Nurse (Quality Improvement and Infection Control Nurse)

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

Duties

Serves as a Quality Improvement and Infection Control Nurse in the Health Services Department of a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) federal correctional facility.

Manage the local infection prevention and control program under the guidance of the national Infection Prevention and Control Officer, Office of Quality Management, Central Office, Washington, D.C., and performs quality improvement activities to improve health care outcomes.

Performs surveillance of infections and diseases, management of the tuberculosis prevention and control program, contact investigations and containment of infectious disease outbreaks, infection prevention activities including immunization administration and tracking for inmates and staff, education related to infection control practices, collection and analysis of data to reduce risk and improve health outcomes.

Notifies the national Infection Prevention and Control Officer and public health authorities at all levels of government about reportable infectious conditions.

Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staff correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis.

Salary

• $76,427 - $99,351/year

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship is Required.
• See Special Conditions of Employment Section.

Career Transition Programs (CTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:

• 1. Meet CTAP eligibility criteria;
• 2. Be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above based on scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and
• 3. Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility.

NOTE: Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must complete all assessment questions to be rated under the established ranking criteria.

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements.

Basic Requirements:

Education: A graduate or higher level degree, bachelor’s degree, associate degree, or diploma from an accredited professional nursing educational program 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.

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

AND

Licensure: Applicants must have passed the National Council Licensure Examination. In addition, they must possess 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.

NOTE: ALL applicants MUST electronically upload proof of current, active, full and unrestricted license or registration for verification at the time you apply.

All qualified referred candidates will undergo a credentialing process. This process includes validation of examinations, licensure, education, internship and residency. Please electronically upload these documents along with your required supporting documentation at the time you apply.

AND

In addition to the Basic Requirements:

Education/Work Experience:

The work experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. At the GS-09 and above grade level, many positions may require experience in a specialty area of nursing.

In addition to the above requirements, applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

• Successful completion of a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree from a professional nursing educational program or related medical science field; OR
• At least one full year of professional nursing experience (equivalent to the GS-10 grade level) and possession of a diploma, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree from a professional nursing educational program.

Some examples of this qualifying experience are:

• Knowledge of the principles, concepts, and methodology of nursing and infection prevention and control practices.
• Nursing knowledge that consists of, at a minimum, the anatomy and physiology of body systems, development of nursing care plans that include nursing assessments and diagnoses, prevention and control of infectious conditions and interpretation of laboratory test.
• Experience in a Medical Referral Center providing surveillance and consultations for the control of infections relating to hospital environment, including sanitation, sterilization, and disinfection.
• Experience in developing, implementing, and evaluating of policies and procedures relative to infection control.
• Experience in Monitoring all invasive procedures to include, but not, limited to, intravenous and hemodynamic lines, dental and outpatient procedures, and urology procedures.
• Experience in auditing clinical charts for pertinent data relating to infection control.

AND

Selective Placement Factor:

Applicants applying for this position MUST also possess the following Selective Factor. In the event you do not possess the Selective Factor, you will be found ineligible for the position.

• The applicant must have experience working in an infection control program as it relates to: Prevention of exposure to infectious diseases; administration of vaccinations; reduction in the transmission of infectious agents; containment of infectious outbreaks; and evaluation of infection control programs.

NOTE: All applicants must clearly address the Selective Factor in their resume to be found qualified.

If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as number of hours worked per week) spent in the activities.

**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**

Education See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable. ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here. Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty. Other Information The representative rate for this position is $64,553 per annum ($30.93 per hour). Special Conditions of Employment Section: Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a urinalysis, physical, and background investigation. All applicants are subject to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks. All applicants not currently working in an institution will be required to complete a qualification inquiry regarding convictions of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence in order to be authorized to carry a firearm. The Core Value Assessment (CVA) is an in-person assessment that must be facilitated at a Bureau of Prisons Human Resource Servicing office. On the day of the scheduled interview, a CVA will be administered. The applicant assessment must be completed within a 70 minute time period and a passing score must be obtained. Further employment consideration will not be extended if the applicant fails to complete the examination or fails to achieve a passing score. Note: The Core Value Assessment will not be administered to current BOP employees. Successful completion of the "Introduction to Correctional Techniques," three-week training course at Glynco, Georgia is required. The addresses listed on the USAJOBS account/resume must be the primary residence at the time of application. You may be required to provide proof of residence. Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate. Although competitive and non-competitive applications are being accepted, the selecting official may elect to have only one group reviewed. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Exceptions may apply. See 5 CFR part 11. Required Documents

