Summary

Responsible and accountable for all elements of the nursing process when providing and/or supervising staff and patient diabetes and Veterans health education. Delivers a fundamental understanding of adult learning principles and a lifelong learner that can practice with flexibility to adapt or change learning strategies based on the assessment of learning needs within the healthcare organization.

Qualifications

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.) HPTs who are on track to graduate/complete the requirements should respond as if they have met the requirements
• Provide details in the narrative sections of the assessment
• 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/12843691
• Grade/Level Scope Education 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 which one year is equivalent to Nurse I - Level 2
• OR a BSN and 1 year of professional nursing experience equivalent to the Nurse I - Level 2
• OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) and no additional professional nursing experience
• OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and no additional professional nursing experience
• Nurse II Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others
• A BSN with 2 years of professional nursing equivalent to Nurse I - Level 3
• OR an MSN with one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I - Level 3
• OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I - Level 3
• OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with no professional nursing experience
• OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN with no additional professional nursing experience
• Nurse III Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership - experience and creative approaches to management of complex client care beyond the immediate practice setting
• MSN and 2 years of specialized nursing experience - one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III
• OR a Master's degree in *related field with BSN and two years of specialized nursing experience - one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III
• OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III
• OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III
• *Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees
• Preferred Experience: Certified diabetic educator Trained in Motivational Interviewing or health coaching Group education experience
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Lifting up to 35·pounds for 8-12 hours - intermittently - moderate carrying (15-35 pounds) for 8 to 12 hours - intermittently - lifting over 35 pounds with assistive devices in accordance with the Safe Patient Handling Policy except in emergent situations requiring prompt patient care - pulling for 8 to 12 hours intermittently - pushing for 8-12 hours - intermittently - reaching above the shoulders for 8-12 hours - intermittently - both hands required - walking 8-12 hours - intermittently - standing 8-12 hours intermittently - kneeling 8 to 12 hours - intermittently - repeated bending for 8-12 hours - intermittently - climbing and use of both legs and arms for 8-12 hours - intermittently - both legs required - near vision at 13 to 16" Jaeger 1 to 4 - far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other eye - ability to distinguish basic colors - hearing aid permitted - twisting - simple grasp and fine manipulation.

Duties

• The Diabetes Educator is responsible for providing competent - evidence-based diabetes education to staff and patients
• Provides educational instruction and training for diabetic patients throughout the medical facility
• The Diabetes Educator understands instructional design - implementation - and application related to education and training
• Demonstrates knowledge and application of professional standards related to patient diabetes care
• Performs learning needs assessments - develops educational trainings for patients and staff within organization
• Develops entry level coaching and mentoring skills
• Systematically evaluates current practice - formulate appropriate diabetic outcomes for groups of patients and/or organizational processes within area of expertise
• Collaborates with other Clinical Nurse Educators and interprofessional healthcare teams in the ongoing clinical education activities including in-services - training - competency assessment - and evaluations of both current and new staff nursing skills
• Acts as a consultant in patient diabetes care principles and performance measures
• Reviews current nursing literature for new diabetic trends and changes based on evidence-based research with the ability to propose practice and documentation revisions based on evaluation of outcomes
• Utilizes best practices and benchmarking to establish realistic goals for patient diabetes care initiatives
• Collaborates with leadership and unit managers to identify diabetics educational training needs for staff - while supporting activities that foster competence - critical thinking skills - and decision making
• Provides consultation and collaboration through the participation within organizational committees
• Ability to analyze - interpret - and evaluate data to determine outcomes and changes related to diabetes educational programs
• The Veteran Health Education Coordinator (VHEC) Registered Nurse (RN) is responsible for providing competent - evidence-based education to Veterans
• Provides educational instruction and training for nursing staff in clinical and outpatient units
• Provides educational instruction and training for Veterans
• The VHEC understands instructional design - implementation - and application related to education and training
• Performs learning needs assessments - develops educational trainings for Veterans within organization
• Initiates and maintains documentation of classes offered to Veterans
• Facilitates recommendations for education to improve offerings to Veterans and their families
• Forecasts needs based on trends in the Veterans Affairs (VA) and in the community
• Develops entry level coaching and mentoring skills
• Systematically evaluates current practice - formulate outcomes for groups of patients and/or organizational processes within area of expertise
• Collaborates with other educators and interprofessional healthcare teams in the ongoing education activities including in-services - training - competency assessment - and evaluations
• Reviews educational program activities to assess the status of projects related to - but not exclusively - patient care - and recommends plans for change and improvement on the projects
• Reviews current nursing literature for new trends and changes based on evidence-based research with the ability to propose practice and documentation revisions based on evaluation of outcomes
• Provides consultation and collaboration through the participation within organizational committees
• Demonstrates creative approaches to Veteran education to improve aspects of complex patient care
• Ability to analyze - interpret - and evaluate data to determine outcomes and changes related to educational programs
• The VHEC demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others
• Evaluates practice in an ongoing process - based on best evidence
• Provides peers with informal constructive feedback for improvement
• Fosters a safe and supportive environment conducive to the professional development of healthcare professionals
• Contributes professional nursing perspective in discussions with the interdisciplinary team
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards 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: 0800-1645 Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized