Occupational Health Nurse

Clarification from the agency

This is a Direct Hire announcement. Veterans’ Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to positions filled under this. The Smithsonian will continue to make employment offers to qualified candidates with veterans preference whenever possible. This position is open to all U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals. Foreign nationals or legal permanent residents are not eligible for consideration. Excepted Service employees may also apply to this announcement.

The Occupational Health Nurse will provide direct care, health assessment and monitoring to employees and supports occupational health programs across the Smithsonian Institution. 

In this position, you will:

• Provide support to other staff, management, employees, and safety coordinators in specific medical monitoring or prevention activities. 
• Ensure a safe and healthy work environment for all SI employees and visitors.
• Participate in preventive health education programs and counseling aimed at prevention of disease and health maintenance.
• Counsel individual to improve existing chronic health conditions, e.g. hypertension, diabetes, poor physical fitness, or obesity.
• Obtain physical assessments and medical histories which may elicit new abnormal health conditions or concerns, and counsels, refers, and follows-up appropriately.
• Participate in administrative functions of Occupational Health Services in order to maintain a high quality of patient care. 

Conditions of employment

• Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation.
• May need to complete a Probationary Period.
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.

Conditions of Employment

More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions on OPM website.

Qualifications

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 of Foreign Nursing Schools is required for individuals who graduated from foreign nursing schools.

Areas of specialties for positions include, but are not limited to, Acute Care, Anesthesia, Community Health, Family, Geriatric, Home Health, Midwifery, Neonatal, Oncology, Pediatric, Psychiatric, Allergy and Immunology, Women’s Health, Cardiovascular, Dermatology, Occupational Health, Orthopedic, Respiratory, or other specialties identified for the position.

Licensure

For all grade levels and positions, 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.

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-9 grade level) and possession of a diploma, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree from a professional nursing educational program.

Specialized Experience For GS-11: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service or comparable pay band system related to the work of this position.  For this position specialized experience is defined as providing nursing care relevant to occupational health services which include immunizations, medical examinations, first aid/medical emergency response, patient education, and wellness services.

Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. Do not copy language directly from the vacancy announcement, as you will be deemed ineligible for consideration. Instead, provide detailed, descriptive information about your actual experience.

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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are qualifying by education and/or you have education completed in a foreign college/university described above, it is your responsibility to provide transcripts and proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study. For instructions on where to fax these documents, see the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

The applications that meet the basic education requirements will be evaluated further against the specialized experience requirement described above.

Applicants who have not submitted a resume in the USAjobs system will not be considered for this position.  

Your resume should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.

Your application package should include the following documents:

• Resume - Your resume can be uploaded and attached to your application or created using the USA Jobs on-line resume builder. Ensure your resume contains the job title (including the occupational series and grade if it is Federal), job-related qualifications, starting and ending dates (month and year), hours worked per week, and salary for each employment period. It is your responsibility to ensure all information is submitted. Failure to include this information may result in disqualification for the position. For assistance with creating a resume, please click here.

• Proof of Veteran's Preference - DD214 (Member 4 Copy), if you are a veteran. Additionally, applicants claiming 10-point preference must complete Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, as well as additional documentation required by the SF-15, such as a VA letter.
• Unofficial school transcripts, if the position has an education requirement or if you are using education to qualify. If selected for the position, you must provide an official transcript before appointment.
• Proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study, if applicable.
• Proof of 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.

Next steps