Summary The Associate Chief Nurse (ACN) provides senior leadership& oversight for daily clinical& administrative operations within nursing as directed by the Associate Director for Patient Care Services (ADPCS). Responsible for ensuring the delivery of nursing care to Veteran patients; managing nursing personnel within GEC programs; including Community Living Center (CLC) and HBPC. The ACN will function as an advisor, administrator, educator, consultant& mentor. Responsibilities Major Duties: The Nurse IV ACN GEC functions as an advisor, administrator, educator, consultant, and mentor who possesses a wide range of experience and leadership ability. The ACN GEC provides senior leadership and oversight for daily clinical and administrative operations within nursing as directed by the Associate Director for Patient Care Services (ADPCS). Responsible for ensuring the delivery of nursing care to Veteran patients and managing nursing personnel within GEC programs to include the Community Living Center (CLC)and HBPC. Collaborates with and provides leadership in the assessment, development, implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive rehabilitation, HBPC and CLC programs. Responsible for efficient and effective management of resources within GEC. Responsible for assessing and recommending the allocations of human and material resources, in determining staffing levels, managing overtime, and recruitment and retention of nursing staff. The ACN GEC supports the integration and collaboration of nursing with other professional disciplines and functional areas in the mutual achievement of patient-centered and organizational goals. They champion a High Reliability Organization (HRO) with a lifestyle of safety founded on a systems approach to developing evidence-based health care solutions based on prevention, not punishment, with collective mindfulness. Fosters a climate for practice that enhances job satisfaction through mutual responsibility for productivity and quality improvement. The ACN GEC collaborates with interdisciplinary team members, including other program and service leaders at the facility and network. They work closely to establish and maintain effective relationships with all levels of Veteran Affairs (VA) staff nationwide. Collaborates to develop goals and objectives that support the strategic plan, meet the needs of the Veteran, and result in positive clinical and administrative outcomes. The ACN GEC relates effectively with customers, families, and the community as well as program and service leaders at the local and network levels. They assist the ADPCS with healthcare operations and the functions and activities expected of them. The ACN GEC contributes ideas and recommendations for the establishment of standards of care, policies, and objectives for the enhancement of nursing. Ensures the GEC program follows statutory law, accrediting organizations, and Veterans Health Administration (VHA) regulations, policies, and procedures. 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; 7:00am- 3:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Ad- hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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 trial 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: 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. OR 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) 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. 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. Preferred Education/Experience: MSN Degree. Supervisory experience and/or experience managing programs is preferred. Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade: Nurse IV - Master's degree in nursing or related field with BSN and approximately 4-5 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing or related field and appropriate basic or advanced certification desired, and approximately 3-4 years of nursing practice/experience. 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/. 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. 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.