Registered Nurse - Transition To Practice

Summary

The New Mexico VA Health Care System offers a transition-to-practice program for new graduate RNs. It is open to recent Diploma, ADN, BSN, and MSN graduates entering their first Registered Nurse role or with under one year of experience. The program provides structured training, mentorship, and clinical support to help new nurses grow their skills and begin a rewarding career serving Veterans. Advance your nursing path. Elevate your impact with supportive growth opportunities

Duties

The Registered Nurse Transition to Practice (RNTTP) Residency is a comprehensive program developed to support the post graduate Registered Nurse (RN) during the first year of clinical practice in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings. The post graduate RN will participate in classes, hands-on training, and clinical preceptorship working closely with program instructors and facility nurses and throughout the program. The length of clinical orientation will vary according to assigned unit/units, learning needs, competence, and progress of the RN. Clinical experiences and didactic sessions are scheduled during the year-long program to facilitate transition and achieve competency in key knowledge, skills, and responsibilities of a registered nurse. RN Transition to Practice Registered Nurses are required to attend all scheduled learning experiences (or an alternate assignment based on the facility level RNTTP Residency Program Directors' direction), complete required projects and written assignments. The Registered Nurse (RN) in the Transition-to-Practice Residency Program reports to the RN Transition-to-Practice Residency Program Director with second line reporting to the Chief Nurse Academic Affairs and/or Associate Director for Patient Care Services/Chief Nurse Executive. The RN in the Transition-to-Practice Residency Program will be enrolled into a 12-month program which will take place primarily at a facility level. The RN in the Transition-to-Practice Residency Program is required to attend the 12 month program that includes completion of program surveys, hands-on clinical training, classroom training, simulation training, preceptorship, mentorship, shadowing experiences, and individual and/or group project assignments; including an evidence based or quality project. The RN is required to attend or complete alternate assignment for all trainings/activities to successfully complete the program. At completion of the RNTTP Residency Program the RN will be assigned a specific practice area based on facility need if the RN does not already have a practice area. The RN delivers fundamental, knowledge-based care to assigned patients while developing technical competencies. The registered nurse works closely with preceptors with a goal of developing skills and judgment to utilize the nursing process in real situations. The focus is on individual growth and development in practice with increased levels of self-direction. Duties include but not limited to the following: Provide specialized direct and indirect care to patients within a designated specialty. Observe, interview, and assess patients to identify care needs. Monitor or evaluate medical conditions of patients in collaboration with other health care professionals. Develop, implement, or evaluate standards of nursing practice in specialty areas. Plan, evaluate, or modify treatment programs based on information gathered by observing and interviewing patients, or by analyzing patient records. Document nursing interventions, therapeutic measure administered, patient's reactions, patient teaching and understanding. Administer therapeutic measures as prescribed by the physician to include, but not limited to, medication administration, intravenous fluids, blood transfusions, treatments and maintains those measures taken which are ongoing in nature. Participate in the development, updating and evaluation of standards of care and quality improvement monitoring. Collaborate with other health care professionals and service providers to ensure optimal patient care. 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, Rotating Shifts, Weekends, and Holidays depending on unit assignment. (Must be available to work all shifts, including weekends and holidays; Be available to work as scheduled on assigned units (Shifts may be 12 hours, 8 hours, or a combination of both); Work week will vary, but includes weekdays, weekends and holidays; Shifts vary, but will include nights/days/evenings.) Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required.

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. 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 evaluation/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.

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 as an RN will be evaluated to determine if the experience is of an acceptable level of quality with regard to the following five dimensions of nursing: Practice, Veteran/Patient Driven Care, Leadership, Professional Development, and Evidence/Based Practice/Research. Each dimension of practice has criteria that demonstrate essential core competencies for VHA Nursing Personnel. 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.

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 09/02/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13041814. 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 are submitted prior to the closing date. 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.

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. Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (VA) License Curriculum Vitae Professional Certification Resume Separation Notice (RIF) 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

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.