Summary
The Lexington VA Health Care System's Quality Department is looking for two dedicated Patient Safety Manager (PSM) Registered Nurse to join our team. In this critical role, you will advance the safety and quality of care for our Veterans. As the facility's lead for patient safety, you will promote a culture of safety, implement key policies, and collaborate across disciplines to improve patient outcomes throughout the continuum of care.
Duties
Key Duties and Responsibilities: The Patient Safety Manager (PSM) Registered Nurse (RN) executes position responsibilities that demonstrate beginning leadership skills and participates in specific program experiences. They demonstrate creative approaches to the management of program aspects of complex patient care. The PSM demonstrates performance and beginning leadership skills that start to impact the standard of care and safety of staff while caring for all patients throughout the continuum of care. The PSM functions as the lead manager and implementer of patient safety policies and activities developed by the National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS) and is the facility's key person to help build and implement patient safety systems and promote the culture of safety within Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities and for VA patients in all healthcare settings. Direct support is provided to the development, maintenance, and operation of the VHA's patient safety process at the facility level. This includes working with all levels of staff within the facility, including top-level management, Root Cause Analysis (RCA) team members, RCA team leaders, and RCA recorders. They are responsible for a facility wide program for all services within the organization that meets the requirements of National Directives. The PSM will oversee the provision of staff education, orientation, competencies and providing quality improvement consultation related to the program specifically. The PSM continuously evaluates the program, collecting and submitting facility performance measures. Demonstrates knowledge of and appropriate response to requirements, reviews, and findings of regulatory agencies (i.e.: National Center for Patient Safety, The Joint Commission, the Office of Inspector General, VISN 9 Offices. Provides support to the agency and to all regulatory and inspection teams in preparation for and during site visits. Deliver knowledge-based, patient-centered care while continuously developing technical and leadership skills. Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate care with consideration for age-specific and population-based needs. Coordinate and document program outcomes that demonstrate broad, complex impact at the facility and VISN level. Demonstrate sound decision-making, judgment, and excellent interpersonal communication with patients, staff, and leadership. Lead the facility implementation of patient safety systems and initiatives developed by the National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS). Drive process improvement initiatives in collaboration with interdisciplinary teams, Root Cause Analysis (RCA) members, and organizational leadership. Oversee and deliver staff education, orientation, and competencies related to patient safety, fostering ongoing learning and compliance. Collect, evaluate, and submit facility performance measures to track program effectiveness and identify areas for improvement. Ensure program activities and outcomes are in compliance with National Directives and meet regulatory agency requirements, including The Joint Commission and the Office of Inspector General. Support the organization and regulatory inspection teams in the preparation for, and participation in, all relevant site visits. Promote patient education, self-management, and customer satisfaction as integral components of care delivery. 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 Pay Scale: N07K Work Schedule: M-F 7am-3:30pm Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Recruitment incentive may be authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
Requirements
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. 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). You may be required to serve a probationary period. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
How you will be evaluated
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. NOTE: Candidate's education, scope, and length of nursing practice (experience) will be considered in determining the grade and salary of the applicant selected. The recommended salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy. Experience as an RN will be evaluated to determine if the experience is of an acceptable level of quality with regard to the following five dimensions of nursing: Practice, Veteran/Patient Driven Care, Leadership, Professional Development, and Evidence/Based Practice/Research. Each dimension of practice has criteria that demonstrate essential core competencies for VHA Nursing Personnel. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.