Nurse Specialist

Duties Summary

Why work for the Federal Bureau of Prisons?

You can have a meaningful career with an agency that truly values a diverse workforce. You will find a diverse workforce employed from entry level jobs to senior management positions. We protect public safety by ensuring federal offenders serve their sentences of imprisonment in facilities that are safe, humane, and provide reentry programming. Employees at correctional facilities perform correctional work regardless of their specific occupation.

Responsibilities

The incumbent serves as a Quality Improvement and Infection Control Nurse in the Health Services Department of a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) federal correctional facility. They manage the local infection prevention and control program under the guidance of the national Infection Prevention and Control Officer, Office of Quality Management, Central Office, Washington, D.C., and performs quality improvement activities to improve health care outcomes.

The primary duties are surveillance of infections and diseases, management of the tuberculosis prevention and control program, contact investigations and containment of infectious disease outbreaks, infection prevention activities including immunization administration and tracking for inmates and staff, education related to infection control practices, collection and analysis of data to reduce risk and improve health outcomes, and notification to the national Infection Prevention and Control Officer and public health authorities at all levels of government about reportable infectious conditions.

Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staff correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Travel may be required for training

• Requirements Conditions of Employment
  • U.S. Citizenship is Required.
  • See Special Conditions of Employment Section.

  The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP eligibility, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and score 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at: Click Here

  Qualifications

  To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements.

  Basic Requirements:

  Education:

  A graduate or higher level degree, bachelor’s degree, associate degree, or diploma from an accredited professional nursing educational program is required. This education must have been accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.

  NOTE: ALL applicants MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here

  Degree from Foreign Nursing School: Official certification from the Commission on Graduates on Foreign Nursing Schools is required for individuals who graduated from foreign nursing schools.

  If you are selected for this position, you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.

  AND

  Licensure:

  Applicants must have passed the National Council Licensure Examination. In addition, they must possess a current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a professional nurse from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

  NOTE: ALL applicants MUST electronically upload proof of current, active, full and unrestricted license or registration for verification at the time you apply.

  All qualified referred candidates will undergo a credentialing process. This process includes validation of examinations, licensure, education, internship and residency. Please electronically upload these documents along with your required supporting documentation at the time you apply.

  AND

  In addition to the Basic Requirements:

  Education/Work Experience:

  The work experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. At the GS-09 and above grade level, many positions may require experience in a specialty area of nursing.

  In addition to the above requirements, applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

  • Successful completion of a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree from a professional nursing educational program or related medical science field;

  OR

  • At least one full year of professional nursing experience (equivalent to the GS-10 grade level) and possession of a diploma, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree from a professional nursing educational program.

  Some examples of this qualifying experience are:

  • Knowledge of the principles, concepts, and methodology of nursing and infection prevention and control practices.
  • Nursing knowledge that consists of, at a minimum, the anatomy and physiology of body systems, development of nursing care plans that include nursing assessments and diagnoses, prevention and control of infectious conditions and interpretation of laboratory test.
  • Experience in a Medical Referral Center providing surveillance and consultations for the control of infections relating to hospital environment, including sanitation, sterilization, and disinfection.
  • Experience in developing, implementing, and evaluating of policies and procedures relative to infection control.
  • Experience in Monitoring all invasive procedures to include, but not, limited to, intravenous and hemodynamic lines, dental and outpatient procedures, and urology procedures.
  • Experience in auditing clinical charts for pertinent data relating to infection control.

  AND

  Selective Placement Factor:

  Applicants applying for this position MUST also possess the following Selective Factor. In the event you do not possess the Selective Factor, you will be found ineligible for the position.

  • The applicant must have experience working in an infection control program as it relates to: Prevention of exposure to infectious diseases; administration of vaccinations; reduction in the transmission of infectious agents; containment of infectious outbreaks; and evaluation of infection control programs.

