Registered Nurse (Mental Health)

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

The Registered Nurse (RN) for the Treatment Resistant Disorder (TRD) Care Coordinator position will serve the Veterans in the Outpatient TRD Program. The patients entering this mode of treatment may have been unsuccessful with therapies for their diagnosis such as major depression, compulsive disorder, eating disorders and some bipolar disorders to name a few. The RN will provide the initial consultation, develop a safe treatment plan with the TRD Provider, schedule the appointment for Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), Transcranial Stimulation (TMS), and the medication regimen for Esketamine, Clozaril, Lithium or a combination of regimens as needed. The RN for TRD will educate the family, caregiver and veteran on the treatment plan with expected outcomes associated with the treatments. The RN will work closely with the interdisciplinary team to provide the safest and most effective plan of treatment based on individual care needs. The treatments may require lab monitoring, scans, adverse events during treatment and proper intervention as needed. Duties include, but not limited to: Conduct pre-procedure nursing assessments, including vital signs, medication reconciliation, and review of NPO status and informed consent for ECT. Provide direct patient care and continuous monitoring during ECT sessions in collaboration with the treating psychiatrist and anesthesia provider. Monitor Veterans during post-procedure recovery, assessing for cognitive status, hemodynamic stability, and treatment-related side effects (e.g., confusion, headache, nausea, cardiac changes). Document treatment response, cognitive assessments, and adverse events in the electronic health record. Educate Veterans and family members/caregivers on the ECT process, expected effects, and treatment schedule. Coordinate scheduling of ECT series (typically 2-3 times weekly) with psychiatry, anesthesia, and outpatient mental health teams. . Participate in interdisciplinary treatment team meetings to review patient progress and adjust treatment plans. Maintain and monitor ECT equipment, emergency response readiness, and adherence to safety protocols. Ensure compliance with VHA directives, Joint Commission standards, and facility-specific policies governing ECT administration. Support quality improvement initiatives related to treatment-resistant depression outcomes and patient safety. Preferred Experience: Minimum of five years successful Mental Health Nursing practice. Prior Case Management Experience in the Treatment of Resistant Disorders and motor threshold (MT) determination, procedures and clinical observation. Experience in psychiatric/mental health nursing, procedural nursing, or PACU/recovery nursing. Experience with ECT or other neuromodulation therapies. Demonstrated ability to work effectively with patients, families and other members of the interdisciplinary team in an outpatient setting. Demonstrated skills in decision-making, sound clinical judgment and critical-thinking abilities Preferred Certification Psychiatric-mental health nursing (PMH-BC). 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, 7:00am - 4:00pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

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.