In part 4 of this series we continue with the registered nursing positions at the Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), which is part of the VA Capitol Health Care Network located in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Nursing is primarily assisting the individual, sick or well, in the performance of those activities contributing to health or its recovery (or to a peaceful death) that would be performed unaided if the patient had the necessary strength, will, or knowledge. It is likewise the unique contribution of nursing to help the individual to be independent of such assistance as soon as possible.

The nurse deliberately assesses the client’s health problems, determines his or her role in coping with these problems, sets a plan of action which the nurse is responsible for implementing, and then determines whether the prescribed methods did indeed affect a satisfactory resolution.

The development of a scientific nursing practice necessitates the use of the scientific method. The nurse identifies actual and potential health problems; diagnoses and treats human response to physical and emotional health problems through such services as case finding, management of health problems, health counseling and teaching; provides care supportive to, or restorative of life and well-being; and assists the patient to comply with a medical regimen prescribed by a licensed physician or dentist.

For additional nursing career information, review Part 2 and Part 3 of this series and visit our GS-0600 Nursing Jobs page.

Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center 

Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center is a general medical and surgical hospital in Martinsburg, WV, with 246 beds. It has service area of more than 126,000 veterans in West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It offers a comprehensive range of services, including internal medicine, ambulatory surgery, audiology, and speech pathology, dental, nursing home, nutrition, podiatry, prosthetics, women’s health, mental health, and rehabilitation medicine.

Registered Nurse Career Path (GS-0610)

The interviews that follow provide insight into specific healthcare specialties, why they entered the field, and the nurses talk about rewarding aspects of their jobs. They also address the demands of the position with recommendations for those who would like to follow in their footsteps.

Home Based Primary Care Nurse

Charlotte M. Scott, RN currently works with Home Based Primary Care in Stephens City and is a RN with the Caregiver Program at the Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Her specialty is Primary Care and Public Health with a background in emergency nursing. She has been a nurse since 1998. Scott has a Bachelors of Nursing (BSN) from Carlow University in Pittsburgh, PA and will complete her Master’s of Nursing (MSN) from the University of Virginia in Public Health Leadership in July 2015.

 

Q&A With Charlotte M. Scott

What is the most rewarding part of your job as a Registered Nurse?

Most rewarding part of my job is knowing I make a difference in helping improve the lives of Veterans. Being able to give back to the Veterans who have served for our country and us.

What is the most challenging part of being a Registered Nurse?

The most challenging part of my job is finding the best avenue to help each Veteran because every person has a unique situation.

Would you recommend Registered Nurse as a good career path?

I would absolutely recommend pursuing a RN career. It has been the most rewarding job I have had. My next adventure in nursing will be perusing my Doctorate in Nursing Practice from the University of Virginia. You will not find a better career path with so many exciting and rewarding opportunities.

Registered Nurse (Home Based Primary Care-HBPC) Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Full-unrestricted Licensure, Certification or Registration required.
• A minimum of three (3) years of successful clinical nursing practice in medical/surgical, and experience in home care is preferred.
• It is preferred that candidates possess demonstrated advanced competency and skills in physical assessment with the ability to organize, plan, set priorities and make decisions in the home setting.
• Excellent assessment skills and the ability to work collaboratively are highly desirable.
• Have and maintain a current certification in BLS/CPR.

Visit our Qualification Standards page for detailed information for each pay grade in this job series. Click on the appropriate occupational title under the GS-0600 family.

Emergency Critical Care Nurse

Daniel T. Schiro, RN currently works in the Emergency Department at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center. He served 2 deployments in Iraq as Medic and retired from the Air Force/Air National Guard. Schiro worked as a Pre-Hospital/In-Hospital Emergency and Trauma Nurse since 2008.

 

Q&A With Daniel T. Schiro

Why did you become a Registered Nurse?

I started as a Medic/EMT in the military, then I became an orderly working nights in a hospital and I wanted more. A few nurses that I worked with convinced me to go back to school and I am happy I did.

What is the most rewarding part of your job as a Registered Nurse?

Helping people through some of the most difficult times of injury and illness.

What is the most demanding part of being a Registered Nurse?

The most rewarding part of nursing can also be the most demanding part. Being with a person on their worst day of their lives can be very uplifting when the outcome is a good one. Unfortunately, the same situation can be very emotionally draining when the outcome is poor. Standing next to a patient, holding their hand, with the family in the room as they pass from this world is the hardest part of nursing.

Would you recommend Registered Nurse as a good career path?    

