Registered Nurse - Accreditation Specialist

About the role

The Charleston VA Medical Center is actively seeking a Registered Nurse - Accreditation Specialist in Quality and Patient Safety Service at their Savannah, GA location. Functions as a clinical expert and executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches to management of complex patient care.

Assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates delivery of care based on age specific components.

What you will do

• Functions as a clinical expert and executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches to management of complex patient care.
• Assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates delivery of care based on age specific components.
• Demonstrates performance and leadership that is broad enough to improve the care for a group of patients.
• Demonstrates sound decision-making and judgment and possess excellent interpersonal skills.
• Self-directed and influences care outcomes by collaborating with members of the interdisciplinary team and leading innovative process improvement initiatives.
• Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches to management of complex client care.
• This incumbent is responsible for the management of accreditation activities for the medical center and CBOCs which encompasses planning, organizing, directing, and overseeing accreditation and other external surveys and site visits such as: Joint Commission, CAP, OIG, OMI, etc. The Accreditation Specialist assures communications from external review bodies are disseminated to management officials on a timely basis.
• Duties include but not limited to: The Quality Management (QM) Consultant Registered Nurse (RN) demonstrates leadership, experience, and creative approaches to improvement in quality-of-care outcomes.
• The QM Consultant demonstrates performance and leadership that is broad enough to improve the care for a group of patients.
• The QM Consultant is responsible for the documented outcomes at the program or service level.
• Program or service level outcomes must be broad and complex and can be demonstrated at any organizational level within a facility.
• Program is defined as a substantial coordinated group of activities impacting patients and/or employees.
• The QM Consultant is assigned responsibility for their assigned quality management program area activities for the Medical Center and all off-site locations.
• The QM Consultant collects data, monitors staff compliance with relevant policies, directives, and standards, provides reports detailing trends, and provides direct staff support to all services in planning, designing, integrating, implementing, modifying, and administering, a comprehensive quality management program area.
• They participate in several facility councils, committees, and workgroups.
• Executes the position responsibilities that demonstrate effective leadership, detailed planning, professional communication, creative and innovative approaches to the improvement of safety/healthcare program development and possess an ability to organize priorities.
• The QM Consultant works in concert with leaders and others to sustain safety, modeling High Reliability Organization (HRO) practices.
• The QM Consultant performs duties directly contributing to high quality and safe patient care within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
• Duties require the ability to apply specialized principles and practices to ensure a systems approach to healthcare delivery.
• T he QM Consultant directly supports facility leadership in areas of planning, organization, development, direction, and evaluation of the quality program within the facility.
• 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, Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 4:00 pm (Extended hours as needed.
• Subject to change based on agency needs.) Telework: Ad hoc available based off supervisory discretion.
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized.
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

• 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.
• A drug test is required for this position; and the position is subject to random drug testing.
• 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.

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. For further information, visit: ***

How you will be evaluated

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC.

WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

NOTE: Candidate's education, scope, and length of nursing practice (experience) will be considered in determining the grade and salary of the applicant selected. The recommended salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy.

Experience as an RN will be evaluated to determine if the experience is of an acceptable level of quality with regard to the following five dimensions of nursing: Practice, Veteran/Patient Driven Care, Leadership, Professional Development, and Evidence/Based Practice/Research.

Each dimension of practice has criteria that demonstrate essential core competencies for VHA Nursing Personnel. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social).

Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Documents you must provide

• You are encouraged to build your resume using the Resume Builder on *** but if you choose to use your own résumé, then you must describe your job-related qualifications that include beginning and ending dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2009) for paid and non-paid work experience, hours worked per week, month and year of employment for each job title listed.
• If not provided, we cannot assume your work experience is full time, part-time, intermittent, etc. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your work experience in detail.
• We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications.
• SF 50, Notification for Personnel Action (APPLICABLE ONLY TO CURRENT PERMANENT FEDERAL EMPLOYEES): You must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50).
• SF50 must include (at a minimum) position title, tenure, grade, step and salary.
• SF50 must be dated within the previous 12 months.
• Do not submit PERFORMANCE AWARD SF50s.The following documents are accepted and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position.
• The following documents are accepted and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position.
• Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (VA) License Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV) Other (1) Performance Appraisal Professional Certification Separation Notice (RIF) SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript Veterans' Preference Note: Preference eligible candidates and other Veterans will be given preference when qualification of candidates are approximately equal for Title 38 positions in VHA.
• When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire.
• You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.).
• If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation.
• Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form.
• Documentation is required to award preference.
• For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

What to expect next

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met.

After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued, and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center. NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service.

HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities.

HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities.

HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.

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.