Registered Nurse
Veterans Health Administration · Department of Veterans Affairs
This job in plain English
The Veterans Health Administration at the Columbia VA Health Care System in Columbia, South Carolina is hiring Registered Nurses to care for Veterans. This is an open continuous announcement with few vacancies, full-time work, and multiple schedules that may change. Nurses can work in critical care, outpatient, inpatient, or emergency room settings.
It may close early. The first cut-off date for referrals is November 30, 2026, and the announcement may close before the final closing date if needed.
Can you apply?
Yes, if you are a U.S. citizen: this job is open to everyone.
- Open to everyoneAny U.S. citizen or national can apply. Some jobs also accept non-citizens; the announcement says so.
Open to the public. You must be a U.S. citizen, a national, or a person who owes allegiance to the U.S. Veterans' preference applies when qualifications are about equal.
What you would do
- Provide direct and indirect patient care to Veterans.
- Assess patients and build individual care plans with the team.
- Give medicines and treatments as prescribed and watch patient responses.
- Teach Veterans and families about conditions, medicines, and self-care.
- Keep accurate and timely electronic health record notes.
- Take part in team meetings to coordinate patient care.
Do you qualify for VN?
With experience: Experience needed depends on your education and grade. For example, an associate degree plus 2 years of professional nursing experience qualifies for Nurse I, Level III, and higher grades require specialized nursing experience. Paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work, counts.
With education: You must graduate from a professional nursing school accredited by ACEN or CCNE, or approved by the right accrediting agency. An associate degree or diploma qualifies for Nurse I, Level I, and a bachelor's (BSN) or master's (MSN) can qualify you for higher levels. Foreign degrees above associate level need a formal equivalency validation. Education records must come from schools recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Licenses and certifications you need:
- Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a professional nurse in a U.S. state, territory, Puerto Rico, or D.C.
How to apply well
What to send:
- Long-form resume or curriculum vitae (CV), required
- Cover letter, if you want to include one
- Transcripts, if you use education to qualify
- Professional certification or license copies, if applicable
- DD-214 showing dates and character of service, if you claim veterans' preference
- SF-15 with proof, if you claim 10-point veterans' preference
- Disability letter from VA or Schedule A letter, if applicable
How you will be rated: You are rated on how well you meet the qualifications, based on your online questionnaire and documents. Your RN experience is also checked on five areas: Practice, Veteran/Patient Driven Care, Leadership, Professional Development, and Evidence-Based Practice/Research. Missing required information may lower your rating or make you ineligible.
Tips for this job:
- Use a long-form resume or CV with clear dates, hours, and duties, since the VA verifies experience.
- Claim veterans' preference in the questionnaire and send DD-214 and SF-15 forms if they apply.
- If you rely on education, send transcripts from accredited schools and check your nursing registration is current.
Good to know before you apply
Schedule: Full-time, with multiple schedules. Schedules may change based on agency needs.
Incentives and relocation: May be eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program, a student loan repayment program of up to $200,000, if you apply within four months of appointment. Relocation and recruitment incentives are not authorized.
Conditions of employment:
- U.S. citizenship, with limited exceptions under VA policy
- Drug test (urinalysis) for testing-designated positions
- Selective Service registration for males born after 12/31/1959
- Background and security investigation
- Online onboarding with identification that meets REAL ID rules
- Pre-employment physical evaluation
- Seasonal influenza vaccination required, or an approved exemption
- Possible 1-year probationary period
- Proficiency in basic written and spoken English
We wrote this summary automatically from the official announcement. The announcement on USAJOBS is the only one that counts: read it before you apply.
Job details
- Salary
- $80,126 – $145,031 per year
- Pay scale and grade
- VN · VA nursing
- Location
- Columbia, South Carolina
- Appointment
- Permanent
- Work schedule
- Full-time
- Service
- Excepted
- Openings
- Few
- Security clearance
- Other
- Travel
- Not required
- Drug test
- Not required
- Supervisory
- No
- Occupation
- Nurse (0610)
- Announcement
- CBTB-13104997-27-SL
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