I would if someone wanted to choose nursing for the right reasons. Nursing is a field that demands a lot of emotion, time and energy that money will never compensate. Those who enter the field for monetary reasons are often disappointed. If you want a career that leaves you fulfilled at the end of the day with a sense that you made a difference in at least one person’s life then nursing is worth the consideration.

Registered Nurse (Emergency Department) Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Full-unrestricted Licensure, Certification, or Registration is required.
• Serve as a staff nurse you will provide prescribed medical treatment and personal care services to ill and injured veterans.
• Duties include documenting observations, assessments, and changes inpatient’s condition; collaborating with health team members to facilitate positive patient care outcomes; providing a full range of nursing care to patients with a variety of physical and/or behavior problems.
• Ability to assume leadership in a patient centered program, and the ability to establish effective communication with patients, families, visitors and members of the interdisciplinary team.
• Work schedule will be such that must be able and willing to rotate tours of duty and or work permanent evening or night tour.
• Minimum of 2 years of recent, full time clinical experience as a RN in Emergency Department or Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Certification in Emergency Nursing is strongly preferred.

Visit our Qualification Standards page for detailed information for each pay grade in this job series. Click on the appropriate occupational title under the GS-0600 family.

ICU Nurse

Julia B. Houser, RN,specialty is medical surgery and ICU at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center.

 

Q&A With Julie B. Houser

Why did you become a Registered Nurse?

I wanted to become a nurse after watching my grandmother battle lung cancer, which spread to the brain. I was so amazed and impressed with how the nursing staff took care of my grandmother and our family.

What is the most rewarding part of your job as a Registered Nurse?

The most rewarding part of the job is getting the patient back to their baseline      and getting them home with their loved ones.

What is the most demanding part of being a Registered Nurse?

The most demanding part of the job is the lives we cannot save. The patients and their families become your second family and you really feel their loss and pain.

Would you recommend Registered Nurse as a good career path?    

I would definitely recommend a career in nursing to someone who has      compassion and wants to make a difference in so many Veterans’ lives. It is     truly an amazing and rewarding career choice.

Registered Nurse (Intensive Care Unit) Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Full-unrestricted Licensure, Certification, or Registration is required.
• Experience in various areas of emergency care.
• The RN is accountable to function as a primary care nurse providing complete nursing care to 1-3 patients each shift while also maintaining a global perspective in order to prioritize work and assist other team members as needed.
• Patients may need advanced life support including mechanical ventilation and/or Continuous Renal Reperfusion Therapy (CRRT).
• Additional assignments include assisting with in-services and staff development.
• Additional duties include maintaining competencies to cross-train as a staff nurse in the Emergency Department, Surgical Post Anesthesia Care Unit, and on the Med/Surg/Psych ward.
• Additional assignments include assisting with staff development, patient education, and applying evidence based practice to unit specific processes.
• In part 5 on registered nurses, we will be interviewing nurses and their specialties from the Washington D.C VA Medical Center.

Visit our Qualification Standards page for detailed information for each pay grade in this job series. Click on the appropriate occupational title under the GS-0600 family

In part 5 we will be interviewing registered nurses in various specialties from the Washington D.C. VA Medical Center.

Credits

• Michele Hammonds, Communications Specialist, US Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA Office of Public Communications (10B2B)
• Photos provided by Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), which is part of the VA Capitol Health Care Network located in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Other career information

• VA Web Site: www.va.gov
• http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm
• GS-0600 Nursing Jobs

Helpful Career Planning Tools 

In part 3 of this series we continue with registered nursing positions at the Baltimore VA Medical Center, a division of the VA Maryland Health Care System.

This series includes all positions for which a professional knowledge of nursing and registration to practice as a professional nurse are the basic requirements. These positions were formerly included in the Nurse Anesthetist Series, GS-0605; the Nurse Series, GS-0610; and the Public Health Nurse Series, GS-0615. All positions above the training levels require the application of specialized knowledge gained through advanced education or experience or both. For example, the nurse anesthetist, the community health nurse, and the nurse specialist each must learn and apply specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities. However, all professional nurse positions require the same basic qualifications as a foundation upon which specialized knowledge is built. Thus, since all those classes of positions share the same basic requirement, all are included in this series.

Similarly, the nursing specialties that will be discussed require the same basic education and physical requirements needed for the occupation. Each of the three Baltimore VA Medical Center nurses interviewed here works in a different specialty, with unique requirements. For additional nursing career information, review Part 2 of this series and  visit our GS-0600 Nursing Jobs page.

