Vocational Nurse

What you would do

• Collect patient information about complaints, symptoms, and reasons for care.
• Take vital signs and perform mental health screenings.
• Provide individual nursing care to patients of all ages.
• Give oxygen, IV fluids, and prescribed medications.
• Do routine procedures such as EKGs, wound cultures, and dressing changes.
• Teach patients and families about self-care and report abnormal lab results to doctors.

Do you qualify for GS-5?

With experience: You need one year of nursing experience in a hospital, outpatient clinic, nursing home, or other supervised patient care setting. The announcement says this experience is typical of GS-4 level work, and it must include practical nursing care, taking vital signs, giving medications and immunizations, and ordering labs.

With education: This job does not have an education requirement. Education cannot replace experience for this job.

Licenses and certifications you need:

• Current license to practice as a practical or vocational nurse in a U.S. state, territory, or D.C. (or proof you have applied for one; unlicensed candidates may be appointed pending licensure during probation)
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from the American Red Cross or American Heart Association; advanced certification does not replace BLS

How to apply well

What to send:

• Resume of two pages or less showing employer, job title, start and end dates (month and year), hours per week, and duties
• Copy of your current, active, valid, unrestricted license or certification
• If not licensed, the date you applied for a license and the state or jurisdiction
• Most recent performance appraisal, if applicable
• Optional cover letter

How you will be rated: Reviewers check your resume, questionnaire answers, and documents against the qualification requirements. If your package is incomplete or you appear to have inflated your experience, you may lose consideration.

Tips for this job:

• Make sure your resume shows month and year dates, hours per week, and nursing duties, and keep it to two pages or less.
• Upload a copy of your current, active license with your application or you may be rated ineligible.
• Only nursing experience counts here, since education cannot replace the required one year of experience.

Good to know before you apply

Schedule: Full-time. May include shift work (evenings, weekends, holidays), irregular hours, on-call duty, and up to 10% business travel.

Incentives and relocation: A recruitment or relocation incentive may be authorized. Student loan repayment may be authorized. Salary negotiation may be available for candidates new to federal service. Relocation expenses are not reimbursed.

Conditions of employment:

• Background investigation, which may lead to a suitability or fitness determination
• Personnel Security Investigation required
• Consent to seasonal influenza vaccination or a recognized exemption
• Immunization screening; Hepatitis B immunization required for direct patient contact
• Tuberculosis testing required
• Pre-employment and random drug testing
• Pre-placement medical examination may be required
• Possible shift work, irregular hours, and on-call duty
• Lifting up to 50 pounds may be required
• Selective Service registration for men born after 1959
• 1-year probationary period
• Direct deposit of pay required
• Must report to work during emergencies and contingency operations (Mission Essential)
• Selection may be limited by the Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees
• Must be able to meet non-privileged professional credential requirements

Job details

Salary

$40,736 – $52,957 per year

Pay scale and grade

GS-5 · General Schedule

Location

Moody AFB, Georgia

Appointment

Permanent

Work schedule

Full-time

Service

Competitive

Openings

1

Security clearance

Not Required

Travel

Occasional travel

Drug test

Not required

Supervisory

No

Occupation

Practical Nurse (0620)

Announcement

HSJW-27-13104560-DHA