Mental Health Nurse Training | VA Puget Sound Healthcare

Application deadline: May 1, 2023

ideal candidate

Our mental health nurse training is highly recommended and seeks academic excellence. The ideal candidate has the aptitude to thrive in an environment that:

• Collaborative teamwork among professionals,
• patient-centered, team-based clinical care method,
• excellent interpersonal communication skills and
• A passion for providing quality mental health care to veterans within federal medical centers.

eligibility requirements

This training program is intended for graduates who do not have work experience as a mental health nurse. The eligibility requirements before and during this stay are:

• Commitment to a one-year full residency program
• Ability to work at VA medical centers in both Seattle and American Lakes
• Freshly graduated from an accredited master’s, post-master’s, or doctoral level nursing program within 12 months of the start date of training
• Be accredited as a psychiatric/mental health nurse by an AANP or ANCC accredited agency prior to starting the program

• An unrestricted APRN license valid in a U.S. state, federal, territory, or District of Columbia prior to the program start date
• A valid unrestricted RN license in any US State, Federal, Territory, or District of Columbia
• Earn and maintain BLS Healthcare Provider Certification from the American Heart Association
• Maintain evidence or self-certification of up-to-date vaccinations recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and VA for healthcare workers
• Provide evidence of tuberculosis screening or testing recommended by CDC health care provider guidelines
• Possession of two acceptable and valid IDs that meet VA requirements for identity verification of PIV credentials
• Pass a screening against the Department of Health and Human Services Exclusion Individuals and Entities List (LEIE)
• be a U.S. citizen

advantage

This residency is a paid position. The annual amount is set by the VA Academic Associations Authority (OAA). Other benefits include:

• Eligible for full-time VA Paid Trainee Benefits, Federal Employee Health Benefit (FEHB) Healthcare (opm.gov), and some medical plans offer limited dental coverage
• 4 hours of annual leave and 4 hours of sick leave every other week
• 11 days of paid federal leave
• No weekends, on-call or night shifts

How to apply

Questions and complete application packages can be emailed to PUGMHNPR@va.gov.

application package

Applications should be sent as an email with an attachment. Attachment types can be Word or Adobe PDF and can be packaged inside a ZIP file. The application package requirements are:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV). It includes the following information:
• Education including degree completion date
• Graduate Clinical Rotation
• Relevant work experience, including start and end dates
• If applicable, please also include an explanation for any gaps of 3 months or more in your employment history.
• educational activities
• Academic activities such as research and quality improvement projects
• volunteer work
• Include a statement if you are a Health Professional Scholarship Program (HPSP) recipient
• Mental Health Nurse Program Transcript
• 3 professional references (see below for details)
• 1-2 Academic
• 1-2 managers/supervisors (or clinical preceptors) in nursing or other recent place of employment
• Two letters of recommendation from a nursing faculty member and clinician, or a recently hired supervisor or manager
• Essay answers (see question below)

essay question

Your essay answer to the following questions should be one paragraph, preferably no more than 300 words each. Here are the questions:

• What professional, educational, or clinical experience led you to choose a mental health nurse career? Please comment on how you support
• What are your aspirations for your training program? What goals do you want to achieve during your stay at VA?
• Describe your qualities and strengths that contribute positively to this interprofessional training experience. Please be specific.

professional references

Please provide the following information for at least three references: By doing so, you consent to us contacting them.

• name
• professional relationship
• Date of establishment
• work address
• email address
• telephone number

Program details

We use a care team model with interprofessional patient coordination. We work with the following medical professionals:

• psychology
• pharmacy
• social enterprise
• Nurse
• Other hospital specialties

Our training programs facilitate the growth and transition of residents into independent practice through:

• clinical supervision,
• longitudinal guidance,
• leadership opportunities,
• academic quality improvement projects, and
• Continuous feedback through a one-year training program.

Nursing Practitioner Residents participate in a variety of educational sessions throughout the year, including:

• monthly interprofessional lessons,
• Monthly Journal Club on PTSD and other mental health conditions,
• joint care conferences, and
• A trainee led a quality improvement project.

program contact

Program director:

Sarah Frankel, DNP, PMHNP-BC
Mental Health Nurse Training Program Director
Email: PUGMHNPR@va.gov