Registered Nurse Career Path (GS-0610)

The interviews that follow provide insight into specific healthcare specialties, why they entered the field, and the nurses talk about rewarding aspects of their jobs. They also address the demands of the position with recommendations for those who would like to follow in their footsteps.

Brenda I. Ortiz, RN, BSN works at the Baltimore VA Medical Center and is currently a Patient Safety / Risk Manager assisting veterans in a different way. Ortiz states that, “As a Risk Manager, I’m prepared to handle various issues in multiple settings. I work evaluating and identifying risks to reduce patient safety concerns. I have been a Nurse for 24 years, working at the VA Maryland Health Care System since 2004.” She started her Nursing profession in a Pediatric ward where helping children and their families was very rewarding. While working in the Pediatric ward, she requested to be assigned to the Medical/Surgical Unit, where she gained additional medical experience in that field. Ortiz remarks, “I really enjoyed working with the Medical and Surgical population.”

 

Q&A With Brenda Ortiz

Why did you become a Registered Nurse?

My inspiration to become a Registered Nurse was my Grandmother Francisca, who was a Nurse as well. I remember that every time she came home from work, she always had a smile on her face. She said that it was a great satisfaction helping others, especially those patients who were very sick. She enjoyed making them feel good without hesitation. At that point I knew I wanted to become a Nurse. While attending Nursing School, I met my current husband. We both graduated from college and he became an Officer in the United State Army.

What is the most rewarding part of your job as a Registered Nurse?

After the 9/11 terror attacks, due to military reasons, we moved to Maryland. I knew then that I wanted to serve those who sacrificed their lives to keep the freedom that we enjoy. I started working at the VA Maryland Health Care System in 2004, and working with veterans is the most rewarding part of being a Nurse. I’m able to help/serve those who gave everything for our freedom and for our nation.

As a compassionate Nurse, I love every minute I spend with each veteran/patient, helping them to overcome the difficulties they encounter in the healing process. As a Holistic Nurse, one aims to promote health and wellness in our veterans. Through the years while serving veterans and while working to promote health and caring for them, one learns a lot of history from their point of view, and of course, one gets to cry and laugh with them and their families.

What is the most demanding part of being a Registered Nurse?

The most demanding part of being a Nurse is the long hours of the job and the last minute tasks that have to be completed, which in most cases are unpredictable. However, once you have worked for a period of time, it doesn’t matter. You’ll get used to it. Nursing is also physically demanding, which helps you to stay healthy and in shape since you are exercising from the time you begin your day until the end of the shift.

Would you recommend the Registered Nurse career path?

I’m passionate about Nursing and that is the reason I’d recommend it as the best career/profession ever. In this field, you meet a lot of people and make friends along the way. You are constantly learning while helping patients and their families, for whom you may be their only support. You work hard, laugh and cry, but at the end of the day, I guarantee it will be the most rewarding experience.

Patient Safety Manager Specialty Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Active, current, full, and unrestricted Registered Nurse License.
• A minimum of 5 years of nursing supervisory and program management experience in a Medical Center setting.
• Provides leadership in educational program development.
• Directs operation improvement and automation of Patient Safety Program.
• Develops data collection tools, monitors, and utilize the latest advances in information management technology.
• Serves as an advocate for Veterans and works with frontline staff to monitor and ensure patient safety developing mechanisms for feedback and for implementation of improvements in a all aspects of Veteran’s health care services.

Pamela Nichols, RN, BSN, CNOR works at the Baltimore VA Medical Center and has been an operating room nurse for over 20 years.

 

Pamela Nichols, RN, BSN, CNOR

Q&A With Pamela Nichols

Why did you become a Registered Nurse?

I loved assisting with surgery when I worked as a veterinary technician. I provided anesthesia for multiple types of animals for surgeries and later in research, and that led me to want to do the same for people. I always knew I wanted to be in the OR and went there right out of school. Participating in all different kinds of cases and learning new technologies was something that appealed to me. Nursing job security was something also very important to me.

What is the most rewarding part of your job as a Registered Nurse?
I want the patients and their families to feel they are getting the best possible care. I work hard helping patients get better by providing the safest and most efficient operating room experience. As a charge nurse, I work with multiple disciplines (surgeons, anesthesiologist, blood bank, case managers, vendors, biomedical dept., etc.) to make sure the surgery go smoothly.

What is the most demanding part of being a Registered Nurse?

