Registered nurse, care manager/coordinator (interventional pain management)

Summary

The Anesthesia Pain Nurse, Interventional Pain Management Care Manager/Coordinator provides direct patient care across the pain service including Interventional, Chronic & Transitional Pain. This role coordinates care between patients and providers, assists with Interventional Pain procedures, and moderate sedation, conducts patient outreach and education, facilitates communication across the care team and ensures seamless coordination throughout the veterans' treatment journey.

Duties

Major Duties: Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provide and oversee direct patient care using the nursing process, including assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of care.
• Serve as the nurse care manager/coordinator for patients enrolled in the Interventional Pain service.
• Assist providers with patient assessments, interventional pain procedures and procedural conscious/moderate sedation.
• Triage patient telephone calls and address clinical concerns in a timely manner.
• Provide patient and family education on pain management, treatment plans, procedures, self-management strategies, and risk mitigation.
• Coordinate and support outpatient clinic operations to ensure efficient patient care delivery.
• Document assessments, interventions, care coordination activities, and patient outcomes in the electronic health record (CPRS).
• Utilize evidence-based pain management and overdose prevention practices for Veterans under the Chronic Pain Management service.
• Conduct care management communication via telephone and secured messaging to evaluate treatment effectiveness and patient progress.
• Promote Veteran engagement in non-pharmacologic pain management interventions and Whole Health approaches to care.
• Coordinate appointments, verify safety criteria, and remove barriers to care to ensure timely access to services.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members, ancillary services, and referring providers to optimize patient outcomes.
• Lead and participate in quality improvement initiatives, outcome measurement activities, and evidence-based practice projects.
• Provide guidance, mentorship, and education to nursing staff and other healthcare professionals regarding pain management principles and patient care.
• Support team-building efforts through professional communication, collaboration, and promotion of a positive work environment.
• Apply critical thinking and analytical skills to identify opportunities for process improvement and enhanced patient care delivery.
• Maintain current knowledge of chronic pain guidelines, policies, regulations, motivational interviewing techniques, and available Veteran resources.
• Assist Pain Service leadership with service management activities and operational initiatives as assigned.
• Ensure effective cross-coverage and continuity of nursing services within the Pain Service - Interventional, Chronic and Transitional Pain.
• Perform additional clinical and administrative duties as assigned by leadership.

Team-Building

Civil and professional dialogue and interactions. Timely completion and personal mastery of assigned work. Promote accomplishments of others. Support Program Leadership and VA Salt Lake City Health Care System.

Maintain Effective Working Relationships

Relationships with professionals and support personnel within the medical center and the community. Apply critical thinking and analytical skills to identify barriers for optimal patient care delivery and utilize processes improvement strategies to correct or improve current state.

Take Direction

Take work and conduct direction readily and flexibly. Able to cross train in the sub-services (Chronic, Transitional and Interventional Pain).

Professional Knowledge

Maintain professional knowledge and expertise in programs Chronic pain care guidelines, initiatives, legislation, policy, and directives. Motivational interviewing techniques. Customer service enhancement techniques. Service available for veterans at VA Salt Lake City Health Care System and through community partnerships.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package:

• 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 from 7:00AM - 3:30PM.
• Compressed/Flexible: Available (Compressed 9 hours).
• Telework: Not Available.
• 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 evaluation/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 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 than 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.

Preferred Experience

Two years in Pain Management; Two years in ICU/Critical Care.

Reference

For more information on this qualification standard, please visit VA Qualification Standards.

Physical Requirements

The Registered Nurse (RN) must be able to perform all activities of the position without restriction. This position involves considerable standing, walking, stooping, bending, reaching, lifting and turning. It requires repositioning patients and assisting with transferring patients to wheelchairs/stretchers. Mechanical devices when available are required to be used for heavy or difficult to lift patients. The work may involve pushing or lifting in excess of 50 pounds and going up and down flights of stairs. The position requires visual and auditory acuity at a level to provide safe and effective nursing care. The position requires the nurse to work for periods of time with arms above shoulder level or with the neck in a fully flexed or extended position and the ability to physically control or protect him/herself from physically abusive patients. The RN may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations, operative/invasive procedures. The RN may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The RN must be mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities, based on patient needs.

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. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.