Lead Nurse

Summary This Lead Nurse position is at Shiprock Northern Navajo Medical Center Med-Surg Dept. Provides team leadership & coordination to three or more staff nurses, & other health care providers. Performs direct, full-performance inpatient nursing care for adult patients experiencing acute, chronic, pre-operative, & post-operative conditions. Reports directly to the Med-Surg Nurse Supervisor. A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021). Responsibilities Total Compensation Package - Check out IHS's outstanding total compensation package for this job: Registered Nurse Total Compensation | Pay (ihs.gov) Leads and coordinates the daily work of nursing staff and ancillary personnel by assigning workloads, monitoring performance, coaching team members, and supporting effective patient care delivery. Provides comprehensive medical-surgical nursing care by assessing patients, developing and implementing care plans, administering medications and treatments, and monitoring patient responses to interventions. Coordinates patient care with physicians and interdisciplinary teams, managing admissions, transfers, discharges, care conferences, patient education, and discharge planning. Oversees charge nurse activities by monitoring patient care, advising nursing staff on clinical issues, documenting nursing interventions, and reporting patient and team concerns to management. Maintains clinical documentation, participates in quality improvement and competency activities, and supports staff development through training, mentoring, and precepting new nursing personnel. 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. 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. 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. In addition, to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below- 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. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-09 in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Specialized experience is defined as providing professional inpatient nursing care for medical-surgical patients by performing comprehensive patient assessments, developing and implementing individualized nursing care plans, administering medications and treatments, monitoring patient responses, and coordinating care with physicians and interdisciplinary healthcare teams. Experience also includes serving as a lead or charge nurse by coordinating daily nursing operations, assigning and balancing workloads, providing technical guidance and mentoring to nursing staff, ensuring continuity of patient care, documenting clinical care in an electronic health record, and participating in quality improvement, patient education, and discharge planning activities. 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: 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 Additional Information Work hours subject to rotating shifts of days, evenings, nights & weekends. 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. 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. Recruitment or relocation incentives may be authorized. At least a 6 month 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 - For NHSC - For HRSA Nurse Corps - 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).