at Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration in Hines, Illinois, United States
Job Description
Summary The function of the Nursing Professional Development Practitioner (NPDP), previously known as Clinical Nurse Educator, is to provide nursing professional development leadership in the development, coordination and implementation of educational programs that foster staff development and enhance the quality, safety and processes of patient care. The work environment for NPDP’s includes the Learning (Education Service-based) and Practice (clinical service-based) Environments. Responsibilities The Nursing Professional Development Practitioner, per the 2016 ANA approved NPD Scopes & Standards, "is a registered nurse who influences professional role competence and professional growth of learners in a variety of settings. The NPD practitioner supports lifelong learners in an inter-professional environment that facilitates continuous development and learning for the health care team (Harper & Maloney, 2022). The Nursing Professional Development Practitioner possesses broad-based clinical and educational knowledge necessary to effectively apply all aspects of the educational process within a collaborative, interdisciplinary practice setting. The NPDP has responsibility for: – Collaborating with others in the facility to ensure that educational activities are based upon assessed learning competency needs of clinical staff and trainees, workforce development and priorities identified by VHA, Network, Hines VA Hospital, Nursing Service, and Education Service. – Improving service/organizational performance by evaluating, monitoring and reporting program outcomes. – Being accountable for multiple facets of education, training and professional & organizational development within the larger strategy of promoting a learning culture across the system. – Development and coordination of comprehensive interprofessional education, including new learning methodologies including simulation learning, to promote quality education and hands-on training in an environment that establishes knowledge and skills prior to actual patient encounters. – Assessing, planning, designing, implementing, coordinating, and evaluating educational offerings to clinically-active Hines VAH staff. – Assisting in the development and administration of educational technologies for innovative approaches in training and education for interdisciplinary staff at all levels and locations. – Providing education to support the facility’s goal to become a High Reliability Organization. The NPDP role is directly aligned to Education Service under the Supervisor of Nursing Education for NPDP for practice and learning environment assignments, annual proficiency, and professional development. It is the role of the NPDP to serve current organizational clinical priorities and needs for nursing staff professional development, education, and training. Per the NPD Scopes and Standards (Harper & Maloney, 2022), the NPDP operates within both Nursing Professional Development Learning and Practice environments. 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: 7:30 am to 4:00 pm Monday thru Friday. Rotation to other tours as needed to meet training needs of all staff. Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: Not Available Travel: 25% or less – You may be expected to travel for this position. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required 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. 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). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) – See “Additional Information” below for details. 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. 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/R
