Public Health Nurse

Summary At the Indian Health Service (IHS), nurses do more than practice medicine—they change lives by providing compassionate care to American Indian and Alaska Native people. Duties Public Health Nurse GS‑0610‑07 Under close supervision, supports community/public health nursing services by assisting higher‑level nurses in applying the nursing process to deliver care in home, school, clinic, and community outreach settings. Collects and documents demographic, clinical, and basic epidemiologic information; helps maintain registries (e.g., immunization tracking) and supports routine communicable disease surveillance activities using established tools and protocols. Provides basic health education and prevention messaging using approved materials and reinforces established plans of care, including culturally safe health promotion across the lifespan. Assists with referrals, follow‑up, and documentation in the electronic health record (EHR) and participates in quality improvement and reporting activities in accordance with standing orders, professional standards, and supervisory guidance. Public Health Nurse GS‑0610‑09 With minimal supervision, independently provides comprehensive community/public health nursing services to individuals and families across the lifespan using the nursing process in home, school, clinic, and community settings. Develops, implements, and evaluates individualized and family‑centered plans of care, including outreach, screening, immunization follow‑up, referral, early intervention, and case management. Participates in population health assessment and communicable disease control by collecting, validating, and documenting data and assisting with case reporting, investigation, contact follow‑up, and implementation of control measures in coordination with public health entities. Coordinates care and transitions with interdisciplinary teams and tribal/community partners, delivers cultural and literacy‑appropriate health education, and supports program documentation and quality improvement activities consistent with regulatory and professional standards. Public Health Nurse GS‑0610‑11 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. Requirements U.S. citizenship is required. Selective Service registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Direct deposit must be set up for payment. Position may have a trial or probationary period. Personnel must obtain and maintain medical staff clinical privileges, including any licensure requirements. Failure to maintain privileges may result in adverse action. Successful completion of a federal background investigation is required. Investigations must be completed within five calendar days of issuance. Position is subject to rotating shifts (days, evenings, nights, weekends, holidays). Shift rotations may vary from 8‑, 10‑, and 12‑hour shifts. On‑call or standby duty may be required. Qualifications Basic Requirements for GS‑7, GS‑9, and GS‑11 GS‑7: Bachelor’s degree in Nursing and at least one full year of professional nursing experience (equivalent to GS‑5), or associate/diploma with two years of professional nursing experience, or completion of one year of graduate education in a professional nursing program. GS‑9: Master’s degree in professional nursing, or at least one year of professional nursing experience (equivalent to GS‑7) with a bachelor’s degree in Nursing. GS‑11: Successful completion of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a professional nursing or related medical science field, or at least one year of professional nursing experience (equivalent to GS‑9) with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Nursing. Education Graduation from an accredited professional nursing program (e.g., Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education) required. Foreign nursing school graduates must provide official certification from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools. Licensure Passage of the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) required. Active, full, unrestricted license or registration as a professional nurse from a U.S. state, District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or U.S. territory required. Experience Applicants must demonstrate at least one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to the next lower grade level for each grade (GS‑7, GS‑9, GS‑11). Experience may include paid, volunteer, or unpaid work and must be clearly described. Minimum Qualifications GS‑07: Basic nursing care (e.g., screenings, immunizations, routine procedures), collection and documentation of demographic/clinical data, basic health education, support for care coordination, and communicable disease surveillance. GS‑09: Development and implementation of individualized care plans, skilled nursing interventions, participation in communicable disease investigations, data collection for surveillance, culturally appropriate health education, and quality improvement activities. GS‑11: Population health assessments, complex case management, strategic health promotion, independent skilled nursing interventions, and leadership in communicable disease investigation and outbreak response. Total Compensation Package Recruitment/relocation sign‑on bonus may be available for eligible candidates. The position offers a comprehensive compensation package, including health, life, disability insurance, and the Federal employee pension plan. Title: Public Health Nurse (Indian Health Service) Serves as part of a Multidisciplinary Team in the Indian Health Service, focusing on culturally appropriate community health and public health nursing services for American Indian and Alaska Native people. #J-18808-Ljbffr