Nurse (Discharge Planner)

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

Job summary

Indian Health Service in Shiprock, NM seeks a Registered Nurse to independently plan and execute inpatient case management activities. You will coordinate care for patients with complex conditions and serve as a clinical resource to the nursing staff on discharge planning.

The role is located in Nursing Administration at the Shiprock Service Unit and requires a federal background investigation and licensure maintenance. This is a full-time on-site position with public service benefits.

Qualifications

• Experience in inpatient case management or discharge planning is preferred.
• Ability to coordinate care for patients with complex health needs.
• Knowledge of nursing care plans and clinical strategies for discharge.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute inpatient case management activities.
• Coordinate care for patients with complex acute and chronic conditions.
• Serve as a clinical resource to nursing staff on case management and discharge planning.

Job description

Summary

The purpose of this position is to independently plan and execute inpatient case management activities, coordinate care for patients with complex acute and chronic health conditions, and serve as a clinical resource to the nursing staff on case management and discharge planning matters. This position is located in the Nursing Administration, at the Shiprock Service Unit, Shiprock, NM.

The purpose of this position is to independently plan and execute inpatient case management activities, coordinate care for patients with complex acute and chronic health conditions, and serve as a clinical resource to the nursing staff on case management and discharge planning matters. This position is located in the Nursing Administration, at the Shiprock Service Unit, Shiprock, NM.

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

Duties

Total Compensation Package - Check out IHS's outstanding total compensation package for this job:

Registered Nurse Total Compensation | Pay (ihs.gov)

• Initiates the case management process upon admission and conducts a comprehensive inpatient assessment encompassing medical and physical health status, functional capacity, psychosocial and cognitive status, support systems, home environmental, financial and insurance resources, legal needs, and immediate and long-term post-discharge care requirements, resulting in a documented, individualized discharge plan aligned with the patient's goals, clinical needs, and available resources.
• Responsible for ensuring that patients receive all necessary education, equipment, resources, medication, and follow-up care for successful discharge from inpatient units.
• Interacts with outside health care facilities in order to determine availability of clinical services; to facilitate appropriate transfer of care; and to participate in collaborative case management planning, discharge planning, and other care management-related activities.
• Applies advanced professional registered nursing knowledge and independent clinical judgment to conduct bedside and chart-based assessments of assigned inpatients with complex, multisystem, or high-acuity health conditions, evaluating clinical status, acuity, symptom progression, treatment response, functional capacity, and psychosocial needs to develop and refine individualized nursing care plans and discharge planning strategies.
• Collects, maintains, and analyzes inpatient case management program data, including true readmissions, avoidable days, length of stay, discharge disposition, and service utilization metrics, identifying trends and patterns that indicate opportunities for improvement in inpatient care coordination processes.

Requirements

• 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 designated position covered by Public Law 101-630, requiring contact or control over Indian children. Due to this requirement, the agency must ensure that persons hired for these positions have not been found guilty of or pleaded nolo contendere or guilty to certain crimes.
• The selected individual is required to obtain and maintain staff clinical privileges, including any licensure requirements. If privileges are not obtained or maintained during employment, the employee will be subject to adverse actions, up to and including removal from Federal service.
• On-call hours or standby duty may be required.
• 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 prioritize 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 (IHS).

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 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.

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 (external link), Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (external link), Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (external link), or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (external link) 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 license 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 In addition, to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below.

In addition, to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below-

Minimum Qualifications

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:

Independently carrying out the duties of planning and organizing a discharge planning workload; coordinating clinical care, transitions of care, and processes for facilitating access to care needed following hospital discharge; collaborative case management and discharge planning; providing case management for patients by coordinating services to meet patient's care goals; providing oversight to ensure compliance and appropriateness of care.

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 recognized 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/.

Additional information

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 Competency Based 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)

This position is covered by a Bargaining Unit.

Recruitment or relocation incentives may be authorized. A service agreement will be required.

IHS Selectees that will work in an IHS health care facility may be subject to Employee Health Policies related to Measles and Rubella, and seasonal influenza immunizations. Vaccine exemption requests may be available according to the National and/or Service Unit guidance.

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.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide short essay responses (200 words or less each) to the following four 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?
• How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role?
• 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.

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 federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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.

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.