  NOTE: All applicants must clearly address the Selective Factor in their resume to be found qualified.

  If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as number of hours worked per week) spent in the activities.

  **Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**

  Education

   

  Additional information

   

  This position IS included in the bargaining unit.

  The representative rate for this position is $85,789 per annum ($41.11 per hour). 
  
  Special Conditions of Employment Section:
  
  Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a urinalysis, physical, and background investigation.  All applicants are subject to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks. 
  
  All applicants not currently working in an institution will be required to complete a qualification inquiry regarding convictions of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence in order to be authorized to carry a firearm.
  
  The Core Value Assessment (CVA) is an in-person assessment that must be facilitated at a Bureau of Prisons Human Resource Servicing office.  On the day of the scheduled interview, a CVA will be administered.  The applicant assessment must be completed within a 70 minute time period and a passing score must be obtained.  Further employment consideration will not be extended if the applicant fails to complete the examination or fails to achieve a passing score.  Note: The Core Value Assessment will not be administered to current BOP employees.
  
  Successful completion of the "Introduction to Correctional Techniques," three-week training course at Glynco, Georgia is required.
  
  The addresses listed on the USAJOBS account/resume must be the primary residence at the time of application.  You may be required to provide proof of residence.
  
  Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate.

   

  Read more How You Will Be Evaluated

  You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

   

  If your composite score exceeds the average score for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your online assessment questionnaire responses and utilized to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement.  If you rate yourself higher than what is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.
  
  There are several parts of the application process that affect the overall evaluation of your application:

  • Your resume, which is part of your USAJOBS profile;
  • Your responses to the eligibility questions;
  • Your responses to the online assessment questionnaire;
  • Your supporting documentation, if required.

  Time-in-Grade:  Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements for consideration.  You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
  
  What Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are Required for this Position?
  
  The following Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) are required:

  • Ability to communicate orally.
  • Ability to communicate in writing.
  • Ability to analyze and evaluate data/information/problems.
  • Ability to work with data on a computer.
  • Knowledge of infection as it relates to surveillance, prevention, and control.
  • Ability to develop and manage the quality improvement program which includes administrative and clinical improvement activities.
  • Ability to assess patients’ needs and coordinate appropriate nursing care plan.
  
  To preview questions please click here.

   

   

  Read more Background checks and security clearance Security clearance

  Public Trust - Background Investigation

  Drug test required

  Yes

• Required Documents Help Required Documents

   

  • Resume showing relevant experience (cover letter optional).
  • In order to receive credit for experience contained in an uploaded resume, your employment history must be documented in month/year format (MM/YYYY), reflecting starting date and ending date and include the number of hours worked per week. Failure to follow this format may result in disqualification.
  • Current or former Federal employees NOT employed by the Bureau of Prisons MUST submit a copy of their SF-50 Form which shows competitive service appointment, tenure group, and salary. If you have promotion potential in your current position, please provide proof. If you are applying for a higher grade, and your experience was gained at a Federal agency other than the Bureau of Prisons, you MUST provide the SF-50 Form which verifies the length of time you have been in your highest grade and supports your claim for time in grade.
  • Employees applying with an interchange agreement must provide proof of their permanent appointment.
  • Current federal employees NOT employed by the BOP and former federal employees MUST submit a copy of their latest yearly performance appraisal/evaluation.
  • CTAP, Click Here, if applicable.
  • A college transcript which includes the School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). (Note: If you are selected for this position, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day.)
  Failure to provide these documents could possibly result in removal from consideration for this vacancy. If uploading documentation, do not identify/save your documents utilizing a special character such as %, #, @, etc. Documentation should be identified/saved as Transcripts, SF-50, etc.
  
  We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software, delays in mail service, applicant application errors, etc.

   

  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

• Benefits Help Benefits

  A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits.

   

  Review our benefits

  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time, or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

• Fair & Transparent

  The Federal hiring process is setup to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

  Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

  The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.