief Nurse Inpatient Units, Nurse Manager (NM) and Assistant Nurse Manager (ANM) of Critical Care Units (ICU & PCU) to provide: a. clinical leadership for Critical Care nursing staff b. development of a strategic educational plan c. develop, coordinate, facilitate and evaluate unit-based nursing service orientation, clinical competencies and required educational directives for the Critical Care units d. maintains competency folders with quarterly reviews 2. Facilitates, coordinates, and leads development and completion of initial competencies for Critical Care Unit nursing service staff. 3. Facilitates, coordinates, and leads development and completion of ongoing competencies for the Critical Care Unit nursing staff and nursing service as needed. 4. Develops, coordinates, and provides Critical Care Unit education programs and activities and hospital wide critical care educational programs and activities as appropriate. 5. Develops nursing critical care standards of practice and serves as the critical care nursing consultant on critical care clinical practice. 6. Serves as the nursing consultant regarding critical care nursing policy and procedure development. 7. Serves as the facility coordinator for the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) critical care online courses/education program Essentials of Critical Care Orientation (ECCO). 8. Serves as the coordinator for all research in the Critical Care units; mentors Critical Care staff in evidence-based practice projects. 9. Provide leadership and facilitate evidence-based practice to VASDHS employees. 10.Mentors Critical Care Unit nursing staff and VASDHS staff to develop leadership and preceptor skills. 11.Disseminates accreditation standards and ensures staff compliance with The Joint Commission and other regulatory agency requirements. 12.Use advance clinical knowledge/judgement to promote staff involvement in planning, decision-making and evaluation outcomes. 13.Functions as an expert in clinical practice and/or areas related to the assigned roles and responsibilities. 14.Systematically evaluates current practice and formulates outcomes for groups of patients and/or organizational process within area of expertise. 15.Collaborates and participates with Critical Care nursing staff and VASDHS staff in the selection and process of performance measure improvement. 16.Provides direct and indirect care for patients in the Critical Care Units. 17.Documents all direct patient care provided using the electronic health record (EHR), according to unit and facility policies and procedures. 18.Serves as a member of the VASDHS Critical Care Multidisciplinary Committee, Code Blue Committee, Rapid Response Committee, Clinical Nurse Specialist group, and Nursing Clinical Practice Committee. May serve as chair or co-chair as appropriate. 19.Serves on Nursing Service and organization-wide committees as appropriate to facilitate continuity of care. May serve as chair or co-chair as appropriate. 20.Responsible for the oversight and management of all emergency equipment, including defibrillators, automated external defibrillators, code carts and contents for the Critical Care units and training of the Code Blue response teams and Critical Care unit nursing staff. 21.Collaborates with the other CNS's and Code Blue Committee for oversight and management of facility wide code blue equipment and supplies. 22.Maintains mandatory and clinical competencies for the position including certification as a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CCNS) from American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Clinical Nurse Specialist or from a VA-approved certifying body. 23.Coordinates with CNS group to provide orientation and cross-coverage for all inpatient and outpatient care units. 24. Performs other duties as assigned 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: Monday to Friday 0630-1500 Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VISN22HREducationReimbursementTeam@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

Requirements

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. English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(f), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. 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. 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. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 2-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: - your performance and conduct; - the needs and interests of the agency; - whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and - whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications and evaluation

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. NOTE: Candidate's education, scope, and length of nursing practice (experience) will be considered in determining the grade and salary of the applicant selected. The recommended salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Nursing education must be from a school of professional nursing accredited by one of the following accrediting organizations 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) 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

How to apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/01/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13048952. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Required documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: Resume Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field. Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field. The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc. Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (Schedule A) Disability Letter (VA) License Other (1) PCS Orders Performance Appraisal Professional Certification Resume Separation Notice (RIF) SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript Veterans' Preference Note: Preference eligible candidates and other Veterans will be given preference when qualification of candidates are approximately equal for Title 38 positions in VHA. When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

Additional information

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. 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.