Registered Nurse (caregiver Support Program)

Caregiver Support Program Clinical Assessor (CSP)

The Caregiver Support Program is a rapidly expanding program. The mission of the Caregiver Support Program is to promote health and well-being of family caregivers who care for our nation's Veterans, through education, support, and services. The CSP Clinical Assessor requires advanced knowledge and understanding of services and benefits available to Veterans and caregivers from both federal, state and private sector resources.

The CSP Registered Nurse (RN) Clinical Assessor executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches to the management of complex patient care. Provides care and counseling of persons in the promotion and maintenance of health and prevention of illness and injury based upon the nursing process which includes systematic data gathering, assessment, appropriate nursing judgment, and evaluation of human responses to actual or potential health problems through such services as case finding, health teaching, and health counseling. Possesses thorough knowledge of PCAFC, PGCSS, clinical documentation requirements, current standards of care, and all regulatory compliance requirements and guidelines. Accountable for utilizing critical thinking skills and sound judgment to ensure Veterans and caregivers are provided with a thorough, comprehensive care options within the scope of the CSP. The incumbent is primarily responsible for assessing a Veteran's functional needs, including the need for personal care services using standardized assessments, which will assist the Centralized Eligibility and Appeals Team (CEAT) in determining eligibility for the PCAFC program. The incumbent will assess Veterans needs for personal services, particularly Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), supervision, protection or instruction, working closely with the Caregiver Support Program Coordinator(s) to complete Veteran functional assessments and res-assessments. In addition to completed assessments and interventions within the medical center, the incumbent will complete home visits in the community to document and assess the Veterans' and Caregivers needs in the home. The Clinical Assessor will conduct initial home assessments as part of the application or reassessment processed for PCAFC. The purpose of these home visits is to assess for functional and mobility needs and safety as well as to assess need for personal care services using standardized assessments, which assist CEAT in determining eligibility.

All CSP Clinical Assessor maintain a wellness case management caseload where they conduct Veteran, caregiver and family interventions to facilitate the identification of caregiver stress. The clinical assessor, in collaboration with CSP staff provides referral to VA medical and mental health treatment and to other VA services including other VA services including VA benefits, community-based social services and other non-VA entitlement programs. The CSP Clinical Assessor provides services at Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities, via phone, telehealth and in the home. Provides referrals and/or consults to VA and community supports and services.

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.

Expectations:

• Leads the provision of nursing care to patients with complex care needs utilizing the nursing process in alignment with the ANA Standards of Nursing Practice.
• Applies clinical knowledge/judgment to lead staff involvement in planning, decision-making, and evaluating outcomes within the immediate practice setting.
• Effectively functions as a leader, with demonstrated outcomes, for the 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.

Expectations:

• Improves Veteran/patient driven care by resolving experience issues such as coordination of care, timeliness or process issues, common themes of dissatisfaction, or environment of care concerns for the immediate practice setting.
• Applies patient, family, and caregiver knowledge, values, and beliefs into care delivery without judgement or discrimination.
• Serves as an advocate for patients, families, and caregivers, improving outcomes for the immediate practice setting.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package:

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: 0800-1630

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Telework: Ad-hoc

Requirements:

Conditions of Employment:

• 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.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

Qualifications:

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship: Citizen of the United States in accordance with section 7402(c) to title 38, United States Code (U.S.C.).
• 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.)

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:

Nurse I, Level I Delivers fundamental, knowledge-based care to assigned clients while developing technical competencies. An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional professional nursing required.

Nurse I, Level II Demonstrates integration of biopsychosocial concepts, cognitive skills and technically competent practice in providing care to clients with basic or complex. An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 1 year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 1 ;OR a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional professional nursing experience required.

Nurse I, Level III Demonstrates proficiency in practice based on conscious and deliberate planning. Self-directed in goal setting for managing complex client situations. An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 2 years of professional nursing experience in