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Summary The Chief Nurse position is responsible to the Executive Director for daily oversight and management of Quality and Safety (QS) resources assigned in medical center settings, including the Healthcare Centers (HCC) and Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC). The RN is responsible for planning, designing, integrating, implementing, modifying, and administering a Quality and Performance Management Program which assesses, evaluates, and continuously improve services to the Veteran population. Responsibilities VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards The Chief Nurse for Quality and Safety reports directly to the Executive Director and is accountable to the Associate Director Patient Care Services for Nursing specific practice and standards. The incumbent promotes quality improvement activities in collaboration with various services and individuals and suggests models for adaptation of implementation. The incumbent coordinates management policies and practices as they relate to quality improvement. Collaborates closely with Medical Center staff to examine and promote methods for achieving quality that may be new or applied in a different way. Duties include but are not limited to: Oversees the facility overall performance and quality programs to assure they are coherent and consistent with network and system-wide goals, mission, and strategic objectives. Supports the Environment of Care Management Program by completing scheduled training on safety, health, environmental and fire protection requirements related to their assigned tasks; following safe work practices and procedures, including the use of appropriate equipment, and any required Personal Protective Equipment ( PPE) item; recognizing and reporting unsafe and unhealthful conditions, initiating prompt corrective action within their authority, and promptly reporting work-related injuries or illnesses to supervisory personnel. Actively participates in the advancement of quality through contributions to knowledge development and education. Members and/or precepts staff and leaders. Challenges and holds leaders and staff accountable to maintain high standards, consistently submitting accurate documents/reports in a timely fashion. Creates and maintains processes that provide accurate and complete policies, procedures, standards, guidelines, and protocols while ensuring attention to detail. Necessary revision and review are completed in a timely fashion including a thorough clinical, technical, and grammatical review. Develops, conducts, and directs special studies and analyses of complex issues as assigned and interprets such studies for leadership. Evaluates accreditation standards and ensures that clinical practice and program policies/procedures are in compliance. Provides leadership in organizational committees, teams, or projects. Actively follows and supports the labor/management agreement. Collaborates with other Medical Center and VISN managers/leaders to ensure the availability of support needed to enable staff to pursue and achieve excellence in health care quality and outcomes. Aligns and integrates performance and quality management with leadership roles, strategic planning, and organizational culture, and mission. Leads effort in program areas to cascade organizational plans and goals. Facilitates the facility-wide reduction of variance in quality and the integration of performance improvement into the facility day-to-day operations and culture. Critical appraises variation for common and special causes, when possible, thereby supporting robust, data-driven, evidence-based quality improvement methodologies. Creates an environment of system-oriented, continuous performance and quality improvement, within which program effectiveness and quality is evaluated, and when necessary, initiates or promotes analysis, interventions and/or corrective actions. Facilitates the management of organizational change required to achieve patient safety and performance improvement goals, including identifying and facilitating resolution of obstacles to achieving these goals within a complex system. Initiates/leads quality improvement teams to collect data, analyze and evaluate data, implement change, and evaluate effectiveness of change interventions. Identify innovative or promising department/team performance and patient safety improvement activities and facilitate their facility wide deployment, as appropriate. 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: Monday - Friday, 0800-1630 Detail NTE 120 Days Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: Ad Hoc Telework Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Temporary Duty (TDY): Authorized Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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. 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). 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.) 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. The following Scope, Education and Dimension criteria must be met to qualify for Nurse IV: Scope: Executes leadership that is characterized by substantial and continuous responsibility and accountability for population groups or integrated programs that cross service and/or discipline lines and influence organizational mission and health care. Education: Master's degree in Nursing (MSN) and 4 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse III and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IV; OR Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and 4 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse III and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IV; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing and 3 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse III and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IV; OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN and 3 years of professional nursing experience, one of which is specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse III and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse IV. *Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees. Dimensions: Leadership. Leads health care delivery by leveraging evidence-based practices, industry-leading research, and innovative care models. Drives a shared vision and successfully leads change to improve performance and attain measurable outcomes at the program or service level. Business Acumen. Transforms health care by implementing new processes, technology, informatics, and data analytics using business models and fundamental concepts of resource management at the program or service level. Inspiring an Industry-Leading Lifestyle. Employs an industry leading, shared decision-making lifestyle. Cultivates a workforce that serves Veterans, families and caregivers of all backgrounds and builds trust, lifestyle competencies and catalyzes dynamic teams at the program or service level. Communication and Relationship Management. Directs the effective use of relationship management principles to achieve positive customer service experiences that are consistent with professional organizational values, beliefs and practices at the program or services level. Professional and Social Responsibility. Operationalizes a lifestyle of holistic care, health advocacy and health equity. Applies ethical principles in decision-making at the program or service level. Advances nursing knowledge through health science research and the translation and dissemination of evidence into practice to maximize the value to Veterans and the community. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, and sitting. The incumbent may beexposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing. 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. Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment. In the performance of duties, the incumbent may be required to drive and/or ride in GSA-vehicles. Education Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.