Nurse - Deputy Chief of Quality & Patient Safety

The primary purpose of the Deputy Chief of Quality & Patient Safety Nurse position is to demonstrate leadership in delivering and improving care throughout the Medical Center. The Deputy Chief RN participates in assessing the environment, forecasting trends, transmitting ideas and values, developing and implementing policies. The Deputy Chief of Quality & Patient Safety responsibilities includes, but not limited to: Sound fiscal and resource management, program development, customer service/patient satisfaction, hiring decisions, employee relations, standards of care/practice, and the work environment for areas of direct responsibility Clinical expert and executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches to management of complex patient care Assesses plans, implements, coordinates, monitors, and evaluates the quality and safety of the delivery of care for the organization Assumes a leadership role in facilitating regulatory compliance for internal and external oversight bodies (i.e., The Joint Commission (TJC), Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Directives and Handbooks, etc.), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Office of the Medical Inspector (OMI), Office of the Inspector General (OIG), and Veterans Integrated Systems Network (VISN) 20 Quality Reviews and other oversight bodies in collaboration with QPS Chief Oversees the monitoring of corrective actions from survey findings and assists service leaders in addressing issues encountered Provides leadership and guidance to the Systems Redesign & Improvement (SRI) staff to ensure that services have effective systems and processes in place to provide safe and quality care Responsible for completing clinical quality reviews, data analysis, and identifying improvement opportunities for Strategic Analytics for Improvement & Learning (SAIL), External Peer Review Program (EPRP) metrics, and driving improvement initiatives and projects within VA SORCC in collaboration with QPS Chief Collaborates with other QPS staff for the coordination of accreditation readiness activities focused on standards compliance, education of staff on standards, VHA requirements, and customer satisfaction for internal and external stakeholders. Leads QPS staff through performance evaluations, provide guidance and support on culture changes, and change management projects Executes tasks as assigned by the QPS Chief Oversees QPS programs (i.e. accreditation, publication, and Systems Redesign & Improvement) in collaboration with the QPS Chief. Work Schedule: Monday • Friday, 0800 • 1630 Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Basic Requirements: English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f), 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 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); OR Individuals attending a master's level bridge program in nursing who have completed coursework equivalent to a bachelor's level degree in Nursing may have opportunity to become registered as a nurse with a state licensing board prior to completion of the bridge program. Upon achievement of a State license, the individual may be appointed on temporary basis and later converted to a permanent appointment upon successful completion and graduation from the bridge program. (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 to warrant an appointment as a Nurse who has completed an associated degree/entry level Nursing education program. Credit for foreign nursing education higher that associate degree/entry level requires a formal degree equivalency validation from a recognized equivalency evaluation accepted by VA such as International Consultants of Delaware (ICD). 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. Graduate Nurse Technician (GNT) Exception: Candidates who otherwise meet the basic education requirements, but do not possess the required licensure, may be appointed at the entry step of the grade and level applicable to the completed nursing education as a GNT on a 120-day temporary appointment while actively pursuing licensure (may be extended up to two years on a case-by-case-basis.) NOTE: Grandfathering Provision • All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and 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. Grade Determinations: The following Scope, Education and Dimension criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade. The Dimension requirements (Practice, Veteran/Patient Driven Care, Leadership, Professional Development and Evidence-Based Practice/Research) are detailed for each grade and level within the online assessment: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13055551. Nurses at the Grade II must meet Requirements as listed below: SCOPE: Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others. AND EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE: Meets basic education requirement for Nurse AND one of below: Bachelor's degree in nursing and two years of professional nursing experience, one of which is a year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3 OR Master's degree in nursing with one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3. OR Master's degree in a related field with a bachelor's degree in nursing with one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3 OR Doctorate degree in nursing with no professional nursing experience OR Doctorate degree in a related field with a master's or bachelor's degree in nursing with no professional nursing experience. AND DIMENSIONS: Nurses at Nurse II are expected to meet the following dimension requirements: Practice. Leads professional practice using the nursing process (assessment, diagnosis, outcome identification, planning, implementation and evaluation) to improve evidence-based and/or data-driven outcomes for an identified patient population and/or specialized areas within immediate practice setting. Veteran/Patient Driven Care. Improves Veteran/patient driven care by optimizing the patient experience, satisfaction and/or safety for the immediate practice setting. Leadership. Communicates and collaborates as an effective leader of the interprofessional team, at the expert level, with improved evidence-based and/or data-driven outcomes in the immediate practice setting. Professional Development. Expands knowledge base and practice evaluation through mentoring, precepting and/or teaching to improve outcomes in the immediate practice setting. Evidence Based Practice/Research. Leads the integration of evidence-based practice/research with clinical expertise to improve quality of care and resource utilization with improved outcomes for the immediate practice setting. Nurses at the Grade III must meet Requirements as listed below: SCOPE: Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience and creative approaches to management of complex client care beyond the immediate practice setting. AND EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE: Meets basic education requirement for Nurse AND one of below: Master's degree in nursing with two years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III OR Master's degree in a related field with a bachelor's degree in nursing with two years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III OR Doctorate degree in nursing with one year of specialized nursing experience which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse II OR Doctorate degree in a related field with a master's or bachelor's degree in nursing with one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III. AND DIMENSIONS: Nurses at Nurse III must meet ALL the following dimension requirements to qualify for Nurse III Practice. Demonstrates expertise in professional practice using the nursing process (assessment, diagnosis, outcome identification, planning, implementation and evaluation) with improved evidence-based and/or data-driven outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting Veteran/Patient Driven Care. Leads initiatives to improve Veteran/patient experience. Satisfaction and/or safety beyond the immediate practice setting. Leadership. Communicates and collaborates as an effective leader of the interprofessional team, at the expert level, with improved evidence-based and/or data-driven outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting. Professional Development. Enhances knowledge base and practice evaluation, at the expert level, with improved outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting Evidence Based Practice/Research. Leads the identification and integration of evidence-based practice/research with clinical expertise to improve quality of care and resource utilization at the expert level with improved outcomes beyond the immediate practice setting. Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees. Preferred Experience: • Masters of Nursing • Quality Management or equivalent experience (1-2 years) • Experience facilitating work-groups and teams (1-2 years) • Knowledge, skills, and experience effectively supervising people (1-2 years) • Ability to communicate effectively with leadership and staff Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. 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 evaluation. 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. 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 recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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.