ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSE (NURSE PRACT/FAMILY PRACTICE) GS-0610-12

Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Pract/Family Practice)

Naval Hospital Bremerton (NHB) is a United States Navy hospital located on Naval Station Bremerton in Bremerton, Washington. Located 10 minutes from Tacoma and Seattle, 20 minutes from Olympia, the state capitol. NH Bremerton is situated in a key location along Interstate 5, allowing easy access to Sea-Tac Airport and to the deep-water ports of Tacoma and Seattle. Although the Army and Air Force missions have changed over the years, one thing has not changedthe natural setting of the base. Majestic Mount Rainier looms on the horizon, towering over the other peaks of the Cascade Range. From the mountains to the deep waters of Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean, the local areas abound in natural beauty and outdoor recreation opportunities. Camping, hunting, fishing, hiking, boating and now sports are a way of life in Washington State.

Working for the Department of Defense comes with an abundance of benefits and perks to include competitive compensation packages, paid-time off, medical benefits, student loan repayments, and retirement package with Thrift Savings Plan to include matching employer contributions.

Responsibilities

Position Duties:

• Serves as a direct primary health care provider in the capacity of a credentialed Nurse Practitioner to provide primary care services to patients ranging in ages from infant through geriatric within a variety of primary health care clinics at a military medical treatment facility (MTF).
• Provides health management for a DOD beneficiary patient population with responsibility for the independent examination, diagnosis and treatment within personal credentials and privileges delineated by the MTF.
• Provides leadership in comprehensive primary care services and auxiliary practices in general medicine to military and their family members.
• Performs varied duties requiring many different and unrelated processes and methods applied to a broad range of general medicine in the pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients in specialty areas.
• Makes decisions regarding the medical care required and, in the interpretation, and evaluation of processes resulting from continuing changes in the medical field due to new technological developments or conflicting requirements.
• Performs a variety of complex duties involving the full range of medical care that involves isolating and defining unknown medical conditions.
• Secures a health and medical history from the patients or family member, records findings and makes clinical evaluation.
• Examines patient and performs initial patient work-up and assessment of patient's care and treatment.
• Determines the need for and orders laboratory tests, X-rays and other procedures necessary to complete the assessment of the patient.
• Discriminates between normal and abnormal findings to recognize early stages of serious physical, emotional or mental problems.
• Adheres to medical and primary care practices and procedures to stabilize chronically ill patients; adjusts regimens within established protocols recognizing when to refer the patient to the physician or other primary care members.
• Makes decisions concerning primary care needs of patients that impact the care of other healthcare professionals and ancillary staff; works independently and collaboratively with physicians in patient management, evaluation, and revision of therapeutic plans, referring extremely or selected complex medical problems to medical management.
• Diagnoses disease, illness, disorder or injury, institutes treatment of patients. Prescribes for and treats a variety of diseases, disorders and injuries; treats patients returning for routine or directed follow-up and treatment of chronic illnesses previously documented in patient's medical records.
• Writes routine orders on outpatients; performs medical histories and dictates narrative summaries.
• Provides a full range of emergency services or crises interventions in the absence of the physician, including life-saving emergency procedures in order to stabilize a patient within the scope of practice and approved protocols.
• Writes prescriptions, orders the administration of medications, dispenses medications, and prescribes controlled substances in accordance with scope of practice for Nurse Practitioners.
• Performs a variety of physical examinations such as school, employment, sports, retirement, discharge, reenlistment, disability separation or retirement, annual and other special physicals, health certificate employment and other related physical examinations.
• Orders laboratory tests, X-rays, etc. and arranges for physician consultation if required.
• Records entries into patient's charts including progress notes, treatment rendered, tests or procedures ordered, and notations of prescriptions or orders, and drugs dispensed or administered in accordance with approved protocols including computer-based progress notes.
• Evaluates the primary care aspects of patient care recognizing when reassessment by a physician or other staff professionals is required.
• Provides primary care and preventive services to healthy individuals, including guidance in common illnesses, accidents, child growth and development, alternative drugs usage, etc.
• Evaluates the total health care needs of patients and develops plans to meet clients' needs.
• Develops new techniques and establishes criteria for providing improved, quality patient health care to clients and family members of the Medical Center.
• Plans, with other professionals and agencies involved in providing primary care services to patients and their family members, and coordinates the primary care provided.
• Develops and recommends new approaches for providing improved, quality primary care for military and their family members and other clients of the hospital.
• Provides consultation, teaching, and coordination with patients and their family members regarding treatment and medical care.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the experience and education requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application.

Basic Requirement for Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner):

Degree: A graduate or higher level degree from an accredited professional nursing educational program in Nurse Practitioner 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: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)

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

Licensure: 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; and you must have passed the National Council Licensure Examination.

Licensure: A current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a professional nurse in the specialty of Nurse Practitioner or related specialty from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

Exemption: You are exempt from the basic requirements above if you are a current federal employee occupying a position in the 0610 occupational series and have been continuously employed in this occupational series since September 27, 2017 or before. Applicants claiming this exemption must meet the requirement below. Note: You will be required to provide appropriate documentation to the respective Human Resources Office to validate your status.

Degree or diploma from a professional nursing program approved by the legally designated State accrediting agency at the time the program was completed by the applicant.

Active, current registration as a professional nurse in a State, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

Professional Nursing Experience: One or more full years of professional nursing experience which includes performing examination and assessments of assigned patients, obtaining and recording health histories of patients, ordering and interpreting laboratory and diagnostic tests for patients, prescribing a variety of medications to patients.

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.