Stand ready, stand proud with the VA team to help in an emergency. A disaster can strike at any time - an earthquake, tornado, hurricane, or global pandemic can leave our Veterans, families, and communities in desperate need of help. That's why the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is creating Clinical Deployment Teams (CDTs) to stand ready to assist. We're looking for clinical personnel to serve on these teams and help transform how we provide health care services in times of great need. 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 and Certifications: Emergency Department - 2-3 years of Registered Nurse emergency room, medical crisis unit or critical care experience, Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Intensive Care/Critical Care - 2-3 years Critical Care/Intensive Care Unit and Telemetry Nursing Practice, Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Inpatient Medical/Surgical - 2-3 years Medical-Surgical Unit and Telemetry Nursing Practice, Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Primary Care - 2-3 years Primary Care, Basic Life Support (BLS) 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: Eligible applicants must be physically and mentally able to perform efficiently the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing or speech may be required. However, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid. CDT staff must be able to meet the physical demands of the position which may require strenuous physical activity to include carrying persons and equipment, walking long distances over difficult terrain, running, climbing, working long hours in austere conditions, long periods of standing, and bending and stooping. Critical Care Unit (CCU), Emergency Department (ED), Medical Surgical: Moderate lifting/carrying, 15-44 pounds; straight pulling (1 hour); pushing (1-2 hours); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking (3 hours); standing (4-6 hours); repeated bending (2 hours); both legs required; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; depth perception; ability to distinguish basic colors/shades of colors; hearing (aid may be permitted); mental and emotional stability required; able to walk without assistive devices (walker, cane crutches, wheelchair), handling hazardous and chemotherapy drugs/wastes. PACT: Moderate lifting/carrying, 15-44 pounds; straight pulling (0.5 hour); pushing (0.5 hour); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking, and standing (4 hours); kneeling (0.5 hour); ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; depth perception; ability to distinguish basic colors; hearing (aid may be permitted); mental and emotional stability. Environmental Factors: Working closely with others; working alone. ["Working in Primary Care, Medical-Surgical, Emergency Room (ER), and Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Clinical Deployment Team (CDT) staff will be allocated among 18 networks for a total of 20 full-time employees per network, including 11 Registered Nurses (RNs), 2 Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) or Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs), 5 providers (including Medical Doctors, Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, and Advanced Nurse Practitioners) and 2 Social Workers. When they are not deployed, CDT staff will work at an assigned VA facility. Members of the team must: Be available to deploy with 72 hours' notice within 2 windows of time per calendar year, for up to a month at a time Work in a high-stress environment, possibly in austere conditions or an emergency setting Treat or provide direct patient care within the requirements of practice/privileges/licensure Participate in CDT training activities and demonstrate readiness to apply professional skills to a range of emergency situations Ensure qualifications and required certifications are maintained, including Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), or Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) certification Maintain CDT physical readiness requirements, vaccinations, and safety precautions related to infection control RN responsibilities include (but are not limited to): Emergency Department - This position provides care to Veterans for acute and urgent medical problems and referrals to primary care for Veterans requesting primary care. Psychiatric emergencies are triaged and referred to psychiatric specialty as PES (Psychiatric Emergency Services). The Registered Nurse - Emergency Department CDT is accountable for all elements of the nursing process when providing and/or supervising direct patient care. Intensive Care/Critical Care - This position is responsible and accountable for individual nursing practice and determines the appropriate delegation of tasks consistent with the nurse's obligation to provide optimal care (ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses) in delivering safe care to critically ill patients. The Registered Nurse - Intensive Care/Critical Care CDT is responsible for recognizing critical patient care situations and initiates effective actions in emergencies. Inpatient Medical/Surgical - This position is responsible and accountable for individual nursing practice and determines the appropriate delegation of tasks consistent with the nurse's obligation to provide optimal care (ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses) in delivering safe care to critically ill patients. The Registered Nurse - Inpatient Medical-Surgical CDT is responsible for delivering safe care to assigned patients while developing technical competencies. Primary Care - This position participates in Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) performance measure improvement activities such as, but not limited to, 2-day post-discharge contact, chronic disease management, clinical reminder compliance, etc. The Registered Nurse - Primary Care CDT is assigned patient care responsibilities based upon PACT recommendations, patient care needs and staff competencies and will be required to complete TEACH and Motivational interviewing training within first year of assignment to PACT. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Relocation/Recruitment Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): May be available for highly qualified applicants for Emergency Department, Critical Care Unit, and Medical/Surgical applicants only (not for PACT RN applicants). EDRP Authorized: Emergency Department, Critical Care Unit, and Medical/Surgical positions are eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Contact V20CompensationTeam@va.gov the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more. Work Schedule: Variable shifts depending on deployment and/or assigned facility needs (includes nights, weekends and holidays). Six (6) scheduled 12-hour shifts every two-weeks available for Medical/Surgical applicants. Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Not available Travel: Occassional travel. Must maintain readiness for an identified minimum of 2 rotational windows of expected deployable status per calendar year, for up to a month at a time. During deployable status, must be able to deploy to any VISN nationwide within 72 hours of notification. Virtual: This is not a virtual position"]

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