Registered Nurse (Inpatient Mental Health Unit - IPU)

To qualify, you must be a U.S. Citizen proficient in English, a graduate of an accredited nursing plan (ACEN or CCNE), and keep an active, unrestricted RN license in a U.S. State or territory. Grade determination is set on education and know-how, from Nurse I Level I through Nurse III.

• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in core written and spoken English as called for by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
• Education: Graduate of a school of expert nursing accredited by ACEN or CCNE at the time of scheme completion. Foreign graduates require a present, packed, active, and unrestricted registration; higher education needs equivalency validation (e.g., ICD).
• Licensure: Existing, complete, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or the District of Columbia.
• Graduate Nurse Technician (GNT) Exception: Candidates meeting education but lacking licensure may be appointed on a 120-day temporary appointment whereas pursuing licensure, extendable up to two years.
• Grade Determinations: Nurse I, Level I: ADN or diploma, no additional background. Nurse I, Level II: ADN/diploma + 1 year expertise, or BSN. Nurse I, Level III: ADN/diploma + 2 years (1 year at Level II), or BSN + 1 year, or MSN, or master's in related field with BSN. Nurse II: BSN + 2 years (1 year at Nurse I Level III), or MSN + 1 year, or master's in related field with BSN + 1 year, or doctoral degree in nursing…
• Preferred Know-how: Mental Health background is preferred.
• Grandfathering Provision: Present VHA employees in the 0610 series performing responsibilities as of January 29, 2024, are considered to have met all qualification conditions for the grade held.
• Volunteer Expertise: Paid and unpaid know-how, covering volunteer operate, is credited if it reveals the five dimensions of nursing: Practice, Veteran/Patient Driven Care, Leadership, Skilled Development, and Evidence-Based Practice/Research.

Give and lead competent, evidence-based psychiatric nursing care, including patient-centered and recovery-oriented care and milieu management.

• Facilitate shift reports, mild hand-offs, and nurse-led psychoeducational groups using therapeutic communication and de-escalation techniques.
• Actively participate in the interdisciplinary mental health treatment team and Mental Health Environment of Care rounds.
• Assume group lead for psychiatric emergencies, report and support with resolving safety concerns.
• Document nursing assessments, nursing plan of care, patient safety observations, and environmental safety rounds according to facility policy.
• Keep up expert boundaries to safeguard patient vulnerabilities and act in the best interest of the patient.
• Manage licensed vocational nurses and nursing assistants when appropriate to the setting.
• Assist with directing the provision of nursing education, orientation, competencies, and grade improvement initiatives.

U.S. Citizenship required; non-citizens may be appointed only when it isn’t feasible to recruit qualified citizens.

• Subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use before appointment; refusal effects in denial of employment.
• Selective Solution Registration required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Must finish an online onboarding routine and offer acceptable identification (REAL ID compliant after May 7, 2025).
• Must pass a pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination plan is needed for all VA Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• May want to cater to a probationary period.
• Finalize all submission needs thorough in the Called for Documents section.

Wrap up federal gains package such as health insurance, retirement, and paid exit.

• Eligibility for the Education Debt Reduction Scheme (EDRP) with up to $200,000 in student loan repayment over one to five years (subject to VHA policy and submission approval).
• Structured cover scale with grade and pay determination located on education, background, and nursing dimensions.
• Path development chances within the VA system.
• Veterans' preference puts in for Title 38 positions.

First consideration is given to current Eastern Colorado VAHCS employees, second to VA employees nationwide, and third to the public.

• The 2-page resume need doesn’t register to this role; apply the standard Clinical Resume Document.
• Former EDRP participants are ineligible to put in for the Education Debt Reduction Plan.
• All applicants tentatively selected are subject to drug testing.
• REAL ID compliant identification is called for for employment after May 7, 2025.
• Influenza vaccination is mandatory for all VA Health Care Personnel; exemptions may be granted for medical or religious reasons, but face masks are needed.
• Veterans and transitioning solution members are encouraged to stop by the VA for Vets site for profession instruments.
• Contact the VISN 19 HR Contact Center at 719-227-4600 or [email protected] for questions.

The VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System is portion of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, providing wrap up healthcare services to veterans in the Rocky Mountain region. Its primary facility is situated at 1700 N Wheeling St in Aurora, Colorado, offering a span of medical and mental health solutions. This hiring is for the Inpatient Mental Health Unit, which provides specialized psychiatric care in a structured, recovery-oriented environment. The VA is a federal employer known for competitive advantages, path stability, and a public offering workforce dedicated to serving those who served.