Family Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant, Foreign Service Medical Provider

Licensure and Certification The candidate must be currently licensed as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) or Physician Assistant/Physician Associate (PA) in a state, a territory of the U.S., Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia and must have current national certification as an FNP or the PA-equivalent from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, or the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants/Associates. Applications will not be accepted from Nurse Practitioners or Physician Assistants/Associates who are not currently licensed and certified. Licenses and national board certification and re-certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant/Associate must be maintained during employment with the Department's Bureau of Medical Services. Once hired, the candidate will be required to obtain and maintain a District of Columbia license. Additional Certifications Upon Hire and During Duration of Career Valid American Red Cross or American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) certification are required 90 days after hire and must be maintained throughout employment with the Department. If a candidate does not have BLS and ALS certification at the time of hire, MED will provide the course and certification after onboarding. Specialized Experience The candidate must have a minimum of five (5) years of full-time clinical experience within the past seven (7) years across the lifespan in addition to primary care, post NP or PA family practice certification. Full-time is defined as a minimum of 40 hours per week with at least 75 percent of the time involved in direct primary care, or 30 hours per week with 100 percent of time involved in direct primary care. Qualified Family Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants/Associates who have practiced primarily in emergency medicine, hospital-based practice, or other non-ambulatory settings must demonstrate a thorough understanding of primary care practice fundamentals as defined in the following paragraph. "Primary care" encompasses adult and pediatric diagnosis and treatment of acute illness and management of chronic diseases, routine gynecologic care, prenatal care, adult health maintenance and preventive health care, well child care, and immunization management. It embraces the total family unit across the lifespan, including emotional and physical aspects that impact overall well-being. The Medical Provider utilizes and coordinates sub-specialty professional consultations when needed. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities The Department will consider a candidate's education level, work experience, and other qualifications as part of the hiring decision-making process based on these KSA criteria. Demonstrate a high degree of clinical and management expertise. The patient population covered is unique because of background and lifestyle as part of a diplomatic community overseas. This population also differs in terms of clinical and administrative needs and the national security concerns inherent in their employment. Previous experience working in similar occupational settings and/or in an overseas setting is advantageous. Demonstrate the ability to manage administrative aspects of a Health Unit as well as the ability to cope with extraordinary medical crises, often in remote and isolated settings. Education and experience must demonstrate that the candidate can function as a public/community health provider. Be skilled and experienced primary health care practitioner with excellent interpersonal skills, able to function well within a complex organization, and have experience working in a high-stress environment. The candidate must also be able to recognize and understand the problems of delivering healthcare to Americans posted in locations where local medical resources are limited or non-existent. The ability to logically and objectively analyze patient problems and apply sound clinical judgment is required. Experience in providing long-distance triage and care via electronic communications such as telephone, telemedicine, radio, and email is preferred. Gain the cooperation and confidence of patients, co-workers, supervisors, and subordinates. Candidates must have experience working in a multidisciplinary practice as well as experience in team building, leadership, and management. Effective written and oral communication skills are essential, as well as the ability to present medical findings in a clear and concise manner to medical and non-medical personnel. Demonstrated ability to teach or lecture groups on medical issues is preferred. Develop, coordinate, and administer healthcare delivery programs, including but not limited to individual and community health promotion and disease prevention programs, including teaching health topics to both small and large groups. Organize and supervise a varied group of health care providers with different degrees of expertise, education, and command of English. The candidate must understand the unique cultural differences related to healthcare delivery in different countries and address these differences in a positive manner. The candidate must be able to assess, diagnose, and treat infectious diseases. Possess a high degree of integrity, decisiveness, and fairness to fairly apply the regulations and policies of the medical program to all eligible persons. Knowledge and hands-on familiarity with computer systems are preferred. Specific medical knowledge areas include: family practice, pediatrics, women's health issues, obstetrics, infectious disease, orthopedics, dermatology, gastroenterology, neurology, urology, laboratory/radiology/other diagnostic testing, pharmacology, general surgery, mental health conditions, alcoholism and drug abuse, nutrition, emergency medical techniques, immunizations, health-related environmental factors, food and water safety, occupational safety and health, and quality assurance procedures. Specific medical skills include: family practice, clinical interviewing, physical assessment, performing medical clearance examinations, performing medical procedures, operating medical equipment, planning of evaluation and treatment, triage, data interpretation, and research techniques. Candidates must provide comprehensive health assessments and medical care to individuals and families across the lifespan. Management skills include: supervision, leadership, teaching others, managing personnel and financial resources, contingency planning and crisis management, organizing and managing events/programs/projects, time management, collaborating, working with limited resources, acclimating to different cultures, and computer use. Personal skills include: reading comprehension, active listening, oral and written communication, public speaking, active learning, complex problem identification, critical thinking, judgment and decision making, math, social perceptiveness, interpersonal skills, persuasion, service orientation, monitoring, coordination, and process operation and control. Other attributes include: compassion, resilience, self-confidence, firm convictions, independence integrated with the Department, interest in continuous learning and change, interest in Foreign Service (FS) work, tolerance of on-call and emergency demands, tolerance of travel, worldwide availability, and tolerance of living away from family. Demonstrate a strong command of the English language, including grammar, spelling, and punctuation. FS Specialists must consistently meet a high standard for English, both written (overall structure as well as grammar, spelling, and punctuation) and spoken (overall structure as well as delivery, clarity, and succinctness). Openness to an international career: accepting assignments based on the needs of the FS and experiencing frequent global travel.