LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE-Direct Hire Authority (DHA)

This position is located in Healthcare Service, Armed Forces Retirement Home, Gulfport, MS Nursing Service. The primary purpose of the position is to administer medications to groups of Residents and to accomplish specific nursing care and nursing team-leading duties as assigned by a professional registered nurse.

This announcement is issued under the Direct-Hire authority to recruit for positions for which there is a critical hiring need.

As a/an LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE-Direct Hire Authority (DHA), you will:

• Prioritize care activities for a group of Residents based on illness acuity or staff skill level.
• Provide Resident status information to interdisciplinary team members for use in care planning
• Provide Resident status information to interdisciplinary team members for use in care planning.
• Describe a Resident's physical appearance, emotional status, or interaction with staff or family in written notes.

You must meet the following requirements by the job by 11:59pm (Eastern Standard Time) of the closing date: 11/12/2026 The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your résumé.

Basic Requirement for Licensed Practical Nurse GS-0620-07:

Licensure: A current license to practice as a practical or vocational nurse in a State, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia; OR must have applied for a license to practice. Applications of candidates possessing a license must be accompanied by a certified or photostatic copy of the license, a notarized statement attesting to the fact, or a citation of the license number and State issuing it. Non-licensed candidates who have completed their training may be appointed subject to obtaining the required license during the probationary period. Those not licensed must furnish the date on which they applied for a license and the jurisdiction involved. No person appointed pending licensure may be retained beyond the probationary period if licensure has not been attained.

In addition, to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS stated below.

Specialized Experience:
GS-07: Applicant must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-06 level in the Federal service that included experience such as:

1. Administering medications or performing hands-on nursing procedures for patients according to provider orders or established nursing protocols.
2. Documenting patient responses to nursing interventions or reporting changes in patient condition to nurses or physicians.
3. Directing the work of nursing assistants or support staff on a unit or shift as assigned by a registered nurse.

SPECIAL NOTE: Long-term care experience and/or interacting with geriatric patients is highly desired.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The work involves long periods of moving about the work unit. Work requires regular and recurring standing, bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, lifting, and repositioning Residents. Must use proper body mechanics when lifting objects and use lift equipment for Residents. The work may require considerable and strenuous physical exertion, such as lifting objects greater the 50 pounds or defending oneself against physical attack.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The work is normally performed in Healthcare Services and involves a high risk of exposure to infection, contagious diseases, noxious fumes, and gases. There are irregular and recurring situations where physical attacks by Residents require safety training.

Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP/CTAP)? Your Federal position at the time you were displaced must be within the local commuting area for a location that a hiring agency plans to fill from this announcement. The definition of local commuting area varies based on duty location and hiring agency policy. To receive priority consideration, you must also be found well-qualified, which means you score 85 or higher based on this announcement's assessment rating criteria.

There is no substitution of education for experience.

Key Requirements:

1. Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
2. Must be U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
3. The AFRH ethics program promotes the highest standards of ethical conduct for all employees. As a federal employee, you will be subject to the Standards of Ethical Conduct, and the U.S. criminal conflict of interest statutes. As an AFRH employee, you will also be subject to the AFRH Supplemental Ethics Regulations which restrict the extent to which a AFRH employee can engage in certain activities and hold certain investments. Depending on your position, you may also be required to file a public or confidential financial disclosure report which must be filed within 30 days of your appointment as an employee of AFRH. Upon your new appointment, you will receive guidance regarding your ethics obligations. You will also be required to attend a mandatory ethics training within 3 months of your appointment. Please contact the Agency Ethics Officer (Joseph Pollard) at (202) 541-7557, or joseph.pollard@afrh.gov if you should have any questions.
4. Because the AFRH's mission requires uninterrupted, direct human support and medical care for its Residents, this position is considered essential for continuing AFRH operations. Therefore, the incumbent is expected to arrive for duty on time, as scheduled, and to complete the assigned tour during emergency situations such as hazardous weather.

Our comprehensive benefits are very generous. Our benefits package includes:

• Challenging work, opportunities for advancement, competitive salaries, bonuses and incentive awards.
• Eleven paid holidays, 13 days of sick leave, and 13 to 26 days of vacation time each year.
• Access to insurance programs that may be continued after you retire.
• A wide choice of health insurance plans, coverage for pre-existing conditions, and no waiting periods. We pay a substantial amount (up to 75%) of the health insurance premiums.
• A retirement program which includes employer-matching contributions.

Learn more about Federal benefits programs at: USAJOBS Help Center - Benefits