Department of Veteran Affairs, VA Medical Center (593), 1700 Vegas Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89106

Q -- EMERGENCY ROOM/ICU BSN RN NURSES SOL RFP593-P03-99 DUE 021899 POC Kathleen Randall, Contracting FAX ONLY 702-636-4081 or e-mail NO PHONE E-MAIL: click here to contact the Contracting Officer Via, kathleen.randall@med.va.gov. The VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System has need for ER/ICU RNs. SIC CODE 8049. Solicitation is issued for Unrestricted Competition. Negotiated Best Value -- May select other than lowest price offered. Period of performance 3/1/99 thru 2/28/2000 with 4 possible Option Years. The Contractor shall provide BSN, Emergency Room Registered Nurses, 24 hours per day/ 7 days per week primarily at the Emergency Room of the Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hospital (MOFH) located at 4700 N. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, Nevada 89191. The Contractor shall provide all labor, management, supervision, training, liability insurance, consultations and reports, as provided in the Statement of Work (SOW). Care should be as comprehensive as Government supplied facilities, equipment, and support services permit. Medical care shall cover the range of services provided by those of a civilian hospital's emergency department of similar size and classification. Performance shall be according to the requirements contained in this SOW and applicable VA and MOFH Policies & Procedures Manuals. *BSN = completed 4 year Bachelors' degree in Nursing. A 4 yr. BS or BA with RN certification not acceptable. Contract nurses shall: 1. ) Ensure assessment of emergent patients within five (5) minutes and urgent/non-urgent patients within 15 minutes of arrival. Nursing process must reflect age specific and age appropriate care. 2.) Use data sources to include patient, family or sponsor; findings of other team members, medical records and diagnostic test reports. (both hard-copy and computerized reports) COMPUTER USE MANDATORY. 3.) Ensure continuing reassessment of each patient throughout stay; reporting significant changes to the physician. This is essential, since in the ER and the 8-bed ICU, care is provided to patients who are hemodynamically unstable, ventilator dependent and/or are receiving conscious sedation with a wide range of acute and chronic medical and psychiatric conditions. 4.) Coord- inate discharge plan with patient/significant other using specific nursing interventions consistent with medical plan. Include VA personnel required to comply with Policies & Procedures. 5.) Perform interventions in accordance with physician orders and various established MOFH or ACC instructions. 6.) Administer medications and treatments to include but not limited to, intravenous therapy and nebulizer treatment(s), to a varied population from birth to geriatric. 7. ) Recognize emergent conditions and intervene in accordance with (IAW) current guidelines, standards of practice, MOFH, VA and Emergency Room (ER) instructions. 8.) Evaluate patient and family/sponsor response to interventions, including education and medications and document in patient's record. (hard-copy or electronic record, or both) 9.) Ensure nursing care is provided IAW universal precautions for control of infection. Report illnesses and injuries (including needle sticks) and takes action according to MOFH/ VA policy. 10.) Ensure administration of STAT medications within five (5) minutes of notification of physician's order. 11.) Ensure care of other patients continues as required when emergency or unusual time consuming patient care disrupts normal activities. 12.) Oversee triage process and ensure appropriate categorization of patients. 13.) Report patient care/medication errors to Chief, Emergency Services/Nursing Supervisor as per MOFH/VA policy. 14.) Handle a variety of common complaints/diagnoses. 15.) Perform various procedures including, but not limited to, starting IV's, inserting urethral catheters, obtaining EKGs, inserting nasogastric (NG) tubes, and irrigating eyes. 16.)Contract nurses shall prepare all documentation to meet established standards of the MOFH/VA to include but not limited to, timeliness, legibility, accuracy, content and signature. Documentation shall be accomplished electronically, if technology exists, according to VA Directives, Policies and Procedures. Normal hours of operation shall be two (2) 12 hour shifts, 0700 to 1900 and 1900 to 0700 the following day, seven (7) days per week, including Federal holidays and all USAF "down days". Payment shall be made to Contractor based on actual hours worked. If a holiday is not worked, it shall not be invoiced for. Pay for work performed during USAF "down days" (e.g. Goal Days, Family Days, etc) is at regular shift pay rate. Invoice is NOT to reflect paid vacations, paid sick leave, etc., which are the Contractor's responsibility separately depending on employee term of service. Invoiced hourly pay shall not be separated into day, night differential, or weekend rates -- but shall be established at one hourly rate regardless of what time or day (except Federal Holiday rate) was worked. HOLIDAYS: All FEDERAL holidays, start 0700 through 2400 the day of the