An OR nurse must be very flexible. Emergencies come up and your whole day can be changed. Every case is different and every person’s response to a surgery can be different. Technology is constantly changing and you must be willing to learn new things.

Would you recommend the Registered Nurse career path?

If you are an energetic, self-motivated person who is willing to care, teach and advocate for others who are unable care for themselves this job is perfect. There are so many different job opportunities in nursing, and fortunately there are always jobs available anywhere you might want to live.

Operating Room Nurse Specialty Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen is required.
• Full-unrestricted Licensure, Certification, or Registration required.
• Have a Masters in Nursing (MSN) or a Masters in a related along with a Bachelors of Nursing (BSN) in a related field.
• Minimum of 2 years of operating room experience.
• Must be able to scrub and circulate in the operating room.
• A minimum of 5 years of successful and progressive acute care nursing practice.
• Demonstrates knowledge of airway management and the ability to use appropriate equipment.
• Focus in on problems and is able to assess cardio-respiratory systems for changes and provide appropriate treatment.
• Specific nursing activities include patient evaluation, creating and maintaining a sterile and safe surgical environment, pre and post operative patient education, monitoring the patients physical and emotional well being, and integrating and coordinating patient.
• This position potentially requires flexibility in schedule and assignments, as this is a 24/7 hospital (i.e. On-Call).
• Makes caring for the Veteran his/her priority while in the work setting and demonstrates customer service principles in all aspects of work.

Audrey M. Pinnock is a Nurse Manager of a Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Post Anesthesia Care Unit, and Interventional Radiology Nurses at the Baltimore VA Medical Center, a division of the VA Maryland Health Care System. Her specialty is in critical care with 33 years in nursing and 29 years as a critical care nurse in ICU, ER, PACU, trauma and transplant. Pinnock has a diverse nursing career background.

 

Q&A With Audrey Pinnock

Why did you become a Registered Nurse?

I became a registered nurse because it was my goal from when I was a young girl to have a career in medicine. I chose nursing because I love interacting with people from all walks of life. I simply love the challenge that comes with each patient. I never know what will happen and I loved putting the puzzle together of understanding what is going on with each patient, and also the satisfaction it brings when I make a difference in the health and life of others. I enjoy teaching patients and helping them to understand what is happening to their bodies and the disease process they are experiencing.

What is the most rewarding part of your job as a Registered Nurse?

The most rewarding part of the job of being a nurse is knowing that the skills and knowledge I have obtained over the years can actually save someone’s life. To see a patient return after a major illness to say words of thanks, and knowing that I had a part in helping that person recover is worth all the sacrifice it took to obtain my nursing degree and knowledge.

What is the most demanding part of being a Registered Nurse?

The most demanding part of being a nurse is delivering the best care possible when we are shorted staffed, and sometimes working long hours over a regular tour of duty to care for our patients and doing it with a smile.

Would you recommend the Registered Nurse career path?

I would recommend nursing as a good career path. A good nurse is never out of a job and there are so many career paths one can take as a nurse that allow you to re-invent your career and gain a broader knowledge base over the years. I have enjoyed caring for our veterans, and in fact I chose to work for the VA because of the veteran patients I cared for in the private sector and the satisfaction I felt caring for them. They made me appreciate the freedoms I took for granted and renewed my dedication to my nursing career.

Critical Care Specialty Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen is required.
• Full-unrestricted Licensure, Certification, or Registration required.
• RN with a minimum of 2 years of critical care experience preferred.
• Oversee the delivery of quality and timely emergency nursing care to a culturally diverse veteran population.
• Assesses, monitors, and treats patient responses to life-threatening health problems, including functioning effectively in an emergency.
• Possess the knowledge and skills in the following areas: ventilator support, acute respiratory failure, post-cardiac catheterization with interventions, medically critical patients with diagnosis such as acute substance abuse withdrawal, acute CVA, multi-system failure, post-operative care of all surgeries, care of spinal cord injury patients with acute surgical or medical interventions Critical Care Unit (CCU) staff also are members of the Code Blue Team and Rapid Response Team.

In part 4 of 6 on registered nurses, we will be interviewing nurses and their specialties fromMartinsburg VA Medical Center.

Credits

• Michele Hammonds, Communications Specialist, US Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA Office of Public Communications (10B2B)
• Photos provided by Baltimore VA Medical Center, a division of the VA Maryland Health Care System.

Other career information

• VA Web Site: www.va.gov
• http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm
• GS-0600 Nursing Jobs

Helpful Career Planning Tools