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Posted: February 9, 2026 (1 day ago)

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Registered Nurse - High Reliability Organization Lead / Performance Improvement

Veterans Health Administration

Department of Veterans Affairs

Fresh

Location

Salary

$63,446 - $114,610

per year

Closes

February 19, 2026More VA jobs →

Job Description

Summary

This role involves leading efforts to improve performance and ensure high reliability in healthcare operations at a VA hospital, focusing on safety, quality, and efficiency in patient care.

It suits experienced nurses who enjoy analyzing data, managing projects, and driving organizational improvements to better serve veterans.

A good fit would be a proactive registered nurse with a background in inpatient care and interest in process optimization.

Key Requirements

  • Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a professional nurse in a U.S. state, territory, or commonwealth
  • Proficiency in basic written and spoken English
  • Graduation from an approved school of professional nursing accredited by ACEN or CCNE (or equivalent for foreign education with validation)
  • For higher levels: ADN/Diploma with 1+ years of specialized nursing experience, or BSN with no additional experience required
  • Preferred: Training in Lean methodologies, project leadership experience, and skills in data management and analysis
  • Demonstrated competencies in practice, leadership, veteran/patient-driven care, professional development, and evidence-based practice

Full Job Description

This positions is only open to Regular Employees within the Sioux Falls VA Healthcare System. 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.

Preferred Qualifications: Lean Training Project Leadership Data management/analysis Inpatient nursing Grade Determinations: The following Scope, Education and Dimension criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade.

The Dimension requirements (Practice, Veteran/Patient Driven Care, Leadership, Professional Development and Evidence-Based Practice/Research) are detailed for each grade and level within the online assessment: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12880087.

Grade/Level Scope Education Nurse I, Level I Delivers fundamental, knowledge-based care to assigned clients while developing technical competencies.

An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional professional nursing required.

Nurse I, Level II Demonstrates integration of biopsychosocial concepts, cognitive skills and technically competent practice in providing care to clients with basic or complex.

An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 1 year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 1 ;OR a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional professional nursing experience required.

Nurse I, Level III Demonstrates proficiency in practice based on conscious and deliberate planning. Self-directed in goal setting for managing complex client situations.

An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 2 years of professional nursing experience in which one year is equivalent to Nurse I, Level 2; OR a BSN and 1 year of professional nursing experience equivalent to the Nurse I, Level 2; OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) and no additional professional nursing experience; OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and no additional professional nursing experience.

Nurse II Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others.

A BSN with 2 years of professional nursing equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR an MSN with one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with no professional nursing experience; OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN with no additional professional nursing experience.

Nurse III Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience and creative approaches to management of complex client care beyond the immediate practice setting.

MSN and 2 years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Master's degree in *related field with BSN and two years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III.

*Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position.

Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. Major Duties:

The High Reliability Organization (HRO) Lead/Performance Improvement Registered Nurse (RN) executes leadership characterized by substantial responsibility and accountability, working with all levels of staff across the facility.

The RN fosters improvements in patient safety, healthcare quality, and organizational culture.

Completes orientation according to expected standards Works with close supervision and is responsible and accountable for individual nursing practice Manages workload, organizes, and completes assignments efficiently Participates in the development, implementation, and evaluation of interdisciplinary care Establishes therapeutic relationships to help patients attain, maintain, or regain optimal function through assessment and treatment Demonstrates knowledge of ethical issues related to professional nursing practice and follows established policies of the practice setting, Veterans Affairs (VA), and American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics for Nurses Demonstrates positive, effective communication skills and professional behaviors that promote cooperation and teamwork Participates in unit-based educational activities and continuing education requirements Maintains and grows HRO foundational practices.

Identifies vulnerabilities and develops processes and programs that advance the facility's HRO journey.

Assists the health care system in implementing actions to meet targets on the HRO Strategic Plan and focuses on improving metrics that are measured on the Enterprise HRO Dashboard and other quality reporting systems.

Provides expertise in clinical documentation improvement and is responsible for managing, assessing and reviewing a patient's medical records to ensure that all the information documented reflects the patient's severity of illness, clinical treatment and the accuracy of documentation.

Performs concurrent reviews of medical records, validating diagnosis codes, identifying missing diagnosis, and querying physicians and other healthcare providers for more specifics so documentation is accurate and complete.

Collaborates closely with the inpatient clinical and coding teams to enhance patient care and improve quality measures through complete and accurate documentation.

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: 7:30 am - 4:00 pm Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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Posted on USAJOBS: 2/9/2026 | Added to FreshGovJobs: 2/10/2026

Source: USAJOBS | ID: CBSY-12880087-26-JCS