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Nurse Navigator is directly responsible and accountable to the Surgical Service and is responsible and accountable for the provision of patient care to a culturally diverse patient population. Nurse Navigator possesses the knowledge and skills to effectively apply all aspects of the nursing process within a collaborative, interdisciplinary practice setting to facilitate the effective implementation of health promotion and prevention practices. Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate State-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). In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of current, full, active and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing. OR The completion of coursework equivalent to a nursing degree in a MSN Bridge Program that qualifies for professional nursing registration constitutes the completion of an approved course of study of professional nursing. Students should submit the certificate of professional nursing to sit for the NCLEX to the VA along with a copy of the MSN transcript. (Reference VA Handbook 5005, Appendix G6) OR In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of a current, full, active and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement for graduation from an approved school of professional nursing. Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or the District of Columbia. Preferred Experience: Perioperative surgical nursing experience, care coordination or cancer navigation experience preferred Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade: Nurse I Level I - An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional nursing practice/experience required. Nurse I Level II - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 1 year of nursing practice/experience; OR an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a bachelor's degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience; OR a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional nursing practice/experience. Nurse I Level III - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a Bachelor's degree in a related field and approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a BSN with approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) or related field with a BSN and no additional nursing practice/experience. Nurse II - A BSN with approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a Bachelor's degree in a related field and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master's degree in nursing or related field with a BSN and approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing or meets basic requirements for appointment and has doctoral degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience required. Nurse III - Master's degree in nursing or related field with BSN and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience. Note regarding MSN degrees: If your MSN was obtained via a Bridge Program that qualifies for professional nursing registration, a BSN is not required. Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-6 Nurse Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, and sitting, lifting, carrying, pushing, reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, both hands, both legs and repeated bending. Heavy lifting (45 lbs. and over); Heavy Carrying (45 lbs. and over); Straight Pulling (up to 4 hours); Pushing (up to 4 hours); Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (up to 8 hours); Standing (up to 8 hours); Repeated bending (up to 8 hours); Both legs required; Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Specific visual requirement: Read typed Chapters; Correctable vision :20/40 in one eye; Ability to distinguish basic colors and shades of colors; Hearing (aid permitted). The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders; Emotional and Mental Stability: The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment. ["The Surgical Nurse Navigator is assigned to one or more surgical specialty sections (determined by surgical case workload) and will coordinate the care of the patient throughout the pre-operative process and facilitate communication between the pre-anesthesia providers, the surgical team and any consultants (medical specialist, social work, etc.) required to optimize the patient for surgery. He/She will; Contact patients at specified time points with reminders of upcoming pre-operative testing, preparation, time of arrival, and notify patient of any changes in OR schedule. Coordinate and expedite pre-operative appointments. Serve as a point of contact for the patient throughout the preoperative process. Provide electronic handoff to Inpatient Case Manager and/or PACT RN as applicable. Educate patients on pre-operative preparation and post-operative care to include but not limited to: Surgical Site Infections (SSI), Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI), Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections (CLABSI), Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocol (ERAS) (as applicable to the surgical procedure). Advocate for fiscal responsibility in the management of care through effective utilization of resources. Function as a systems coordinator for the pre-operative phase, collaborating and communicating with the patient and care providers to evaluate and update changes in the pre-operative management. Keep the patients team aware of patient progress, issues, and/or problems that can delay surgery. Monitor the patient's progress through the pre-operative phase, keeping track of additional testing requirements and results and reporting these to the pre-anesthesia providers. Initiate referrals to Social Service, Nutrition, Wound/Ostomy care, and other ancillary services as deemed necessary. Recognize complex situations that impact patient care and intervene, using sound judgment, professional knowledge and appropriate channels to resolve issues. Some examples include: Post-procedure companion for same day procedures Stable home environment for joint arthroplasty Procedure-specific needs (eg.colostomy, tracheostomy, amputation) Proactively anticipate patients' needs, identifying critical factors for achieving desired surgical outcomes. Perform an initial and ongoing assessment of patients to identify needs, issues, resources and care goals. Serve as a point of contact for the patient throughout the preoperative process. 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: To be determined by Hiring Manager 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"]

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