Registered Nurse - Chief Sterile Processing Service

<p>The Chief of Sterile Processing Service (SPS) is a direct report to the Associate Director for Patient Care Services (ADPCS). This position is characterized by substantial and continuous responsibility and accountability for population groups or integrated programs that cross service and/or discipline lines that influence the organizational mission and health care. The Chief of SPS is responsible for administrative functions of the SPS program.</p><h3>Major Duties</h3><p>The Nurse IV Chief of SPS plays a leadership role in ongoing systematic evaluation and improvement of quality and effectiveness of SPS program outcomes. They provide health system-wide leadership for critical and semi-critical RMD, including sterile storage, reprocessing, standard operating procedures (SOP), competency assessment, selection, operation, and maintenance of reprocessing equipment, staff education program for RMDs, and quality management of SPS. Other duties included but not limited to the following: Responsible for assessing, monitoring, developing, and implementing corrective action plans for instrument processing, decontamination, sterilization, storage, biological monitoring, and high-level disinfection monitoring through an SPS Quality Management System. Maintains oversight and availability for consultation of non-critical RMD. Assesses the environment, analyzes trends, transmits data, communicates ideas, develops, and implements policies, initiates programs and systems, and collaborates in the management of resources. Knowledge in areas of patient care practices, microbiology asepsis, disinfection/sterilization process, adult education, infectious diseases, communication, program administration and epidemiology. Responsibility and oversight of evidence-based practice (EBP) infection control relating to sterile processing standards. Specific activities include but are not limited to education program development, evaluating concepts and project development, mentoring staff, and medical providers in sterile processing principles and in the implementation of projects, data collection techniques, statistical analysis, and developing evidence based clinical guidelines and protocols. Formulates, builds upon, and sustains key relationships with the members of the Office for Sterile Processing (OSP) and the Office of Nursing Services (ONS). Executes leadership that is characterized by substantial and continuous responsibility and accountability for integrated programs that cross service and or discipline lines and influence organizational mission and safe, infection-free health care. Serves as the subject matter expert for all SPS activities and provides consultation when called upon. Collaborates with various surgical proprietary vendors that provide instrumentation that allow the agency to maintain inventory par levels that support the complex surgical cases. Chairs the Hospital RMD Committee and provides reports to both VISN and the National Program Office for Sterile Processing regularly. Executes leadership with accountability over the RMD program which includes the tracking of all equipment and preventive maintenance scheduling/management of a large inventory of SPS technology. Directs multi-service leadership and staff in the development and maintenance of SOPs for the sterilization and decontamination of all facility RMD. Functions as an advisor, administrator, educator, consultant, and mentor who possesses a wide range of experience and leadership ability. Provides senior leadership and oversight for daily clinical and administrative operations within SPS program as directed by the ADPCS. Supports the integration and collaboration of sterile processing with other professional disciplines and functional areas in the mutual achievement of patient-centered and organizational goals. Contributes ideas and recommendations for the establishment of standards of care, policies, and objectives for the enhancement of nursing. Assesses and evaluates facility-wide patient care delivery policies that impacts the SPS program and the facility to support senior leadership goals. Recognizes, and supports the use of technology such as instrument tracking to impact care delivery, extracts operational data to improve patient care outcomes. Consistently communicates and treats customers (patients, visitors, volunteers, and all Medical Center staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. 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: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm, subject to change based on needs of facility Telework: Position is eligible for Telework, may be authorized at Supervisory discretion. 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.