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The Nurse Practitioner (NP) in the Mental Health Clinic has advanced education and clinical training in providing patients with all aspects of patient care including diagnosis, treatment, and consultation. The NP in this position functions as a psychiatrist would regarding diagnosing, examining, evaluating and manage psychiatric patients in the Mental Health Clinic. Incumbent is able to analyze patient care problems and formulate treatment plans tailored to the individual needs of the patient. 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. 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: This position requires Heavy Lifting, 45 pounds & over; heavy carrying, 45 pounds& over; straight pulling (4 hours); pushing (4 hours); use of fingers; both hands required; walking & standing 8-12 hours; repeated bending 8 hours; both legs required; ability for rapid mental & 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 shades of colors; hearing (aide permitted). Transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. ["VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards **This is an OPEN CONTINOUS ANNOUNCMENT and will remain open until September 29, 2023. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be March 1, 2023. After that time, qualified candidates will be considered and referred as vacancies become available. This position is located within the outpatient Mental Health Clinic as part of Mental Health Services. Integrated health services are provided in this setting in coordination with psychology, social work, pharmacy, and psychiatry. As a clinician, the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner provides comprehensive mental health treatment in the spectrum of urgent, episodic and chronic care Veterans. The incumbent must possess the clinical skills to provide treatment for serious and/or chronic mental health disorders, as well as addictions. The NP demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others. S/he works in partnership with referred and assigned patients in MHC and accepts referrals from the multiple services within the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System. The NP is accountable for the management and evaluation of a panel of patients under his/her care. The NP provides comprehensive mental health treatment, including medication management, throughout the process of recovery, to Veterans. The NP uses the nursing process and evidence-based practice to work collaboratively with the MHC program staff and larger team (family/caregiver, internal and community-based services and disciplines involved in providing care to the patient) in developing the patient-driven holistic care plan for recovery. The NP is a member of the MHC Program, providing diagnosis and treatment. The NP provides patient and family health education with a focus on self-management, prevention and wellness, based on the patient's goals. The NP is prepared in advanced practice across the health continuum. This practice includes independent and interdependent decision-making and direct accountability for clinical judgment. The NP role includes participating in and use of research, development and implementation of health policy, leadership, education, case management and consultation. The clinical duties of the Nurse Practitioner include but are not limited to the following and are applicable in the MHC program: (a) Diagnosing and creating treatment plans. (b) Prescribing medications. (c) Ordering lab and diagnostic images or tests/interpretation of results. (d) Referring to specialty clinics and consulting with physicians when appropriate. (e) Triaging and coordinating follow-up appointments and/or outside care. (f) Being responsible to stay abreast of current theory and treatment modalities by reading professional journals, attending conferences, clinic seminars and teleconferences, and materials given out by staff and Mental Health Service. (g) Promptly clearing reminders to meet VASNHCS goals. 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: Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Telework: Yes, some telework may be available according to local policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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