Advanced Practice Nurse (NP) in Primary Care function as a member of the Primary Care interdisciplinary health care team. A Scope of Practice will guide the advanced practice beyond basic education and is renewed every two years. The advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), has prescriptive authority with a panel of patients. Core functions include diagnosing and treating acute and chronic health care problems, performing adult care check-ups, and prescribing medication and treatments.
Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) Basic Requirements Education: A post-master's certificate or master's or doctoral degree as a Nurse Practitioner. (Applicants pending the completion of educational requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until the education requirements are met.) Must be a 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). NOTE: Foreign Education. Graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing programs, the nurse practitioner degree equivalency must be validated through an Agency recognized degree equivalency evaluation agency, such as the International Consultants of Delaware (ICD). Candidates with equivalent nurse practitioner masters or doctorate level degrees who possess current, full, active, and unrestricted registration and certification will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing to warrant appointment. License and Certification: License. All APN (NPs) must possess and maintain an active, current, full, and unrestricted APN license to practice as an NP in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Basic Certification. All APN (NPs) must maintain full and current board certification in an area of clinical specialty from one of the following: the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB), or other nationally recognized certifying body in the area in which the Nurse Practitioner is academically prepared. NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and an APN (NP) assignment that are also 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 Experience, and Dimension criteria must be met to qualify for Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) II: Exception to Licensure for Graduate Nurse Technicians. Candidates who otherwise meet the basic requirements, but do not possess the required licensure and/or certification, may be appointed at the entry step of the Nurse II, as a Graduate Nurse Technician - Nurse Practitioner on a temporary appointment up to any period not-to-exceed one year and a day under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2)(B). Scope: Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others Education and Experience Requirement: Meets basic education requirement for APN (NP). Nurse II is considered the entry grade level for APN (NPs); no experience is required. Dimension Requirement: APNs (NPs) at level II are expected to meet the following dimension requirements: Clinical Practice. Delivers evidence-based health care, demonstrating proficiency in the ability to manage a patient panel, population, or program. Outcome Focus. Utilizes research and evidence-based practice to evaluate the patient care delivery system within a patient panel or program, presents findings and contributes to changes that enhance the quality and timeliness of veteran/patient care. Leadership. Works effectively as a leader within a team/unit/group and seeks interdisciplinary collaboration as appropriate to enhance patient care. Professional Development. Acquires knowledge and skills to develop expertise in area of practice. Professionalism/Collegiality. Demonstrates effective communication skills and professional behavior, promoting cooperation and teamwork. Participates in interdisciplinary teams and processes that positively impact patient outcomes. The following Scope, Education and Experience, and Dimension criteria must be met to qualify for Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) III: Scope: Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches to management of complex client care. Education and Experience Requirement: Meets basic education requirement for an APN (NP) AND one year of specialized APN (NP) experience equivalent to the Nurse II grade level. Dimension Requirement: APN (Nurse Practitioners) at grade III are expected to meet the following dimension requirements: Clinical Practice. Influences and models the delivery of evidence- based health care, demonstrating expertise in the ability to manage a patient panel, population, or program. Outcome Focus. Leads and implements changes that enhance the quality and timeliness of Veteran/patient care applying research and evidence in the delivery of healthcare for patient populations. Leadership. Initiates and leads interdisciplinary teams informed by structured approaches and processes to improve outcomes that positively impact care for a patient panel, population, or program. Professional Development. Acquires knowledge and skills, then disseminates acquired information within and/or outside the medical facility. Professionalism/Collegiality. Initiates and leads interdisciplinary teams developing systems that positively impact outcomes at the panel, population, or program level. Demonstrates effective communication skills and professional behavior, promoting cooperation and teamwork. Physical Requirements: The Primary Care NP is required to meet the physical standards as outlined on the OF 178 Certificate of Medical Examination. The position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. The position requires periods of walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, lifting, pulling, and pushing. The NP may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing/equipment in isolation situations or with procedures. Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as screening or testing, as a condition of employment. The environment's pace may vary from steady to fast paced, requiring handling of multiple priorities, frequent, sometimes intense customer interactions, and the ability to adapt to frequent changes.
The Primary Care Nurse Practitioner is responsible for the care of patients by providing a history and physical examination, diagnosis, prescribing treatment modalities and ordering diagnostic test to determine the effectiveness of treatment modalities. The NP collects and synthesizes patient data utilizing critical thinking skills to formulate a comprehensive plan of care. He/she consults with a variety of services, coordinating care to meet patient needs. The NP is involved in interdisciplinary teams that focus on improving care processes. Care is provided to patients with the goal of achieving quality patient care by improving clinical outcomes, increasing continuity of care, and minimizing health care costs. The NP is expected to perform data collection and analysis for the purpose of improving care to patient groups, maximizing utilization of resources, and enhancing overall patient care. The NP's responsibility includes functioning within the scope of practice and within the nationally recognized certification. The NP is accountable and responsible for possessing the knowledge and skills to communicate and interact appropriately and courteously with all internal and external customers, maintain confidentiality of electronic, written, and/or verbal patient/employee information, demonstrate working practices that include to safe use and operation of equipment. The NP also conforms with all medical center and service/service line safety policies, procedures, and or other protocols to avoid injury and/or illness to self and others and may have other duties as assigned and deemed necessary to meet the needs of the Medical Center. The NP reports directly to the Chief Nurse of Primary Care. The Chief Nurse of Primary Care is the immediate supervisor who provides administrative supervision and assigns time schedules, approves leave, and completes performance evaluations. There is strong collaboration with the Chief of Primary Care for clinic supervision and operations to include but not limited to clinic cancellations, FPPE, OPPE and performance metrics. Refer to the service Organizational Chart for supervisory chain of command and the location of the position. 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: 8:00am to 4:30pm Monday - Friday Compressed/Flexible: Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized