Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) Nurse

The Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) is a 10-bed unit specializing in surgery, vascular surgery, neurosurgery and abdominal surgery. Duties include but not limited to:

• Fully participates, in collaboration with the multidisciplinary care team, in providing direct patient care to the critically ill Veteran post-operatively and any medical overflow patient.
• Responsible and accountable for individual nursing practice and delivery of optimal care (ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses).
• Trained on and maintains competence in use of low-use/high-risk equipment- IABP, CRRT and others. This includes equipment that promotes safety in patient movement, ambulation.
• Monitors cardiac rhythms, ventilation status, lab values, mentation, post-operative considerations and other factors in providing direct patient care.
• Provides nursing report in team rounds in provision of patient advocacy.
• Utilizes established references to safely and effectively perform nursing procedures.
• Recognizes changes to patient condition requiring intervention and responds appropriately-change in VS and/or mentation, indication of respiratory distress, bleeding from operative or other sites, and other variations from normal/patient baseline
• Formulates a plan of care based on nursing assessments, using the nursing process, based on the ANA Standards of Nursing. Adapts plan based on outcomes and evaluation.
• Includes the patient and family/significant other in developing the initial plan of care and establishing goals.
• Assesses patient (and family) basic learning needs and provides instruction on basic health information and discharge instruction.
• Documentation is consistent, accurate, concise, and timely-CPRS, BCMA, ICCA, and potentially others.
• Recognizes critical patient care situations and initiates effective actions in emergencies.
• Functions as a collegial team member in provision of care throughout the unit.

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: Day/Night rotation depending on need. Shifts: 7:30AM to 4:00PM OR 7:30AM to 8:00PM OR 7:30PM to 8:00AM OR 11:30PM to 8:00AM. The goal being 3 months rotation at a time.

Compressed/Flexible: Authorized

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

EDRP Authorized: This position is eligible for EDRP, a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of your start date. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP Participants are ineligible to apply for the program. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov for questions/assistance. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized