Summary

The Marion Illinois - VA Health Care System is seeking a full time Registered Nurse (RN) to join VA HCS/Quality Safety Value and High Reliability as a Quality Management Consultant -

Qualifications

Preferred Experience: Three years of any nursing experience or two years of nursing experience in a Long Term/Extended Care - and/or Home Based Primary Care setting - Quality and Continuous Care - Advanced excel Experience preferred - Shares knowledge gained from self-directed professional development activities - verbal and written presentations to all levels of staff - including but no limited to executive leadership. Participates in performance improved activities - Functions as an emerging leader in providing direction to staff to identify - implement and evaluate patient care needs. Collaboration with interdisciplinary teams - HRO principles and values. Any specialty certifications in Nursing - Lean or Six-Sigma

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
• 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/12980155
• 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: Heavy lifting (45 lbs and over)
• Moderate Lifting (15 - 44 lbs)
• Light Lifting (under 15 lbs)
• Heavy Carrying (45 lbs and over)
• Moderate Carrying (15 - 44 lbs)
• Light Carrying (under 15 lbs)
• Pushing (up to 2 hours)
• Reaching above shoulder
• Use of fingers
• Both hands required
• Walking (up to 5 hours)
• Standing (up to 3 hours)
• Repeated bending (up to 2 hours)
• Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously
• Depth perception
• Ability to distinguish basic colors
• Hearing (aid permitted).

Duties

• The Quality Management Consultant serves as a subject-matter expert in healthcare quality - regulatory compliance - and performance improvement
• The consultant provides guidance - analysis - and leadership to support a robust Quality Management System (QMS) that ensures safe - effective - patient-centered care across all services
• The role collaborates closely with clinical and administrative leaders - front-line staff - and interdisciplinary teams to drive continuous improvement and maintain full compliance with VA - VHA - and external accreditation standardsMajor Duties and Responsibilities Quality Program Leadership and Consultation Provides expert consultation to service lines on quality principles - improvement methodologies - and data-driven decision-making
• Advises leadership on risk trends - compliance issues - and organizational performance
• Supports development and deployment of QMS policies - procedures - and standard work
• Performance Improvement (PI) Activities Facilitates PI projects using Lean - PDSA - Six Sigma - and other approved methodologies
• Guides teams through problem identification - project chartering - data analysis - and outcome evaluation
• Monitors progress and sustainability of improvement initiatives
• Data Analysis and Reporting Interprets performance metrics from internal and external sources - including SAIL - ORYX - HEDIS - SHEP - and internal dashboards
• Identifies variations - trends - and opportunities for improvement
• Prepares clear and actionable reports for leadership committees and workgroups
• Accreditation & Regulatory Compliance Supports ongoing readiness for Joint Commission - OIG - CARF - and other regulatory bodies
• Conducts tracers - audits - and assessments to evaluate compliance with standards
• Collaborates with services to develop corrective action plans and monitor implementation
• Risk Management & Patient Safety Collaboration Coordinates with Patient Safety - Risk Management - Infection Prevention - and other oversight programs to address system vulnerabilities
• Assists in root cause analyses - proactive risk assessments - and process reviews
• Tracks and follows up on recommendations and actions to reduce harm
• Education and Training Provides training on quality improvement tools - methodologies - and regulatory standards
• Coaches clinical and non-clinical staff in the application of evidence-based improvement strategies
• Develops educational materials - guides - and presentations
• Committee and Workgroup Support Serves as a key resource for quality-related committees and interdisciplinary teams
• Prepares agenda materials - data summaries - minutes - and follow-up actions
• Tracks performance measures assigned to committees and monitors progress
• Document and Process Management Maintains QMS documentation including policies - audits - dashboards - and performance plans
• Supports the development and maintenance of service-level performance improvement plans
• Ensures accurate documentation and timely submission of required reports 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: M-F 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): not authorized