Education
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(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.
Advanced Practice Nurse Positions: For Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) positions, applicants must possess a graduate or higher level degree in nursing from an accredited educational program in the area of expertise or specialty indicated by the position.
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(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.
Additional License Requirements for Advanced Practice Nurse Positions: Applicants for Advanced Practice Nurse positions must be licensed or registered by a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States in the clinical specialty required by the position.
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 Requirements for the GS-11 (or equivalent) Grade Level
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.
NOTE:
Any claims you make in your resume or assessment questionnaire regarding education or degrees MUST be supported by submitting with your application official or unofficial transcripts or a list of courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned issued from your school. While unofficial transcripts are acceptable for initial application, an official transcript will ultimately be required if you are selected for the position. You may submit a copy your degree(s) if specific coursework does not have to be verified.