Failure to provide legible required documents and/or follow the prescribed format often results in removal from consideration.  If uploading documentation, do not identify/save your documents utilizing a special character such as %, #, @, etc. Documentation should be identified/saved as VA Letter, DD-214, or Transcripts.

• Resume: Resume limited to 2 pages showing relevant experience (cover letter optional). Experience that would not normally be part of the Federal employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence of qualifying experience (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, Human Resource Manager, SF-52, etc.).
• To receive credit for experience contained in an application, the experience must be documented:
  • Reflecting start date and end date in month/year format (MM/YYYY) AND
  • Include the number of hours worked per week.
• SF-50: Current or former Federal employees NOT employed by the Bureau of Prisons MUST submit a copy of their SF-50 Form which shows competitive service appointment, tenure group, and salary. If you have promotion potential in your current position, please provide proof. If you are applying for a higher grade, and your experience was gained at a Federal agency other than the Bureau of Prisons, you MUST provide the SF-50 Form which verifies the length of time you have been in your highest grade and supports your claim for time in grade.
• Employees applying with an interchange agreement must provide proof of their permanent appointment.
• Current federal employees NOT employed by the BOP and former federal employees MUST submit a copy of their latest yearly performance appraisal/evaluation.
• CTAP, Click Here, if applicable.
• College transcript: includes the School Name, Student Name, Degree, and Date Awarded (if applicable).
  • NOTE: If you are selected, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day.

For more help, visit USAJOBS Help Center - What should I include in my resume?

We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software, delays in mail service, applicant application errors, etc.

How to Apply

You must apply through the online application system at www.USAJOBS.gov. Follow the prompts to register, answer a few questions and submit all required documents.

Limit your resume to 2 pages. If the only resume(s) received is/are longer than two pages, your application is ineligible for further consideration. Submission of a resume alone is not a complete application. This position may require the completion of additional forms and/or supplemental materials as described under the Required Documents section. Please carefully review the complete job announcement and the "How to Apply" instructions. Failure to provide the required information and/or materials will result in your application not being considered for employment.

We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. USAJOBS Help Center - How to add a resume to your profile

Required supporting documentation must be electronically uploaded or transferred from USAJOBS (uploaded).

All required supporting documentation MUST be received by the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. You MUST include the vacancy announcement number on your supporting documentation.

Supporting documentation for announcements with an application limitation MUST be uploaded the same day you apply, as these positions may close earlier than stated in the announcement.

Paper applications: If applying online is impossible, please contact the Consolidated Staffing Unit at the telephone number listed below, prior to the closing date of the announcement for the alternate application procedure.

If applicable see Notice for Preference Eligible Veterans Applicants. 

Contact for Assistance in Applying On-Line:
DOJ, Federal Bureau of Prisons
Consolidated Staffing Unit
346 Marine Forces Drive
Grand Prairie, TX 75051
E-Mail: BOP-HRM-HRSC-ConsolidatedStaffingUnit-S@bop.gov
Phone: 972-352-4200

How do I Apply for this Position if I am a Current Public Health Service Commissioned Officer?

• Submit a complete/detailed resume or curriculum vitae.
• It is recommended you limit your resume to 2-pages in preparation for future announcement requirements.
• Address selective factor, if required.
• Resume or curriculum vitae must contain all information listed in the Qualifications Section.
• Submit supporting documents (i.e. transcripts, certification, registration, and/or license, if applicable).

Your completed application packet must be submitted to the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time (EST), on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. You must include the last four digits of your social security number and the vacancy announcement number on your application packet. DO NOT SUBMIT AN APPLICATION ON-LINE.