Nurse Manager - Patient Access Center and Patient Flow Services

Nurse Manager Opportunity At Va Puget Sound Healthcare System

The VA Puget Sound Healthcare System is recruiting for a Nurse Manager to perform supervisory duties with the Patient Access Center and Patient Flow services at the VA hospital in Seattle, Washington. The Nurse Manager directly supervises the RN Utilization Management / Discharge Planners, AMSA Discharge Coordinators, Patient Access Center RNs, and Traveling Veteran Coordinators. Responsibilities include ensuring smooth patient flow from admission to discharge, anticipating patient needs, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration to optimize patient care delivery, and supporting creative approaches to managing complex client care.

The Nurse Manager is entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing registered nurse (RN) and advanced medical support assistant (AMSA) staff within the VA Puget Sound Patient Access Center and Patient Flow teams. Major duties include :

• Ensuring smooth patient flow from admission to discharge while anticipating patient needs and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Assuming accountability for the patient care delivery system, including assigning and delegating work, and acting as a resource coordinator by communicating discharge plans effectively with the healthcare team.
• Participating in the facility Utilization Management Committee, leading huddles with executive leadership and multidisciplinary teams, and leading individual team meetings.
• Maintaining knowledge and ensuring compliance with all regulatory and accreditation standards, directives, policies, and standard operating procedures.
• Monitoring and reporting Utilization Management (UM) data to enhance UM performance utilizing InterQual criteria, effective discharge planning, collaborating with ancillary services, and interdisciplinary teams.
• Leading the provision of nursing care to patients with complex care needs utilizing the nursing process in alignment with the ANA Standards of Nursing Practice.
• Supporting, leading, and holding accountable all direct reports.
• Applying clinical knowledge / judgment to lead staff involvement in planning, decision-making, and evaluating outcomes.
• Effectively functioning as a leader, with demonstrated outcomes, for the immediate practice setting.
• Improving Veteran / patient driven care by resolving experience issues such as coordination of care, timeliness or process issues, common themes of dissatisfaction, or environment of care concerns for the immediate practice setting.
• Serving as an advocate and resource for patients, families, and caregivers, especially in the care continuum, to include care in the community and the transition from inpatient to outpatient care.
• Demonstrating the ability to improve the effectiveness of communications and interactions with others, to inspire their cooperation and confidence to ensure safe and effective outcomes.
• Leading teams, contributing to team conferences, and actively collaborating in all phases of patient care planning.
• Successfully integrating objectives, opportunities, and resources.
• Contributing to improved outcomes through leading education initiatives, applying evidence-based practice, and analyzing and improving workflows within the team and practice setting.
• Equipping staff with tools for culturally competent care and promoting a culture of accountability for high-quality, cost-effective outcomes.
• Cultivating alliances across the care continuum, building trust through active listening, engagement, and emotional intelligence.

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 : Full-time, 7 : 30am - 4 : 00pm, Monday - Friday (a compressed work schedule may be negotiable)

Virtual : This is not a virtual position.

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.

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.

Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification 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).

You may be required to serve a probationary period.

Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

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 a temporary basis and later converted to a permanent appointment upon successful completion and graduation from the bridge program.

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 / Research) are detailed for each grade and level within the online assessment :

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