Chief Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

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

Chief Nurse Anesthetist functions may include, but are not limited to the following: a. Ability to perform scheduling and supervise staff, students, or ancillary personnel to include conducting performance evaluations in order to effectively execute responsibilities. b. Knowledge to accept substantial and continuing responsibility and accountability for planning, organizing, directing, and controlling an integrated program. c. Ability to serve on committee meetings, departmental reviews, problem-focused studies, problem solving, interventions, and process oversight in order to justify program goals and motivate assigned personnel. d. Skill in design and management of budget and cost benefit analysis in order to ensure optimal stewardship of resources. e. Ability to exercise independent judgment, perform tasks of unusual difficulty along special technical, supervisory, or administrative lines. These practitioners may develop protocols of anesthesia practice. f. Ability to provide analytical techniques and problem solving related to drug interaction and pathological changes during the anesthesia course. g. Ability to provide leadership in the application of the nursing process to patient care, organization processes and/or systems, improving outcomes at the program or service level. h. Knowledge to participate in the audit of anesthesia care, recommending changes where indicated. At this level, emphasis is placed on strategic planning and administrative/managerial responsibilities. The Chief Nurse Anesthetist makes recommendations that may significantly affect the content, interpretation, or development of VA policies or programs concerning critical matters or major issues within the anesthesia arena. They are assigned positions/studies where limited guidance exists as to the method of evaluation for the potential experience identified or, where possible, new experiences need to be identified. Regularly provides anesthesia care in unusually extensive and complex surgical procedures that are of prolonged duration and involve high-risk patients, including development of individualized programs of post-op anesthesia care. The Chief Nurse Anesthetist will be a first line supervisor and have administrative responsibility for anesthesia staff. Nurse Anesthetists at this level must have the ability to perform long and short-term planning goals for their anesthesia department. The Chief Nurse Anesthetist will communicate the mission, ethics, and goals of VHA and TVHS, and specifically the Anesthesiology Service within TVHS, as well as the focus statement of the department. Will function as a departmental resource while promoting team functioning and representing the organization in a positive and professional manner. Will effectively and consistently communicate administrative directives to personnel and encourage interactive departmental meetings and discussions. Will participate in management activities including interviewing, hiring, and discipline. Interpret and enforce Human Resources management policies in a consistent manner. Resolve personnel concerns at the department level, utilizing the grievance process as necessary. Recognize and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of self and staff while regularly coaching staff on their contribution to the mission of the agency and with their performance development. Will schedule and adjust staffing, as appropriate, for fluctuations in workload in consultation with Chief of Anesthesiology. Delegate appropriately to subordinates to share responsibilities for efficient departmental operations. Will monitor the quality of anesthesia care. Ensure retrospective, ongoing, and continuing evaluation of the quality of nurse anesthetist care rendered by CRNAs anywhere in the facility through the use of performance evaluations. Address performance issues of any CRNA in a timely manner and inform the Chief of Anesthesiology Service of ongoing concerns. Provide education to staff on performance and professional improvement. CA92 CRNA Pay Schedule 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: Based on the needs of the Service. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact Sherry Miller, the EDRP Coordinator, at Sherry.Miller5@va.gov 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. 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 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 12/31/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13024017. 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: You MUST submit a CV or resume to verify that you meet the qualifications of the position. Your resume must provide identifiable information (such as name, address, email, and phone number). It must also provide the month and year of the beginning and ending dates for each employer, as well as the name, city, and state of all schools you attended, the month and year you graduated, and the type of degree you were awarded. You must also include the state, number, and expiration date of your RN licensure. 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 (VA) License Other (1) Performance Appraisal Professional Certification Resume 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.