Nurse (Operating Room)

To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying.

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; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

Note: Employees currently assigned to positions in the Nursing series, 0610 as of September 2017 will be considered to have met the basic requirements for the position occupied.

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(external link), Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs(external link), Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education(external link), or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education(external link) at the time the degree was obtained.

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

Licensure

For all grade levels and positions, applicants must have passed the National Council Licensure Examination(external link). 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.

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-9 and above grade level, many positions may require experience in a specialty area of nursing.

BASIC REQUIREMENT(S):

Basic Requirements for the GS-9 (or equivalent) Grade Level

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

• Possession of a master's degree in professional nursing;

OR

• At least one full year of professional nursing experience (equivalent to the GS-7 grade level or above) and possession of a diploma, associate degree, or bachelor's degree in Nursing from a professional nursing program

Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks. Examples of experience include: Provide care for patients before, during and after surgery or surgical procedures without close supervision; certified in Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS); perform the role of patient educator, or circulating nurse and/or scrub nurse; Assess patients prior to surgery and alleviate their concerns; gather all supplies as needed for the operation; assess patient prior to surgery; keep operating room sterilized; position and prepare patient on operation table; pass medical instruments to surgeon during operation; monitor patient's vital signs to detect anomalies; evaluate patient in postoperative phases; adhere to safety standards and precautions.


Basic Requirements for the GS-10 (or equivalent) Grade Level:

• At least one full year of professional nursing experience (equivalent to the GS-9 grade level or above) and possession of a diploma, associate degree, or bachelor's degree in Nursing from a professional nursing program.

Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Examples Include: Independently perform professional nursing duties in the care of surgical patients following extensive and complex surgery or other patients whose critical conditions warrant intensive care; certified in Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS); Observes and assesses patient's clinical condition; recognizes, identify and interpret serious situations and immediately decides proper action, for example, call physician or take preplanned emergency measures; Recognizeemergency situations when a physician is not present or immediately available, initiates appropriate measures, for example, takes resuscitative measures in case of cardiac or respiratory arrest; Use specialized equipment such as monitoring ventilator devices, hypothermic units; Record information on patients' chart and maintain accurate records of intake and output; Administers prescribed medication. Act as a preceptor and provide instruction and direction to lower level trainee nurses.

Time In Grade
Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level. Time-In-Grade provisions do not apply under the Excepted Service Examining Plan (ESEP).

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.