LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE-Direct Hire Authority (DHA)

Summary

This position is located in Healthcare Service, Armed Forces Retirement Home, Gulfport, MS Nursing Service. The primary purpose of the position is to administer medications to groups of Residents and to accomplish specific nursing care and nursing team-leading duties as assigned by a professional registered nurse. This announcement is issued under the Direct-Hire authority to recruit for positions for which there is a critical hiring need.

Duties

As a/an LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE-Direct Hire Authority (DHA), you will: Prioritize care activities for a group of Residents based on illness acuity or staff skill level. Provide Resident status information to interdisciplinary team members for use in care planning Provide Resident status information to interdisciplinary team members for use in care planning. Describe a Resident's physical appearance, emotional status, or interaction with staff or family in written notes. Requirements

Key Requirements: Please refer to "Conditions of Employment." Must be U.S. Citizen or U.S. National. The AFRH ethics program promotes the highest standards of ethical conduct for all employees. As a federal employee, you will be subject to the Standards of Ethical Conduct, and the U.S. criminal conflict of interest statutes. As an AFRH employee, you will also be subject to the AFRH Supplemental Ethics Regulations which restrict the extent to which a AFRH employee can engage in certain activities and hold certain investments. Depending on your position, you may also be required to file a public or confidential financial disclosure report which must be filed within 30 days of your appointment as an employee of AFRH. Upon your new appointment, you will receive guidance regarding your ethics obligations. You will also be required to attend a mandatory ethics training within 3 months of your appointment. Please contact the Agency Ethics Officer (Joseph Pollard) at (202) 541-7557, or [email protected] if you should have any questions. Because the AFRH's mission requires uninterrupted, direct human support and medical care for its Residents, this position is considered essential for continuing AFRH operations. Therefore, the incumbent is expected to arrive for duty on time, as scheduled, and to complete the assigned tour during emergency situations such as hazardous weather. Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements by the job by 11:59pm (Eastern Standard Time) of the closing date: 11/12/2026 The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your résumé. Basic Requirement for Licensed Practical Nurse GS-0620-07: Licensure: A current license to practice as a practical or vocational nurse in a State, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia; OR must have applied for a license to practice. Applications of candidates possessing a license must be accompanied by a certified or photostatic copy of the license, a notarized statement attesting to the fact, or a citation of the license number and State issuing it. Non-licensed candidates who have completed their training may be appointed subject to obtaining the required license during the probationary period. Those not licensed must furnish the date on which they applied for a license and the jurisdiction involved. No person appointed pending licensure may be retained beyond the probationary period if licensure has not been attained. In addition, to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS stated below. Specialized Experience: GS-07: Applicant must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-06 level in the Federal service that included experience such as: Administering medications or performing hands-on nursing procedures for patients according to provider orders or established nursing protocols. Documenting patient responses to nursing interventions or reporting changes in patient condition to nurses or physicians. Directing the work of nursing assistants or support staff on a unit or shift as assigned by a registered nurse. SPECIAL NOTE: Long-term care experience and/or interacting with geriatric patients is highly desired. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The work involves long periods of moving about the work unit. Work requires regular and recurring standing, bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, lifting, and repositioning Residents. Must use proper body mechanics when lifting objects and use lift equipment for Residents. The work may require considerable and strenuous physical exertion, such as lifting objects greater the 50 pounds or defending oneself against physical attack. WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work is normally performed in Healthcare Services and involves a high risk of exposure to infection, contagious diseases, noxious fumes, and gases. There are irregular and recurring situations where physical attacks by Residents require safety training. Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP/CTAP)? Your Federal position at the time you were displaced must be within the local commuting area for a location that a hiring agency plans to fill from this announcement. The definition of local commuting area varies based on duty location and hiring agency policy. To receive priority consideration, you must also be found well-qualified, which means you score 85 or higher based on this announcement's assessment rating criteria.

Education

There is no substitution of education for experience. How You Will Be Evaluated

To be found minimally qualified, you must demonstrate proficiency in the competencies required for the position. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies: Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Reading Comprehension Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Application questionnaire: Applicants must complete a questionnaire as part of the application process. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13098050. Applicants identifying as meeting minimum qualifications for the position will move on to the next phase of the assessment process. Online assessments: Applicants must complete the online USA Hire Assessments measuring critical general competencies required to perform the job. Examples used in the assessments include general scenarios addressing the underlying competencies required for this position. The USA Hire Assessments include a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. Applicants who complete the online assessments and meet or exceed the cut score will move on to the next phase of the assessment process. Resume review: HR Specialists will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the specialized experience. Resumes submitted for Federal positions may not exceed two pages. Be sure you address the specialized experience within the two-page resume limit. HR will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume). Applicants passing the resume review will move on to the next phase of the assessment process. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Referral method: Your responses to the application questionnaire and online assessments, resume, and transcripts will be used to determine whether you meet the minimum qualifications (experience and/or education) listed in this announcement. If your responses are not supported by the documentation you submit, you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If it is determined that you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be referred to the selecting officials. Under provisions of the Direct Hire Authority: Category Rating, Rule of Many, and veterans' preference do not apply. All applicants who are determined to meet the minimum qualifications, as defined by this announcement, will be referred to the selecting officials for consideration. Benefits

Our comprehensive benefits are very generous. Our benefits package includes: Challenging work, opportunities for advancement, competitive salaries, bonuses and incentive awards. Eleven paid holidays, 13 days of sick leave, and 13 to 26 days of vacation time each year. Access to insurance programs that may be continued after you retire. A wide choice of health insurance plans, coverage for pre-existing conditions, and no waiting periods. We pay a substantial amount (up to 75%) of the health insurance premiums. A retirement program which includes employer-matching contributions. Learn more about Federal benefits programs at: USAJOBS Help Center - Benefits Other Information

OTHER INFORMATION: We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. This is a bargaining unit position. AFGE American Federation of Government Employees Local 1027 Veterans Preference does not apply to announcements posted under Direct Hire Authority. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: All newly appointed employees to the competitive (or excepted) service are subject to a probationary (or trial) period. During this time, your performance, conduct, and suitability for continued employment will be evaluated. You will not automatically convert to permanent status at the end of the probationary (or trial) period. Your supervisor must affirmatively determine that continued employment is in the best interest of the Federal service. If no certification is made before the probationary (or trial) period ends, your appointment will be terminated. You are encouraged to actively engage with your supervisor, seek feedback, and understand role expectations. Additional guidance and support will be provided during onboarding. A one year probationary period may be required. Must successfully complete a background investigation. Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer. Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position. Pass a pre-employment physical examination. An OF-178, Certificate of Medical Examination will be required if selected for this position. DO NOT SUBMIT AT TIME OF APPLICATION. Selectees will be subject to the AFRH Tuberculosis Surveillance Program. This position requires that you obtain and maintain a Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from, or in accordance with, the American Heart Association and American Red Cross. Advanced certification (e.g., ALS) does not supersede BLS. Wear required safety clothing and/or equipment required by the position. This may include safety shoes, hard hats, hearing protection, gloves, masks, etc. Shift Work: This facility operates on a 24 hour per day, three-shift basis. Assignment to a specific shift cannot be guaranteed. The successful applicant must be available to work on all three shifts on a rotational basis. Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, non-career SES, or Presidential appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office