Nurse (Case Management)

Indian Health Service; Kayenta (AZ); On-site; USD 90,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

The Indian Health Service Kayenta Service Unit in Kayenta, AZ seeks an inpatient nursing case manager to provide comprehensive case management, utilization management, discharge planning, and care coordination for patients with acute and chronic conditions. You will serve as a clinical resource for inpatient services and collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to ensure safe transitions of care.

You will drive individualized care plans, educate patients and caregivers, and analyze outcomes

Qualifications

• Graduate or higher level degree in nursing from an accredited program.
• Current, active RN license with NCLEX eligibility and maintenance.
• Experience in inpatient case management and discharge planning is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assess hospitalized patients with complex needs and develop individualized nursing care and discharge plans.
• Provide direct nursing care, monitor patient condition, and coordinate treatment with the team.
• Review admissions using clinical criteria and submit documentation for payer authorization.
• Coordinate post-acute services, educate patients and caregivers, and ensure safe transitions.
• Analyze readmissions and delays to improve care coordination.

Skills

Nursing

Case Management

Discharge Planning

Care Coordination

Interdisciplinary Team

Education

Nursing Degree

NCLEX Licensure

Bachelor's degree preferred

Job description

Summary

This position is located at the Kayenta Service Unit in Kayenta, Arizona. This position serves as an inpatient nursing case manager responsible for providing comprehensive case management, utilization management, discharge planning, and care coordination for patients with acute and chronic health conditions and serves as a clinical resource for inpatient services.

A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021).

Duties

• Assess hospitalized patients with complex clinical and psychosocial needs and develop individualized nursing care and discharge plans.
• Provide direct nursing care, monitor changes in patient condition, and coordinate treatment with the interdisciplinary team.
• Review admissions and continued stays using approved clinical criteria, and submit documentation needed for payer authorization.
• Coordinate post‑acute services, educate patients and caregivers, and ensure safe transitions from the hospital.
• Analyze readmissions, avoidable delays, and other case management data to recommend improvements in care coordination.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Selectee may be subject to a probationary period.

U.S. Citizenship is required.

Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.

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.

Successfully pass the E‑Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E‑Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.

You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you.

Background Investigation Requirement

This position requires the successful completion of a federal background investigation as a condition of employment.

A background investigation is a standard process used by the Federal Government to verify an individual's identity, employment history, education, and other relevant information to determine suitability for Federal service.

Upon receipt of instructions, applicants must complete all required background investigation forms within five (5) calendar days of issuance. Timely completion is critical to avoid delays in processing or a determination of unsuitability.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritise this requirement and to maintain regular communication with their assigned Personnel Security Specialist throughout the process.

Financial Suitability Requirement

This position requires a review of the applicant's financial history as part of the personnel security and suitability determination. Applicants must demonstrate financial responsibility, maintain good standing with creditors, and satisfy all legal financial obligations prior to applying.

Individuals with substantial delinquent or unresolved financial obligations-including, but not limited to, delinquent federal or state tax liabilities, defaulted federal student loans, court‑ordered fines or fees, or child support arrears-may be deemed unsuitable for employment with the Indian Health Service.

Identification Requirements

Prior to the appointment, candidates must present two valid forms of identification. If one of the documents is a state‑issued ID or driver's licence, it must be REAL ID‑compliant.

Qualifications

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 programmes (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organisations (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.

Basic Requirement(s)

Education:

A graduate or higher level degree, bachelor's degree, associate degree, or diploma from an accredited professional nursing educational programme 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 recognised 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:

For all grade levels and positions, applicants must have passed the National Council Licensure Examination. In addition, they must possess a current, active, full, and unrestricted licence or registration as a professional nurse from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

Minimum Qualifications

In addition to the above requirements, applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

• Successful completion of a PHD or equivalent doctoral degree from a professional nursing educational programme or related medical science field; or
• At least one full year of professional nursing experience (equivalent to the GS‑9 grade level) and possession of a diploma, associate degree, bachelor's degree, or master's degree from a professional nursing educational programme.

Your resume must demonstrate at least one full year of professional nursing experience (equivalent to the GS‑9 grade level) and possession of a diploma, associate degree, bachelor's degree, or master's degree from a professional nursing educational programme.

Specialised experience includes:

• Independently assessing and providing nursing care to inpatients with complex health conditions, developing individualized care and discharge plans that address clinical, functional, and psychosocial needs, and coordinating services with patients, families, and interdisciplinary teams. This includes applying approved utilisation review criteria to evaluate admission status and continued stay, submitting clinical reviews for payer authorisation, arranging post‑acute services, educating patients and caregivers, resolving barriers to safe transitions of care, and analysing case management data to identify opportunities for improvement.

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

Education

This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed, and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer.

Only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognised by the U.S. Department of Education may be credited. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://www.ed.gov/accreditation.

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests

If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire CompetencyBased Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case‑by‑case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. IHS may offer newly‑appointed Federal employees credit for their directly related previous non‑federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave.

This position is covered by a Bargaining Unit.

The Indian Health Service (IHS), National Health Service Corps (NHSC), and The Health Resources And Services Administration (HRSA) Have Student Loan Repayment Programs For Qualifying Health Disciplines. This Is a Competitive Process Separate From The Hiring Process. Opportunities For LRP Are Based On Agency Hiring Priorities And Availability Of Funds. For Additional Information Please Visit

For IHS - http://www.ihs.gov/loanrepayment/

For NHSC - https://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loanrepayment/

For HRSA Nurse Corps - https://bhw.hrsa.gov/loansscholarships/nursecorps

You will be evaluated for this position in accordance with the OPM Merit Hiring Plan.

Essay Questions

• How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government?
• In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness?
• In this role, you will be expected to professionally and efficiently implement executive direction. Provide an example where you implemented leadership direction on a strategy or policy decision that differed from your own recommendation.
• How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements?
• Your responses are optional and will not be scored.
• However, they may be reviewed by hiring managers and agency leadership (or designees) during the evaluation process.
• You will be asked to certify that your responses are written in your own words and that you did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) tool (such as ChatGPT or Copilot).

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.

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Review our benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full‑time, part‑time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.