Summary

These nursing positions are located within the Clinical Center Nursing Department at the National Institute of Health (NIH), Clinical Center (CC), in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Safety and Quality Nurse reports directly to a Nurse Manager for a unit or clinic within the specialty area with an assignment as senior clinical expert for a designated patient population/program of care.

Duties

If you are selected for these positions your responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Participates in interdepartmental projects as assigned and the primary duties are related to direct patient care.
• Records research data such as clinical measurements, administration of a research compound, participant responses in approved source documents i.e., the medical record, data collection sheet, etc.
• Supports biomedical research through detailed observation measurements, and data collection related to pertinent assessments as defined by the protocol specifications and the incumbent's expert clinical judgment.
• The Safety and Quality Nurse collaborates with the nurse manager and department leaders on improvement activities related to promoting patient safety and clinical quality and reducing risk, in congruence with policies, procedures and standards of practice.
• Provides feedback to colleagues related to identified quality improvement and patient safety issues.
• Plans and conducts surveillance of nursing sensitive indicators identified by CCND, NDNQI, TJC, and the program of care.
• Serves as safety resource for staff.
• Partners and consults with CCND Safety and Quality Office.

Requirements

Conditions of employment U.S. Citizenship requirement or proof of being a U.S. National must be met by closing date. Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation, verification of qualifications, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, and any other job-related requirement before or after appointment. Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.

This position has the following minimum qualification requirements: nurse education, license and specialized experience. This position is designated as Tier-1 Emergency Essential. See Additional Information section for specific details on this designation.

Physical Requirements:

Selectee may be required able to lift and move items weighing up to 35 lbs. This position may require the following work shifts: nights, rotational, holidays, weekends. Selectee(s) are required to undergo a Pre-Employment Medical Screening.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

In order to meet the Basic Qualification Requirements for a Nurse (Clinical Research), GS-0610, you must:

1. A. Have a graduate or higher-level degree, bachelor's degree, associate degree, or diploma from an accredited professional nursing educational program. 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: Official certification from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools is required for individuals who graduated from foreign nursing schools.
2. License: B. 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.
3. AND C. You must have passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) or obtained licensure before the implementation of the NCLEX-RN. Individuals who have not passed the NCLEX-RN, but meet all other qualification requirements will be subject to a comprehensive evaluation of both their education and experience prior to final appointment.

AND ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

To qualify for the GS-12 grade level: In addition to the education and license requirement, you must demonstrate in your resume at least one year of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal Government obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks:

1. 1.) Collaborating with the nurse manager and department leaders on improvement activities related to promoting patient safety and clinical quality and reducing risk, in congruence with policies, procedures, and standards of practice.
2. 2.) Providing independent direct patient care to research participants.
3. 3.) Providing feedback to colleagues related to identified quality improvement and patient safety issues.
4. 4.) Planning and conducting surveillance of nursing sensitive indicators identified by CCND, NDNQI, TJC, and the program of care.

The ideal candidate possesses expert clinical practice, expertise and knowledge related to implementation of performance improvement activities, promoting clinical quality, patient safety, and reducing risk for a specific patient population or program of care. You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay. Do not copy and paste the duties or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as knowing your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin before receiving an offer.

Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13027774

Education

This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts (or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades). Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Click here for information on Foreign Education.

Additional information

This position is designated as an "emergency essential" position and the selected candidate will be considered an "emergency essential" employee and will be required to be available, ready, willing, and able to report for duty under all circumstances (e.g., inclement weather, government closings and holidays, lapses in appropriations, non-emergency and emergency situations) for operation 24 hours a day and 365 days per year coverage. Based on your appointment, a one year probationary period may be required. A decision regarding your continued employment with NIH will be made as you near the end of this period. PHS Commissioned Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps should also apply online to this announcement in order to receive consideration. The National Institutes of Health participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers. The NIH maintains a tobacco free work environment and campus. Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation. Visit our Help Applying page for helpful information on the application process. If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: Reasonable Accommodation. If selected, you may be eligible to receive a salary above the minimum based on superior qualifications and/or a special need of the Government for your services. This applies to employees paid under the General Schedule (GS) and Federal Wage System (FWS) pay systems and is at the discretion of the hiring manager. A salary above the minimum must be approved before the appointment. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Review our benefits.