Nurse Practitioner, Inpatient Mental Health Unit

Duties

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required.

The IPU Nurse Practitioner (NP) is responsible for managing the medical aspects of care for inpatient psychiatric patients with acute and/or chronic mental illness. Management is achieved through assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of care through collaboration with the multidisciplinary team. The NP consults with other services within the medical center when appropriate and needed. The NP promotes recovery-oriented self-care and enlists patients' participation in establishing realistic goals for treatment. In addition to providing direct patient care, the NP provides patient and family teaching. The NP works with psychiatrists and other health care clinicians to prescribe medications and provide treatment on IPU. Treatment includes referral to other services and to community resources as needed.

MAJOR DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Obtains and documents relevant psychiatric and medical history.
• Documents in Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS).
• Orders and interprets diagnostic tests.
• Identifies medical and health risks and needs of the patient/family based on data collection.
• Formulates the appropriate differential diagnosis based on the history, physical examination and clinical findings.
• Establishes a plan of care to achieve the identified health goals.
• Limits prescription of specific psychotropic medications as outlined in nursing policy.
• Identifies patient education needs and provides for relevant education.
• Initiates referrals and/or consultations as appropriate to achieve an interdisciplinary plan of care including referrals to community agencies.
• Determines effectiveness of the plan of care through documentation of client (patient) care outcomes.
• Is proactive in identifying potential emergency/crisis situations and providing appropriate interventions.
• Admits outpatients to inpatient service and collaborates with physician when indicated.
• Provides education for nursing staff as needed.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Qualifications

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.
• 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.
• 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)
• 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.
• RNs appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English.

Preferred Experience: One (1) year of nurse practitioner experience.

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.

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.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.