Who May Apply: US Citizens
In order to qualify, you must meet the Education and 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 Practitioner-Clinical/Psychiatric):
Degree: 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. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.).
Degree for Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Positions: A graduate or higher-level degree in nursing from an accredited
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner educational program.
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.
Additional Licensure Requirements for Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner-Clinical/Psychiatric): 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:
Specialized Experience: One year of professional nursing experience which includes
performing psychiatric intakes or evaluations, prescribing medication, and providing care to behavioral health patients. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade level (GS-11).
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.