Registered Nurse (Outpatient Staff Nurse-Operating Room)

The Operating Room (OR) Registered Nurse works with an interdisciplinary healthcare team to deliver perioperative nursing care to patients undergoing surgical and invasive procedures. This position is based at Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville, NC, and focuses on individual professional growth and development with increased self-direction.

Clinical Setting

You will work in a fast-paced operating room environment serving multiple surgical specialties. The role requires proficiency in both circulator and scrub positions and competency across all surgical specialties served by the facility.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate and document nursing care delivered to surgical patients and revise the plan of care based on continued assessment during the intraoperative phase according to perioperative standards
• Evaluate patient response to nursing interventions and modify the perioperative nursing care plan to achieve desired outcomes
• Function proficiently in both circulator and scrub roles and maintain competency in all surgical specialties
• Identify potential problems and seek resolution to prevent unfavorable outcomes during surgical intervention
• Use creative approaches to enhance quality of patient care and provider productivity
• Evaluate practice on an ongoing basis using best evidence and provide peers with informal constructive feedback
• Foster a safe and supportive environment conducive to professional development of healthcare professionals
• Act as a clinical consultant hospital-wide
• Collaborate prior to surgery to ensure proper equipment, supplies, imaging, and testing are procured and the operating room is prepared
• Supervise operating room activities during surgical procedures to ensure sterile technique and integrity of the sterile field are maintained
• Provide assistance to anesthesia care providers as required
• Prioritize and organize patient care activities to ensure scheduled cases are completed efficiently and timely
• Perform simple tasks in the clean preparation area as needed
• Administer therapeutic measures as prescribed by the physician, including medication administration, intravenous fluids, and treatments
• Manage patient specimens appropriately, administer medications safely, perform wound interventions, and implement measures to protect patients from surgical site infection
• Participate in development, updating, and evaluation of standards of care and quality improvement monitoring
• Collaborate with other healthcare professionals and service providers to ensure optimal patient care
• Maintain knowledge of current AORN standards, Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Directives, and service-level standard operating procedures
• Competency will be initially validated during orientation and annually thereafter through observation of performance, written reports, or verbal feedback to the Nurse Manager

Required Qualifications

• Current, full, active, and unrestricted RN license from any U.S. state, territory, or commonwealth
• Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate accrediting agency and accredited by either the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) at the time of program completion
• For foreign nursing school graduates: current, full, active, and unrestricted registration; foreign education higher than associate degree requires formal degree equivalency validation from a recognized evaluator such as International Consultants of Delaware (ICD)
• English language proficiency in basic written and spoken English
• U.S. citizenship (non-citizens may only be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA Policy)
• Pass pre-employment physical evaluation and examination
• Pass urinalysis screening for illegal drug use
• Subject to background and security investigation
• Selective Service Registration required for males born after December 31, 1959
• Participation in seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all VA Health Care Personnel

Education

Minimum education requirements vary by grade level:

• Nurse I, Level I: Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing
• Nurse I, Level II: ADN or Diploma in Nursing with 1 year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 1; OR Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional experience
• Nurse I, Level III: ADN or Diploma with 2 years of professional nursing experience (1 year equivalent to Nurse I, Level 2); OR BSN with 1 year of professional nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 2; OR Master's degree in Nursing (MSN) with no additional experience; OR Master's degree in a related field with BSN and no additional experience
• Nurse II: BSN with 2 years of professional nursing equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR MSN with 1 year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR Master's degree in related field with BSN and 1 year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR Doctoral degree in Nursing with no professional nursing experience; OR Doctoral degree in related field with BSN and no additional experience
• Nurse III: MSN with 2 years of specialized nursing experience (1 year equivalent to Nurse II); OR Master's degree in related field with BSN and 2 years of specialized nursing experience (1 year equivalent to Nurse II); OR Doctoral degree in Nursing with 1 year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II; OR Doctoral degree in related field with BSN and 1 year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
• 3 years of experience in perioperative setting
• CNOR (Certified Nurse Operating Room) certification

Schedule and Work Conditions

• Full-time permanent position
• Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM with call requirements
• On-site position; telework not available
• No relocation or recruitment incentives authorized
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS) not authorized
• Travel not required

Compensation and Benefits

• Salary: $76,438 to $157,407 per year (based on grade and experience)
• Regular salary increases and potential performance awards
• 50 days of paid time off annually: 26 days annual leave, 13 days sick leave, 11 paid federal holidays
• Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401(k) with up to 5% employer contribution
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance (many programs can be carried into retirement)
• Comprehensive federal employee benefits package

Additional Requirements

• Complete online onboarding process
• Acceptable form of identification required (effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards must be REAL ID compliant)
• May be required to serve a probationary period
• Participation in seasonal influenza vaccination is a condition of employment; exemptions available for medical or religious reasons (face mask required if exempted)
• This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status
• Represented by a union
• Drug test required
• Background check and credentialing required

Application Deadline

The position will close when 30 applications have been received or by 11:59 PM ET on October 2, 2026, whichever comes first.