Perioperative Services- Nurse Educator

<p>The Nurse Perioperative Educator is responsible for providing expert, evidence-based education to staff. Provides educational instruction and training for nursing staff in Perioperative Services. The Perioperative Nurse Educator understands instructional design, implementation, and application related to education and training. Designs, implements, and evaluates comprehensive orientation programs for new perioperative nursing staff, including RNs, LPNs, and unlicensed assistive personnel.</p><h3>Major Duties</h3><p>The Perioperative Nurse Educator is responsible for the development, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of educational programs that support perioperative nursing practice within the VA Medical Center. The Perioperative Nurse Educator ensures staff competency, regulatory compliance, patient safety, and evidence-based practice across all perioperative services. This role supports onboarding, ongoing education, clinical competency validation, performance improvement initiatives, and interprofessional collaboration to optimize surgical outcomes for Veterans. The Perioperative Nurse Educator functions as a clinical expert, consultant, mentor, and change agent, aligning perioperative education with VA standards, The Joint Commission requirements, AORN guidelines, and evidence-based best practices. Responsible and accountable for all elements of the nursing process when providing and/or supervising staff education. Delivers a fundamental understanding of adult learning principles and a lifelong learner that can practice with flexibility to adapt or change learning strategies based on the assessment of learning needs within the healthcare organization. Assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates educational needs to facilitate learner development and skill training of surgical staff. Utilizes innovative teaching strategies, assessment skills, and evaluation of outcomes. Assumes responsibility for the coordination of education focused on staff education, self-management, and customer satisfaction throughout the healthcare continuum. Follows procedures per established policies and guidelines. Influences care outcomes by collaborating with members of the interdisciplinary team. Core elements of performance include knowledge and active participation in the department level quality improvement process and initiatives as well as customer service programs. Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience, and creative approaches to management of complex situations. Provides ongoing education for new and existing OR staff, addressing new equipment, procedures, policies, and regulatory updates. Develops and delivers competency-based education aligned with AORN, VA, and national perioperative standards. Maintains annual competency assessments, skills validation, and documentation for all Perioperative personnel. Identifies learning needs through performance data, staff feedback, and quality indicators. Serves as a clinical resource and subject matter expert for perioperative nursing practice. Provides real-time coaching and mentoring to staff in the clinical environment. 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: Full-Time. Monday-Friday. The work schedule is flexible. The incumbent may be required to begin work earlier than the established tour of duty. Typical alternate tour of duty hours include: 0700-1530; 0730-1600; and 0800-1630. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized</p><h3>Requirements</h3>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 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.<h3>Education</h3>IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: All Registered Nurses must be a 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. 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).