Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practice-Clinical/Psychiatric)

About the Position: This position is located at Defense Health Agency, Joint Base Lewis McChord, Tacoma Washington, DIR. of Mental Health, Department of Mental Health. A recruitment or relocation incentive may be authorized Salary negotiation may be available for those candidates who are new to Federal service. Advanced Leave Accrual may be authorized. This is a Direct Hire Solicitation Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience 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. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Basic Requirement for Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practice-Clinical/Psychiatric): Degree: A graduate or higher-level degree from an accredited professional nursing educational program in specialty of the position 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. 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 the position 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 diagnosing psychiatric illnesses for beneficiaries needing psychiatric/behavioral health services; performing psychiatric evaluations to assess psychiatric/behavioral patients; and prescribing medications to patients with psychiatric/behavioral health needs. This definition of professional nursing experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11). Defense Health Agency Nurse Experience Exemption: You are exempt from the one year specialized experience requirement if you were previously employed as a Nurse or Practical Nurse in the Department of War for at least one year, or are currently employed as a Nurse or Practical Nurse in the Department of War, AND after commencing work as a nurse or practical nurse in the Department of War obtained a bachelor's degree or graduate degree from an accredited professional nursing educational program. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.) 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. Perform full range of advanced practice nursing care duties for patients requiring psychiatric/behavioral health services. Evaluate new patient and existing patients on behavioral health/psychiatric needs. Implement mutually agreed upon solutions regarding behavioral health. Educate patients about risks and benefits of prescribed medications. Observe patients closely, evaluate and record any significant behavior and reaction patterns. Comply with all appropriate Joint Commission standards and National Patient Safety goals, and other quality improvement projects. Maintain appropriate records using a computerized record keeping and coding system. Participate in the quality improvement system. Education See Qualifications section for education requirements.