Practical Nurse (Outpatient)

What you would do

• Provide practical nursing care to outpatient clinic patients with many medical conditions.
• Record vital signs and order labs for patients.
• Track lab, radiology, and referral orders until they are complete.
• Give prescribed medications with correct dosages, routes, and times.
• Teach patients and families about their treatment plans.
• Document medications given and patient responses promptly.
• Work with the healthcare team to manage patient medications safely.

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. Examples include checking vital signs, giving immunizations or medications, and updating medical records. The announcement says this work is typical of GS-4 level work, and paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work, counts.

With education: Education cannot replace experience at this grade. Foreign education must be evaluated by a recognized private evaluator or receive full credit from a U.S. accredited college.

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
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from the American Red Cross or American Heart Association

How to apply well

What to send:

• Resume, two pages or less, showing employer, job title, start and end dates (month and year), and hours worked per week
• Copy of your license or certification; you are rated ineligible without it
• Most recent performance appraisal, if applicable
• Optional cover letter

How you will be rated: Your full application package, including your resume, questionnaire answers, and supporting documents, is reviewed to see if you meet the qualification requirements. Incomplete packages, errors, or inflated qualifications can make you ineligible or remove you from consideration.

Tips for this job:

• Your resume must be two pages or less, or it will be removed from consideration.
• Give month and year dates and hours per week for each job, or your application may be marked incomplete.
• Upload a copy of your nursing license or certification with your application, or you will be rated ineligible.

Good to know before you apply

Schedule: Full-time. May include shift work and on-call duty during irregular hours, such as evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Incentives and relocation: Recruitment or relocation incentives may be authorized for highly qualified candidates. Relocation expenses are not reimbursed, and Permanent Change of Station costs are not authorized.

Conditions of employment:

• Background investigation; suitability or fitness determination may apply
• Personnel Security Investigation required
• Periodic re-verification because the job involves regular contact with children under 18
• Consent to seasonal influenza vaccination or provide a recognized exemption
• Testing designated position with pre-employment and random drug testing
• Pre-placement medical examination required
• Hepatitis B immunization required; other immunizations may be required
• Must meet non-privileged professional credential requirements
• Must obtain and maintain current BLS certification
• May require on-call duty during evenings, weekends, and holidays
• Selective Service registration for men born after 1959
• Direct deposit of pay required
• 1-year probationary period
• Selection may be restricted by the DoD displaced employee referral system
• May be designated Inclement Weather Essential or Mission Essential
• Uniform or protective clothing may be required

Job details

Salary

$46,906 – $60,978 per year

Pay scale and grade

GS-5 · General Schedule

Location

Fort Jackson, South Carolina

Appointment

Permanent

Work schedule

Full-time

Service

Competitive

Openings

Few

Security clearance

Not Required

Travel

Occasional travel

Drug test

Not required

Supervisory

No

Occupation

Practical Nurse (0620)

Announcement

HSJA-27-13104103-DHA-R2