Public Health Nurse

Summary At the Indian Health Service (IHS), Nurses do more than practice medicine—they change lives. Guided by our mission to raise the health of American Indian and Alaska Native people, you'll deliver compassionate care where it's needed most. Your expertise brings healing and hope across generations. Begin your journey with purpose - and receive a recruitment/relocation sign‑on bonus, if you are eligible. Total Compensation Package: Check out IHS's outstanding total compensation package for this job: Registered Nurse Total Compensation | Pay (ihs.gov). Public Health Nurse GS-0610-07 Duties 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 Duties 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 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. Requirements Conditions of employment, including potential trial or probationary period. U.S. citizenship is required. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Direct deposit must be set up for payroll. This is a designated position covered by Public Law 101-630, requiring contact or control over Indian children; applicants must not have 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 guidance. The selected individual is required to obtain and maintain medical staff clinical privileges, including any licensure requirements; failure to maintain privileges may lead to removal from Federal service. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. Position subject to rotating shifts – days, evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays; shift rotations may vary from 8-, 10- and 12-hour shifts. On‑call hours or standby duty may be required. Background Investigation This position requires the successful completion of a federal background investigation as a condition of employment. A background investigation verifies identity, employment history, education, and other relevant information to determine suitability for federal service. Applicants must complete all required background investigation forms within five (5) calendar days of issuance and maintain communication with the Personnel Security Specialist throughout the process. 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 includes paid, unpaid, and volunteer work from National Service programs and other organizations. You must clearly identify duties, responsibilities, and total hours per week for each position held. Degree and License Waiting Period for Impending Graduates: Applicants who are currently enrolled and expected to complete the required education and licensure within 6 months may be deemed tentatively qualified. Uncompleted applicants must provide documentation attesting to completion timeframe and a recent unofficial transcript. Basic Requirements For The GS-7 Possession of a bachelor's degree in Nursing and eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement provision. Possession of a bachelor's degree in Nursing and at least one full year of professional nursing experience (equivalent to the GS‑5 grade level). Possession of a diploma or associate degree in professional nursing and two full years of professional nursing experience; or Completion of at least one full year of graduate education in a professional nursing educational program. Basic Requirements For The GS-9 Possession of a master's degree in professional nursing; or At least one full year of professional nursing experience (equivalent to the GS‑7 grade level or above) and possession of a diploma, associate degree, or bachelor's degree in Nursing from a professional nursing program. Basic Requirements For The GS-11 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‑09 grade level) and possession of a diploma, associate degree, bachelor's degree, or master's degree from a professional nursing educational program. Minimum Qualifications Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in federal service, obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following type of work and/or tasks. Specialized Experience GS-07: Performing basic nursing care (e.g., screenings, immunizations, routine procedures) within competency and standing orders, promptly escalating abnormal findings, collecting and documenting demographic and clinical data, providing basic health education, supporting care coordination, and supporting communicable disease surveillance and control activities under supervisory guidance. Specialized Experience GS-09: Developing, implementing, and evaluating individualized and family-centered plans of care in community settings, providing skilled nursing interventions, participating in communicable disease investigations, collecting and documenting data for surveillance, delivering culturally appropriate health education, and contributing to performance improvement and quality assurance activities. Specialized Experience GS-11: Conducting population health assessments and analyzing data, performing complex case management and care coordination across care settings, tailoring health promotion interventions, providing skilled nursing interventions, serving as a clinical and public health resource, leading communicable disease investigations, and implementing control measures within scope. 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 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 Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years 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, which can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. This position may be covered by a Bargaining Unit. Recruitment or relocation incentives may be authorized; a service agreement will be required. Not all locations may have promotion potential to the GS‑11 level. Promotion to the next grade level is at management's discretion, based on demonstrated ability to perform higher-level duties, continuing need for the higher-level duties, and regulatory/administrative approval. Promotion is not guaranteed and no promise of promotion is implied. You will be evaluated for this position in accordance with the OPM Merit Hiring Plan. Short Essay 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). 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). 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. Review our benefits #J-18808-Ljbffr