Registered Nurse (O-3 Billet) Non-Supervisory

About the role

The Registered Nurse provides direct care to ICE detainees, including assessments, triage, medication administration, and emergency response. Responsibilities include coordinating care, maintaining documentation, and ensuring compliance with IHSC policies.

This position is only open to USPHS officers and Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidates.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• 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.
• Captures and maintains accurate documentation of 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.
• 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.
• Performs 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.
• Maintains security when administering medications; maintain cognizance at all times of the potential hazard of drug hoarding and trafficking among detainees.
• Provides 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.
• Fulfills IHSC Public Health, Safety, and Preparedness Unit Directives and Guides to maintain environmental health and safety, infection control, and all hazards emergency preparedness daily.
• Maintains 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.
• Performs as punctual and dependable 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 potential and willingness/ability to assume increasing levels of responsibility: May be tasked to function as Team Lead for regional projects or serves as Clinic Coordinator, if assigned.
• May participate in quality improvement or other team/unit reviews/activities.
• Nurse demonstrates they efficiently and effectively work at higher than their current grade.
• Engages in one or more collateral activities that contribute to the agency/PHS mission.
• Identifies and suggests process improvement activities at local level.

Qualifications

• REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
• Must be a Bachelor prepared Registered Nurse. 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 one year of professional nursing experience.
• Knowledge of a wide range of complex 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.
• 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 nursing management and leadership skills.
• Knowledge of team building principles.
• Knowledge of forensic nursing concepts and principles.
• Intermediate 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.