8.5-hour shifts

Full details

A VA medical center in Fort Meade, South Dakota, is recruiting a permanent, full-time Advanced Practice Nurse in the Certified Nurse Anesthetist role to deliver anesthesia care to Veterans. The position covers inpatient and outpatient settings and serves patients across the full range of health complexity. Work includes direct patient care alongside administration, education, and research.

Core responsibilities include partnering with a range of clinical staff to protect patient safety and welfare, building confidence and satisfaction among patients and colleagues, and meeting compliance standards. The nurse anesthetist designs and carries out individualized anesthesia plans for local, regional, general, and monitored anesthesia, both within and beyond the operating room. Duties span pre-anesthesia evaluation, induction, maintenance and emergence, post-anesthesia care, peri-anesthetic support, and emergency response. The role also includes prescribing pre-, intra-, and post-operative orders and medications, adopting evidence-based practices, and working to improve outcomes and efficiency across the facility.

The position includes teaching: the nurse anesthetist supports staff education and may serve as a preceptor and adjunct clinical faculty for trainees rotating through the facility. Everyday expectations reflect the VA ICARE values of integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect, and excellence.

Required credentials include a master's or doctoral degree in nurse anesthesia from a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education Programs at the time of completion, plus an active, unrestricted state license and current NBCRNA certification or an equivalent recognized credential. Entry is at the Nurse II level with no prior experience required, and a temporary appointment may be available to candidates who lack the license or certification, for up to one year and a day. The role includes physical demands such as long periods of standing and walking, lifting, and bending. The schedule runs Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Telework is not available, and the position is not virtual.

Compensation and benefits include a competitive salary with regular raises and possible performance awards, 50 days of paid time off each year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 federal holidays), a traditional federal pension with five-year vesting, a federal 401(k) with agency contributions of up to 5%, and federal health, vision, dental, life, and long-term care insurance. Relocation incentives and permanent change of station moves are not authorized. The appointment is an open continuous announcement in the excepted service, subject to a two-year probationary period.