Chief (Sterile Processing)-Registered Nurse

Full Job Description

The Chief of Sterile Processing Service (SPS) position is accountable for the SPS as well as oversight of the use of RMD within the Eastern Colorado Health Care System Healthcare System and Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs).

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 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.

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/.

Physical Requirements: The position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity.

This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required.

Mechanical inpatient lifts are provided.

May be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations, operative/invasive procedures, or home settings.

May occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders.

Must be mature flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities, based on patient needs.

Must complete annual Employee Health requirements as a condition of employment. If providing care in home settings or other off-site locations may be required to drive and/or ride in GSA-vehicles.

Major Duties:

The Chief of Sterile Processing Service (SPS) is characterized by substantial and continuous responsibility and accountability for population groups or integrated programs that cross service and/or discipline lines that influence the organizational mission and health care of the Eastern Colorado Health Care System, a complexity 1a facility.

Duties of the position include, but are not limited to: Administrative functions of the SPS program which includes membership on the following committees: Infection Prevention/Control; Water Safety Committee (Biomedical Engineering); Clinical Executive Council (CEC); Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISN) 19 Advisory Board; Clinical Product Review Committee (CPRC); Reusable Medical Device (RMD) Committee; Environment of Care (EOC) Rounds; and The Enterprise Equipment Request (EER) Committee.

An administrator, educator, and consultant utilizing management theory in collaboration with Patient Care Service (PCS) and other services.

Establishes and maintains relationships with all levels of medical center personnel and relate effectively with customers, and the community as well as program and service leaders at the local and network levels.

Plays a leadership role in ongoing systematic evaluation and improvement of quality and effectiveness of SPS program outcomes.

Responsible for assessing, monitoring, developing, and implementing corrective action plans for instrument processing, decontamination, sterilization, storage, biological monitoring, and high-level disinfection monitoring through an SPS Quality Management System.

Maintains oversight and availability for consultation of non-critical RMD.

Has knowledge in areas of patient care practices, microbiology, asepsis, disinfection/sterilization process, adult education, infectious diseases, communication, program administration and epidemiology.

Has responsibility and oversight of evidence-based practice (EBP) infection control relating to sterile processing standards.

Executes leadership that is characterized by substantial and continuous responsibility and accountability for integrated programs that cross service and/or discipline lines and influence organizational mission and safe, infection-free health care.

Serves as the subject matter expert for all SPS activities and provides consultation when called upon.

The scope of the SPS department is wide-reaching and the consultative information provided to executive leadership impacts the healthcare system at all levels (local, regional, and national).

Collaborates in the development and implementation of policies and procedures relating to sterile processing and infection control practices throughout the healthcare system.

Collaborates with various surgical proprietary vendors that provide instrumentation that allows the agency to maintain inventory par levels that support the complex surgical cases.

Forecast supply and demand of highly specialized surgical instrumentation especially when our facility competes with other healthcare systems in our region (private sector facilities).

Chairs the Hospital RMD Committee (Complexity 1a) and provides reports to both VISN and the National Program Office for Sterile Processing regularly.

Directs multi-service leadership and staff in the development and maintenance of SOPs for the sterilization and decontamination of all facility RMD.

Supports the integration and collaboration of sterile processing with other professional disciplines and functional areas in the mutual achievement of patient-centered and organizational goals.

Establish and maintain effective relationships with all levels of Veteran Affairs (VA) staff, local and nationwide.

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: 7:30am to 4:00pm, Monday to Friday.

Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.