- Position Title
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
- Agency
- Veterans Health Administration
- Announcement Number
- CAZP-12680414-25-RC Opens in new window
- Open Period
- Thursday, January 30, 2025 to Wednesday, January 28, 2026
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1.
Do you claim Veterans’ Preference?
Preferences
1.
Which of the following items describes your current or recent (within the last five years) political appointee service?
If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.
If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.
Your resume must be submitted in English and include the following information for each job listed:
- Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible)
- Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
- Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
- Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
- Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.
By submitting your application, you are certifying, to the best of your knowledge and belief, all the information submitted by you with your application for employment is true, complete, and made in good faith, and that you have truthfully and accurately represented your work experience, knowledge, skills, abilities and education (degrees, accomplishments, etc.). The information you provide as part of your application may be investigated. You are also certifying, and acknowledging, that misrepresenting your experience or education, or providing false or fraudulent information in, or with your application, may affect your eligibility for appointment and/or continued employment. False or fraudulent statements may be punishable by fine or imprisonment (18 U.S.C. 1001).
Assessment 1
In order to qualify for this position as an Advanced Practice Nurse (Certified Nurse Anesthetist) (APN (CNA)), you must meet the Basic Requirements as well as the additional grade-level requirements.
Applicants pending the completion of educational requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until the education requirements are met.
Applicants that meet the education requirement but do not possess the required license and/or certification yet may be hired at the entry step Nurse II a Graduate Nurse Technician - Nurse Anesthetist on a temporary appointment up to any period not-to-exceed one year and a day while actively pursuing licensure and/or certification.
NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and an APN (CNA) assignment that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the standard (1/29/2024) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/certification.
Applicants pending the completion of educational requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until the education requirements are met.
Applicants that meet the education requirement but do not possess the required license and/or certification yet may be hired at the entry step Nurse II a Graduate Nurse Technician - Nurse Anesthetist on a temporary appointment up to any period not-to-exceed one year and a day while actively pursuing licensure and/or certification.
NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and an APN (CNA) assignment that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the standard (1/29/2024) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/certification.
1.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Are you proficient in basic written and spoken English?
2.
Advanced Practice Nurse (Certified Nurse Anesthetists) must possess a masters or doctoral degree in nurse anesthesia. Nursing education must be from a school of professional nursing anesthesia accredited by Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education Programs (COA) at the time the program was completed by the applicant.
Do you meet the above requirements?
Do you meet the above requirements?
3.
Provide the following information regarding the academic institution(s) from which you received your APN (CNA) education.
Name of Academic Institution
City and State
Level of Education (master's, or doctoral degree)
Month and Year conferred (or expected completion date)
Name of Academic Institution
City and State
Level of Education (master's, or doctoral degree)
Month and Year conferred (or expected completion date)
4.
Do you possess an active, current, full and unrestricted license to practice as a CNA or equivalent, in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia.
5.
Provide the following information regarding your APN (CNA) licensure. If you are not licensed yet, indicate the expected date.
Name on License
Issuing state or territory
Complete license number
Expiration date
Name on License
Issuing state or territory
Complete license number
Expiration date
6.
Do you possess full and current certification by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) or an equivalent Nurse Anesthetist certification recognized by the COA.
7.
Provide the following information regarding your APN (CNA) board certification. If you are not certified yet, indicate the expected date.
Name on Certification
Issuing state or territory
Complete license number
Expiration date
Name on Certification
Issuing state or territory
Complete license number
Expiration date
The following criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade.
Applicants pending completion of the degree requirements that meet the other grade-level requirements should select "Yes" as they maybe tentatively selected but may not be hired until their degree is conferred.
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
8.
APN (CNA) II Requirements - Do you meet the following?
- Education and Experience Requirement. Meets basic education requirement for an APN (CNA). Nurse II is considered the entry grade level for APN (CNAs); no experience is required.
- Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. The following list of knowledge, skills and abilities present the minimum skill set expected of an Entry Level CNA. Entry level into practice may include but are not limited to the following:
- Ability to translate into anesthesia care the principles of professional nursing practice including the patients' rights to autonomy, dignity, privacy, and safety.
- Knowledge of current research and practice guidelines to frame anesthesia practice including up to date techniques, pharmacology, and equipment.
- Ability to obtain, document and verify informed anesthesia consent and perform a pre-anesthetic patient history and physical, which includes managing pre-operative consults and interpreting data.
- Ability to formulate a patient-specific anesthetic plan and describe salient anesthetic risks, benefits, and options to the patient.
- Ability to administer inhalational, regional, intravenous, local, and topical anesthetics.
- Skill in detecting and treating anesthesia or surgically related physiologic changes and ability to treat accordingly in order to maintain homeostasis.
- Skill in assessing patient status for appropriateness of transfer of care to another healthcare provider and communicating essential patient information to other providers effectively.
- Ability to participate in collaborative responsibility for proper patient positioning, physiologic monitoring, infection control and anesthesia documentation.
- Skill in responding to emergency situations by providing airway management, fluid and medication administration, invasive line insertion and management and the use of advanced cardiac life support techniques.
- Ability to provide patient care that is abreast of changing concepts and advancements in the profession, (e.g., ultrasound techniques.)
- Ability to practice anesthesia in an interdisciplinary environment utilizing a collaborative concept of anesthesia care.
- Knowledge of quality improvement processes to maintain ongoing review and evaluation of anesthesia care to improve outcomes.
- Ability to demonstrate a practice emphasis on safety, current established guidelines and protocols while recognizing the duty to report unsafe conditions or errors.
9.
APN (CNA) III Requirements- Do you meet the following?
- Education and Experience Requirement: Meets basic education requirement for an APN (CNA) AND One year of specialized APN (CNA) experience equivalent to the APN (CNA) II grade level.
- Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Progressively responsible experience in the administration of anesthetics as indicated in the knowledge, skills and abilities listed below.
- Ability to plan, administer and manage anesthesia for a broad range of complex surgical procedures skillfully employing continuous assessment and anesthetic adaptation based on patient response and comorbidities. Work assignments will vary by facility.
- Ability to participate in assignments that are technically challenging, encompass a variety of anesthetizing locations and utilize advanced equipment and procedures while adapting techniques to solve various complex anesthesia problems including the development of individualized programs of post-op anesthesia care.
- Skill in responsibility and accountability to perform to the extent of the CNA standards of practice as a licensed healthcare professional in any model of anesthesia practice.
- Ability to contribute to the educational mission as a mentor or preceptor providing didactic and clinical instruction in anesthesia to student nurse anesthetists, medical and dental residents, and other health care trainees.
- Knowledge to participate in the development, implementation and maintenance of auditing processes that ensure and improve the quality and consistency of anesthesia and associated documentation.
- Ability to contribute to departmental administrative processes through quality assurance, shared governance, or committee representation as applicable.
- Ability to serve as a representative on interdisciplinary teams to establish and maintain guidelines and communication.
- Skill demonstrated in the ability to embrace the safety culture emphasis by continuously assessing for safety risks, actively reporting safety concerns, and maintaining a just culture by identifying faults in systems rather than individuals.