holiday . (paid at 1.5 of regular hourly rate.) WEEKDAYS/ WEEKENDS: 0700 through 1900, Sunday through Saturday. (paid at standard hourly rate) WEEKNIGHTS/ WEEKENDS: 1900 through 0700, Sunday through Saturday. (paid at standard hourly rate) POINT OF CONTACT (POC). TheContractor shall provide a local (i.e., residing within 60 mile radius) POC who shall be responsible for the performance of the work. The POC shall have full authority to act for the Contractor on all matters relating to the daily operation of this contract. The POC may be a provider providing care in accordance with this SOW. POC shall be available via telephone, seven (7) days per week, 24 hours per day. The Contractor shall arrange for precredentialled, equally qualified and previously trained on systems used, locum tenens coverage when the Contractor is unable to provide services for any scheduled shifts. This coverage is to be available for both scheduled and unscheduled absences of primary Contract ER Nurse so that no shift is left unstaffed. This expense of maintaining qualified, trained back-up staff shall be borne by the Contractor. COTR shall be notified when replacement staff will be used prior to personnel arrival for duty. Replacement Contract nurses shall meet the same standards of qualification and credentialing as the Contractor's employees. Contract nurses shall read, understand, speak, and write English fluently. BSN required from an NLN accredited school. Official transcripts from the school of nursing must be provided. Staff assigned to this contract must have minimum of 2 years actual ER experience. RN State Licensure, which is full and unrestricted. BLS for Health Care Providers. ACLS Required. PALS Provider preferred. National Critical Care/ or Emergency Room certification preferred (CCRN or CEN). For ICU back-up -- Must show completion of a Critical Care Course and two (2) years of successful nursing practical in the critical care environment required. There is a CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIREMENT. The Contractor shall provide and maintain adequate liability insurance coverage consistent with the risks associated with the performance of all services required by this SOW. The Contractor shall ensure that all providers have current malpractice insurance with a minimum coverage of $1 Million per incident/$3 Million aggregate. Refer to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Clause 852.237-7, INDEMNIFICATION AND MEDICAL LIABILITY INSURANCE, in the clauses section of this contract. The credentials required and privileges awarded by the MOFH and ACC must be sufficient to allow for performance of all tasks identified in this SOW. Must be credentialed at both ACC and MOFH to satisfy requirements of contract. Both VA and MOFH shall evaluate up to a maximum of approximately twenty (20) individual credentialing packages per contract year. No more than approx. twenty (20) Contract Nurses are to be approved to provide services and back-up coverage at any one time. If, due to Contractor inability to retain trained and credentialed staff, it becomes necessary to exceed twenty packages per year, the cost of VA and MOFH processing for each beyond that number will be charged to the Contractor as a deduction from submitted invoice. Contract nurses providing services under this contract shall receive a pre-employment physical examination and immunizations/shots prior to commencement of work and annually thereafter, provided by the contractor at no additional expense to the Government. This is a Non-Personal Services contract as defined in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 37.101. The Contract employees furnishing services under this contract are not subject to the day-to-day supervision and control of employees of the United States. Quality surveillance shall be provided by the COTR. The Contractor shall have the sole responsibility and prerogative of selection, assignment, reassignment, transfer, supervision, management, and control of Contract Nurses in performance of this SOW. VA is not hiring individuals to perform under this contract and shall not hold "selection interviews" of any kind. (MAY VERIFY QUALIFICATIONS). However, the Contractor shall not employ any persons for work on this contract who are not fully qualified. Proof of qualifications may be requested in the form of resume, reference, credentials, certifications, etc. If persons are identified to the Contractor by the CO, with documented substantiation from the COTR, as a potential threat, to the health, safety, security, general well-being, or operational mission of the MOFH or ACC and its population, they shall be immediately removed from performance and may face legal charges. Quality oversight shall be provided by the COTR. The Government shall furnish Contract provider with appropriate PPE. The Government shall be responsible for any repair, cleaning and inventory required for the PPE. PPE does not include any type of uniform, shoes or laboratory coat. Solicitation available after 2/28/99 if requested by FAX or e-mail ONLY. Phone Requests will NOT be Honored. Posted 01/26/99 (W-SN291421). (0026)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0058 19990128\Q-0001.SOL)