Nurse - Patient Flow Coordinator

Summary

The Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center is seeking a Registered Nurse, Patient Flow Coordinator to fill the role in Nursing, Primary Care. The position is assigned responsibility for providing comprehensive, high quality, cost effective healthcare services to patients who are rendered care at the Tuscaloosa VA and by / through community providers.

Duties

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General Description of Assigned Duties :

Responsible and accountable for all elements of the nursing process when providing and / or supervising direct patient care. Demonstrates knowledge concerning the care and movement of patients throughout the facility. Accountable for patient care through the coordination of admissions and transfers of Veterans to and within the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), along with those originating from other facilities both Veterans Affairs (VA) and non-VA. Assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates care based on age-specific components. Assumes responsibility for the coordination of care focused on patient education, self-management, and customer satisfaction throughout the continuum of care. Follows procedures per established policies and guidelines. Influences care outcomes by collaborating with members of the interdisciplinary team. Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches to management of complex client care.

Functions or Scope of Assigned Duties :

The Nurse Patient Flow Coordinator (PFC) Registered Nurse (RN) executes position responsibilities that demonstrate expert leadership, experience, and creative approaches in providing complex patient management. Provides indirect and / or direct nursing care to patients with complex needs as related to transfers, admissions, telephone triage, and discharges. Collaborates with the interdisciplinary team to validate and / or collect initial patient information such as Veteran benefit eligibility, insurance status, Veteran travel eligibility, and bed availability at the VAMC.

• Facilitates the transfer process by working with the interdisciplinary team to establish appropriateness of admission and provider coverage based on review of medical information. Assists with travel arrangements as needed and facilitates nursing report. Facilitates bed control, placing patients on the most appropriate unit. Uses established bed control monitor devices, i.e., Bed Management System (BMS), Emergency Department Integrated System (EDIS), Capacity Management, to assist in the assignment of patients to the appropriate unit.
• The PFC coordinates care with multiple providers across all levels and sites of care. Coordination also includes assuring services interface within the VA and community programs to provide continuity of care to patients. Accurately manages bed control monitor devices. Participates in interdisciplinary care rounds and / or conferences to review treatment goals, optimize resource utilization, and recommends alternate levels of care when acute care is not required or recommended.
• Effectively communicates census and bed availability on all patient VN-0610-03 Registered Nurse III (Patient Flow Coordinator) Resolves bed utilization issues. Processes admission requests from providers, clinics, and other VA or community hospitals.
• Educates internal and external customers on the VAMC admission / transfer process. Monitors the efficiency of transfers and discharges. Works with Environmental Management Services (EMS) to prioritize the need for rooms to be cleaned.
• Acts as a resource across departments / services to provide help and training as needed to both clinical and non-clinical staff. Participates on interdisciplinary committees / teams / task forces focused on the facilitation of patient flow and organizational performance.
• The PFC collaborates in the development, implementation, evaluation, and revision of policies, procedures, and / or guidelines to ensure the delivery of safe, efficient, and effective evidence-based care. Demonstrates performance and leadership that is broad enough to improve the care for a group of patients. Provides peers with formal or informal constructive feedback for improvement. Supports colleagues and other nurses through knowledge sharing to provide safe, quality nursing care. Fosters a safe and supportive environment conducive to the professional development of health care professionals. Evaluates outcomes of evidence-based decisions and practice changes for individuals, groups, and populations.

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 - 4 : 00pm Monday - Friday (Work schedule subject to change based on agency needs).

Compressed / Flexible : N / A

Telework : N / A

Virtual : This is not a virtual position.

Relocation / Recruitment Incentives : N / A

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : N / A

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Qualifications

Basic Requirements :

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 :

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

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

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

Preferred Experience :

Experience in Care Coordination or Case Management.

Familiarity with transitions of care, interdisciplinary collaboration, and discharge processes is highly valuable.

Knowledge of Bed Management Systems and EHRs(e.g., CPRS, VistA).

Comfort with electronic systems used to track patient movement and availability of beds is essential.

Strong communication and interpersonal Skills.

Coordinators must work across departments (nursing, physicians, social work, environmental services, etc.) to ensure smooth patient flow.

Reference : For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

Physical Requirements : Position is subject to a pre-employment physical and medical examination. This position requires : lifting, carrying; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; walking (8 hours); standing (8 hours); repeated bending; working alone; protracted or irregular hours of work and occasional emotional strain.

Education

IMPORTANT : A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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 :

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.

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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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.