Job Summary

This position is located in the Indian Health Service, Office of Quality, Division of Quality Assurance and Patient Safety, Rockville, MD. This position serves as the agency lead for sterilization and high-level disinfection (HLD) processes as part of Infection Prevention and Control. A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021).

Job Description

This is a competitive vacancy announcement advertised under Direct Hire Authority. Selections made under this vacancy announcement will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would therefore be given new appointments to the civil service; however, benefits, time served, and all other Federal entitlements would remain the same. To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. Note: Employees currently assigned to positions in this occupational series as of September 2017 will be considered to have met the basic requirements for the position occupied. BASIC REQUIREMENT(S): 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, 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. Degree from Foreign Nursing School: Official certification from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools is required for individuals who graduated from foreign nursing schools. LICENSURE: 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-13 (OR EQUIVALENT) GRADE LEVEL. In addition to the mandatory license and education described above under Basic Requirements applicants must have at least one or more full years of professional nursing experience that is equivalent to the next lower grade level. Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Experience in infection prevention and control principles with emphasis on high-level disinfection (HLD), sterilization, and reusable medical device reprocessing within a healthcare organization. Experience developing, implementing, evaluating, and monitoring infection prevention, quality assurance, and patient safety programs related to sterilization and high-level disinfection; conducting surveillance, audits, and risk assessments to identify trends and ensure compliance with evidence-based practices; analyzing quality and infection prevention data to develop corrective action plans; ensuring compliance with accreditation and regulatory requirements, including The Joint Commission (TJC), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), manufacturers' Instructions for Use (IFUs), and other applicable standards governing reusable medical device reprocessing. Experience providing expert consultation and technical guidance to Sterile Processing, Endoscopy, Operating Room, and clinical staff; developing and delivering education and competency-based training; collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to improve patient safety, reduce healthcare-associated infection risk, and support continuous quality improvement initiatives related to high-level disinfection and sterilization processes. CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT: The incumbent must obtain Level I Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) certification within one year of appointment and maintain the certification. The incumbent must obtain Certification as a Certified Professional In-Patient Safety (CPPS) by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) or become a CPPS within one year of hire. This position requires the incumbent to become Certified in Infection Control (CIC) within one year of hire. This position requires certification directly related to Sterile Processing/High-level Disinfection. You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.