Registered Nurse Case Manager/Care Coordinator

Summary

The VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) is a Level 1a major interdisciplinary teaching healthcare system, offering a variety of Inpatient and Outpatient services to Veterans at the medical center in La Jolla and at the six Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) located in Chula Vista, Escondido, Imperial Valley, Kearny Mesa, Oceanside, Sorrento Valley, and Rio Clinic. The VASDHS provides high quality care with advanced technologies and a compassionate service to Veterans.

Duties

Demonstrates sound clinical judgment and leadership in improving patient care using the nursing process for patients requiring specialized or complex care independently. Provides patient care in the surgical specialty clinics as needed. Provides surgical care coordination from the point of decision for surgery until patient post-op tenure is completed or they are returned to PACT/Primary Care provider for continued follow-up. Meets and collaborates with an interprofessional team to discuss and determine a plan of care for surgical patients prior to surgery and any necessary follow-ups post-surgery. Assists the surgical team in monitoring surgical patients requiring ongoing surgical care until the surgeon releases the patient back to primary care. Applies the nursing process(assessment, diagnosis, outcome identification, planning, implementation, and evaluation) to all aspects of patient care. Serves as a subject-matter resource for multiple surgical specialties as assigned. Helps veterans navigate through the pre-op process, including necessary consults, appointments, testing, education, etc. Coordinates surgical case scheduling with clinical support staff, physicians, social workers, case managers, etc., to ensure timely surgical patient care. Collaborates with clinic nurses and other employees to help coordinate clinic visits, pre-surgical medical studies(radiology, nuclear medicine, labs, etc.), consults and clearances from other specialties, treatments, and/or procedures for surgical patients. Communicates the needs of the surgical team, including equipment, implants, and supplies to successfully perform scheduled procedures. Ensures all surgical patients are medically cleared prior to the planned/scheduled surgery date. Functions as a liaison between all members of the Surgical Specialty team (attending surgeons, residents, and fellows), administrative support staff ( AS, MSAs, etc.), surgical clinic staff, Ambulatory Service Unit (ASU), Operating Room (OR), inpatient nursing units, etc. Provides excellent customer service as a liaison between patients and families to support education, emotional support, and surgical care coordination within the medical facility or non-VA contract facilities. Triages and addresses phone messages, secure messages, and consults as needed. Serves as the primary contact for scheduling surgical patients for surgery. Maintains all mandatory and clinical competencies required for the position. Coordinates patient referrals for surgical risk stratification, completion of evaluation, and surgery date selection. Addresses the psychological needs of pre and post operative patients as needed. Triages all surgical requests for urgency of scheduling. Optimizes the use of the surgical block schedule for available operating room time. Collaborates with surgical attendings, fellows, and chief residents to maximize OR surgical time. Completes surgical planning worksheets. Coordinates surgical case entry into DSS (PeriOp Live) and ensures correct information is entered at least 72 hours prior to surgical procedure. Notifies the Operating Room NM/ANM and Operating Room Schedulers of any changes to surgical requests and any future block time/surgical time that will not be utilized by the service (minimum of two weeks in advance for unused surgical time). Coordinates requested implants, equipment, instrumentation, and supplies required for surgery with the attending surgeons, residents, vendors, implant coordinator, operating room unit coordinator, and sterile processing leads. Collaborates with Surgeons, Anesthesia team, and Operating Room to coordinate urgent/emergency surgical scheduling. Maintains a surgical referral database. Reviews the qualifications and competence of privileged providers/staff who provide patient care services. Addresses customer complaints with optimal Service Recovery techniques. Collaborates with multiple disciplines and departments to improve surgical efficiency and delivery of patient care. Arranges transportation, home-care needs, and lodging as needed. Demonstrates an ability to be flexible, organized, and function under stressful situations, adjusting to the uneven workflow and changing priorities of the surgical suite. Recognizes and responds to patients in emergency and physically stressful situations as appropriate. Performs other duties as assigned. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory Work Schedule: Full time Compressed/Flexible: N/A Telework: N/A Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

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 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 trial 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 trial 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 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.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees 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); 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.

Benefits

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)

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 10/16/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13088451. 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 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 (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

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.