Nurse (Safety)

Indian Health Service; Whiteriver (AZ); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Indian Health Service in Whiteriver, AZ is seeking a developmental Patient Safety Program Manager to oversee the hospital's patient safety activities, including program coordination, event review, tracer activities, and safety assessments. The role involves leading systemic improvements, reporting adverse events, and educating leadership on safety best practices.

The position requires a nursing qualification, active licensure, and experience in patient safety or quality improvement.

Qualifications

• Graduate or higher degree in nursing from an accredited program.
• Active RN license and current state/nursing registration in the U.S.
• Experience with patient safety, quality improvement, or staff/workflow optimization.

Responsibilities

• Lead facility-wide Patient Safety Program and annual plan.
• Manage the Patient Safety Reporting and Learning System for events and safety issues.
• Conduct clinical tracers and safety evaluations across departments.
• Lead or co-lead Root Cause Analyses and proactive risk assessments.

Skills

Nurse leadership

Patient safety

Quality improvement

Data analysis

Education

BSN

Job description

Summary

The primary purpose of this position is to serve as the developmental Patient Safety Program Manager, performing a broad range of patient safety program activities, including program coordination, event report review, tracer activities, and safety assessments.

Summary

The primary purpose of this position is to serve as the developmental Patient Safety Program Manager, performing a broad range of patient safety program activities, including program coordination, event report review, tracer activities, and safety assessments.

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

Duties

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Total Compensation Package

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

Registered Nurse Total Compensation | Pay (ihs.gov)

• Leads and manages the facility-wide Patient Safety Program, developing, implementing, and evaluating the annual Patient Safety Plan, performance measures, corrective actions, and improvement initiatives to promote a culture of safety and reduce preventable patient harm.
• Manages the Patient Safety Reporting and Learning System, overseeing the review, tracking, analysis, and disposition of adverse events, sentinel events, good catches, and unsafe conditions while ensuring timely and accurate internal and external reporting.
• Conduct systems-based clinical tracers and safety evaluations across clinical and ancillary departments to assess compliance with policies and accreditation standards, identify gaps in care-delivery processes, and develop evidence-based recommendations for improvement.
• Leads or co-leads Root Cause Analyses and Proactive Risk Assessments for significant patient safety events and high-risk processes, identifying contributing factors and systemic vulnerabilities and developing corrective action plans to improve clinical processes, equipment, staffing, and the environment of care.
• Provides authoritative consultation, education, and communication on patient safety, advising clinical staff, managers, and senior leadership and delivering training on event reporting, high-reliability principles, accreditation compliance, and process improvement strategies.

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.

IHS Selectees whose duties and responsibilities require them to work permanently, temporarily, or occasionally in an IHS healthcare facility must comply with the IHS Employee Immunization Policy related to vaccine-preventable diseases, consistent with recommendations for healthcare workers. Vaccine exemption requests may be available, as outlined in the IHS Employee Immunization Policy and facility guidance.

The selected individual is required to obtain and maintain medical 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.

Requirements

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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 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.

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 Requirements

General Schedule Qualification Standards - Nurse Series 0610

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

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.

Basic Requirements For The Gs-11 Grade Level

• Successful completion of a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree from a professional nursing educational program or related medical science field. OR;
• Possession of a diploma, associate's degree, bachelor's degree or master's degree from a professional nursing educational program and at least (1) one full year of professional nursing experience (equivalent to the GS-9 grade level) performing the following duties: Develop patient safety plans, analyze safety culture and performance data, track corrective actions, facilitate patient safety committees, and implement quality-improvement activities using methodologies such as Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) and process mapping; Prepare draft reports and briefing materials on patient safety program status; Review and analyze patient safety events, including adverse events, near misses, and unsafe conditions.

Basic Requirements For The Gs-12 Grade Level

In addition to the mandatory license and education described above, applicants must have at least one or more full years of professional nursing experience that is equivalent to the next lower grade level performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Manage patient