Summary

This position is located at the Richard L. Roudebush VAMC, IN within the PCS Procedural Medicine service. The Referral Coordination Team (RCT) Registered Nurse is responsible for executing a streamlined approach to receiving, triaging, and directing timely, coordinated care. The RCT possesses knowledge of the internal referral care process, clinical review criteria, utilization management standards, clinical documentation requirements, community care regulations, and VHA standards/guidelines.

This job is open to

• Internal to an agency
  
  Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

Clarification from the agency

Open to current, permanent employees of the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center & subsidiary CBOCs; and past/current/upcoming VA Health Professional Trainees (HPTs) of related educational field.

Videos

Duties

Duties include but are not limited to:

- Manage and triages all incoming consults according to current VHA guidelines to get patient to first appointment prepared with all records/ documentation needed by provider.

- Demonstrates ability to educate patients and families to all available care options and advocate for the Veteran's choice of care.

- Knowledgeable of RCI Guidebook, OCC Field Guidebook, VISN 10 RCI SOP, and VHA Directives and utilizes these tools to guide practice.

- Provides scheduling for Veterans who choose to keep care in VA during the RCI phone call.

- Competent in Consult Toolbox, CTM, RMS (or other scheduling tools) and utilizes these appropriately.

- Follows Service Agreements and Triage Tools to guide consult management.

- Collaborates with appropriate provider for plan of care of complex cases, or guidance is needed outside of the Triage Tool is needed.

- Documents consult triage on consult, clearly outlining prework needed/completed, additional info needed per Service Agreement/Triage Tool, clear plan, scheduling instructions, and next steps for patient.

- Communication with patients to discuss all appropriate care delivery options.

- Liaison with PACT RN, CC RN, Specialty Area Case Managers, and CC&ICM Lead Coordinators to ensure referrals are complete with clear reason/question, consult is triaged and prepared for specialty clinic or community care visit, collaboration with Lead Coordinator RNs for high utilizers/complex patients.

- Liaison with RCI RNs from other facilities to allow for timely and appropriate care for consults that are sent via IFC.

- When CC chosen by patient for care delivery, places CC consult and facilitates clinical approval of CC per DOA, works with CC to ensure handoff of patient.

- Communicates frequently with Community Care when Veteran is no longer eligible for Community Care and assists in having DOA or PCP enter new specialty consults as needed.

- Alerts DOA to Community Care requests for review and approval/denial.

- Captures Veterans' preferences for Community Care providers prior to forwarding consult to Community Care.

- Prepares patients for their appointments.

- Coordinates care and travel and lodging of patient for all patients including coordination with tertiary facilities.

- Demonstrate ability to educate patient and families.

- Collaboration and handoff to Admin RCT for identified scheduling needs.

- Assists with scheduling needs.

- Follows up with Nurse voicemails in timely manner. Accurately documents all necessary information.

- Accurately utilizes all tools outlined in RCI orientation to guide patient RCI discussions including but not limited to Community Care Wait Time Tracker, VISN 10 Clinical Resource Tool, etc.

- Accurately utilizes the Veteran Choice Dashboard to correctly capture RCI data during Veteran phone conversations.

- Demonstrates effective communication with all team members, nurses, RCI Program Manager, physicians, providers, schedulers, etc. Has ability to handle conflict at lowest level of intervention.

- Demonstrates technological capacity, access, and responsibility required for tele-working.

- Responsible for checking emails daily and responding appropriately.

- Responsible for following hospital policies and VHA directives related to signing on CPRS notes and alerts.

- Responsible for setting a surrogate, away message, and notify team when on planned leave.

- Required to attend huddles, unit meetings, in-services, competencies, and any other learning requirements.

- Responsible for other duties as assigned per RCI Program Manager, facility leadership, and/or designated or delegated by VHA Directives, memorandums, hospital/unit/VISN specific SOPs.

Work Schedule: Full Time, Tour: 7:00 - 3:30pm or 7:30 - 4:00pm Monday thru Friday

Compressed/Flexible: May be Available

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (
  https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
  Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

Qualifications

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: