Registered Nurse (O-4 Billet) Non-Supervisory

Summary

The Registered Nurse provides advanced nursing care to ICE detainees, including assessments, triage, medication administration, emergency response, and patient education. Responsibilities include leadership roles such as Charge Nurse or Team Lead, mentoring, and process development. The role requires clinical expertise, adaptability, and the ability to work in a multidisciplinary team in a detention setting. This position is only open to USPHS officers and Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidates.

Duties

• Provides direct nursing care to detainees with knowledge of nursing care principles, practices, and procedures.
• Provides nursing procedures as ordered following Lippincott Procedure Manual after completed IHSC Registered Nurse (RN) competency documentation on annual basis.
• Additionally, follows and remains current on all applicable IHSC directive and guidelines.
• Documents all detainee encounters using S.O.A.P.E. format, followed by the nurse's signature and name stamp on written documentation or by locking notes in electronic health record.
• Ability to assess patients' needs and coordinate appropriate nursing care plan.
• Obtains medical histories on detainees; referring medical problems identified to the physician, or Advanced Practice Provider (APP) as appropriate.
• Demonstrates nursing triage process and screening of detainees/residents during sick call and performs functions as outlined in the approved IHSC Clinical Nursing Guidelines, refers patients to higher level of care as appropriate.
• Accesses interpretation and/or translation services as needed to ensure ability to communicate with detainees or others who are not proficient in the English language.
• Provides daily nursing care as needed in Medical Housing Units (MHU) and notifies physician, or APP of any abnormal findings.
• Provides care for psychiatric patients as indicated.
• Coordinates health care needs of detainees with healthcare team and coordinates referrals to off-site providers as required.
• Provides patient teaching/training in accordance with agency directives.
• Maintains non-involvement in the security/custody aspects of care.
• Assists the medical provider with medical appointments by taking the detainees vital signs, and assisting as necessary.
• Responds to emergency medical calls as assigned and provides emergency treatment of injury or illness to detainees as required.
• Orders authorized by the physician, APPs, or other qualified health care provider.
• Ensures the medical orders are implemented in a timely manner.
• Applies knowledge of drugs and therapeutics in administering medication.
• Ensures that medications prescribed are administered as ordered, using the 6 rights of medication administration.
• Ensures all new medication orders are reviewed before administration and acknowledged either by initials by each new order on paper medication administration records or by acknowledging in new electronic medication administration record.
• When medication orders are signed off, initials are placed next to the order and circled to maintain appropriate documentation.
• Maintains security when administering medications; maintain cognizance at all times of the potential hazard of drug hoarding and trafficking among detainees.
• Provide radiological services in accordance with nursing board state licensure rules; these services will be to conduct tuberculosis surveillance i.e. digital single view chest x-rays, if applicable.
• Draws labs as requested and collects laboratory specimens.
• Administers immunizations; reads and documents immunizations accordingly.
• Follows all IHSC Public Health, Safety, and Preparedness Unit Directives and Guides to maintain environmental health and safety, infection control, and all hazards emergency preparedness daily.
• Responsible for maintenance of medical equipment and quality control of laboratory reagent.
• Maintains medical supply stock level, may order supplies (lab and other supplies); restocking as needed.
• Maintains non-involvement in the security/custody aspects of care.
• Performs record keeping functions in accordance with program policies.
• May prepare statistical information, regularly scheduled reports, or special reports as necessary.
• Attends general/medical and Nursing Service Unit (NSU) meetings as scheduled.
• Must be able to work rotating shifts including holidays and weekends.
• As punctual and dependent employee for assigned shifts.
• Maintains clinical professional skills via continuing education opportunities.
• May serve at other IHSC medical facilities on temporary duty (TDY).
• May serve as medical escort of detainees as needed for domestic/overseas travel under direction of special operations.
• Demonstrates leadership potential and willingness/ability to assume increasing levels of responsibility: may be tasked to function as Charge Nurse or Team Lead.
• May participate in quality improvement or other team/unit reviews/activities.
• Performance of complex tasks requiring developed proficiency/ higher responsibility: serves as Clinical Coordinator/Charge Nurse/Acting Nurse Manager as assigned.
• Nurse demonstrates they efficiently and effectively work at higher than their current grade.
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
• See additional duties in the "Additional Information" box below.

Education

Required Knowledge, SKILLS, And Abilities: Bachelor or Masters prepared Registered Nurse; Masters preferred. Must be licensed by a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or territory of the United States. Knowledge of the Nurse Practice Act for the licensing state and/or the state in which one practices nursing. Maintains current/documented professional license.

Maintains current Cpr/bls certification. Maintains USPHS Basic Readiness status. Minimum of 4 years’ experience, begin graduate level education-preferred, (O-3 for two years), must have two years Registered Nurse II, Clinical Nurse Intermediate. Knowledge of a wide range of nursing concepts, principles, and practices to perform nursing assessments of considerable variety to include mental health, medical surgical, ambulatory and emergency nursing care.

Professional credentials/Certification appropriate to current job specialty. Knowledge of medication, administration guidelines, and pharmaceutical agents and their desired and adverse effects in order to recognize untoward effects and take appropriate corrective measures. Comprehensive knowledge of managing non-compliant patients, special needs populations, and patients with significant deficits in coping skills, thereby requiring continuing professional clinical support. Knowledge of requirements for safety, infection control, quality assurance, maintenance of records of patients seen, statistical information gathering, etc.

Training methods and sufficient interpersonal skills to develop a rapport with patients and co-workers during which instructional and educational information is presented. Knowledge or experience of nursing management and leadership skills. Knowledge of teaching patient health education skills. Knowledge of team building principles.

Knowledge of forensic nursing concepts and principles. Advanced knowledge of computerized data base, sources, and reporting methodologies. Flexibility and ability to adapt to sudden changes in schedules and work requirements. Spanish language proficiency preferred, not required.

Required Documents

Prepare the documents below before applying. Always confirm the exact requirements on the official announcement, since they vary by position:

• A complete application includes: U.
• Public Health Service Officers Cover Letter/Letter of Interest.
• Degrees. (Place under "Diploma/GED") Professional license. (If applicable) Additional professional certificates. (If applicable) Three professional references. (i.e., name, title and contact information) Official USPHS Promotion CV.
• E.g., relevant experience, education, training. (Place under "USPHS Promotion CV") You may provide a civilian resume in addition to the USPHS Promotion CV to capture all relevant work experience.
• A copy of your Certificate of Investigation (located in your eOPF).
• Three most recent Commissioned Officer Effectiveness Reports (COER). (Place under "Performance Appraisal") For IHSC USPHS officers only, a copy of your current Service Remaining Requirements Agreement.