Nurse (Public Health)

Indian Health Service; Pine Ridge (SD); On-site; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The Indian Health Service seeks a Registered Nurse to provide community/public health nursing services through direct care, home and school visits, and population-based assessment, prevention, and intervention activities.

Responsibilities include planning and delivering services to individuals, families, groups, and defined populations; conducting population assessments; leading disease investigations; and supporting program evaluation and staff development.

Qualifications

• Experience in population health assessments and applying public health guidelines.
• Ability to analyze demographic/epidemiologic data to identify priority issues and disparities.
• Experience coordinating disease investigations and implementing prevention programs.

Responsibilities

• Plans, prioritizes, and delivers community/public health nursing services to individuals, families, groups, and defined populations.
• Conducts population/community assessments to identify trends, high-risk groups, and disparities; translates findings into prevention strategies.
• Leads or coordinates communicable disease investigations and outbreak response activities in collaboration with partners.
• Provides consultation, mentoring, and training to advance program effectiveness and ensure accurate documentation and adherence to standards.

Skills

Public health nursing

Community health

Data interpretation

Education

PhD or Doctoral in nursing

Nursing degree (BSN/MSN)

Job description

Summary

The primary purpose of this position is to provide professional community/public health nursing services through direct care to individuals, families, and identified populations through direct care, home and school visiting, and population-based assessment, prevention, and intervention activities.

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

Duties

• Independently plans, prioritizes, and delivers community/public health nursing services to individuals, families, groups, and defined populations, integrating public health principles with clinical practice (e.g., primary prevention, chronic disease management, maternal/child health, and communicable disease prevention/control).
• Conducts comprehensive population and community assessments by analyzing demographic, clinical, and epidemiologic data to identify trends, priority health issues, high-risk groups, and disparities, and translates findings into targeted prevention and early intervention strategies.
• Leads or coordinates communicable disease investigations and outbreak response activities and develops, implements, and evaluates community-based health programs in collaboration with public health entities and community/tribal partners.
• Serves as a clinical and public health resource through consultation, mentoring, and training, and advances program effectiveness through evaluation, quality improvement, accurate documentation, and adherence to nurse practice acts and public health nursing standards.

Total Compensation Package

Check out IHS's outstanding total compensation package for this job:

Registered Nurse Total Compensation | Pay (ihs.gov)

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.

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.

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 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).

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 license, 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 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)

Individual Occupational Requirements

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 Requirements

• Successful completion of a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree from a professional nursing educational program 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 program.

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 (GS-9) in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Conducting population health assessments and analyzing data to identify priority health issues, vulnerable populations, and health disparities. Performing complex case management and care coordination for individuals/families (e.g., acute conditions, chronic disease, communicable disease cases) across care settings and community resources. Tailoring health promotion and disease prevention interventions and strategies to include literacy, language, culture, social and community factors.

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 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 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.

Recruitment or relocation incentives may be authorized. At least a 1 year service agreement will be required.

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 your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits.

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.