Public Health Nurse

About the Indian Health Service (IHS)

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). All Grade levels MAY NOT be available at all locations.

Position Summary

The purpose of this position is to provide comprehensive care to pediatric, adolescent, adult and geriatric patients within the Indian Health Service.

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

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Direct deposit for payment is required.
• Designated position requiring contact/control over Indian children; requires background check for certain crimes.
• Subject to Employee Health Policies (e.g., immunizations) if working in an IHS health care facility.
• Must obtain and maintain medical staff clinical privileges.
• Must pass E-Verify employment verification.
• Position subject to rotating shifts (8-, 10-, 12-hour shifts), potentially including nights, weekends, and holidays. On-call hours or standby duty may be required.
• Requires successful completion of a federal background investigation.

Qualifications

• Education: A graduate or higher level degree, bachelor's degree, associate degree, or diploma from an accredited professional nursing educational program is required.
• Licensure: Must possess a current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a professional nurse and have passed the National Council Licensure Examination.
• Experience: Work experience must equip the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties. Specific experience requirements vary by grade level (GS-7, GS-9, GS-11).
• GS-7 Requirements: Bachelor's degree in Nursing and eligibility under Superior Academic Achievement, or Bachelor's degree in Nursing and 1+ year of professional nursing experience, or Diploma/Associate degree in nursing and 2+ years of professional nursing experience, or 1+ year of graduate education in nursing.
• GS-9 Requirements: Master's degree in nursing, or 1+ year of professional nursing experience (equivalent to GS-7) and a nursing degree.
• GS-11 Requirements: PhD or equivalent doctoral degree in nursing or related medical science field, or 1+ year of professional nursing experience (equivalent to GS-9) and a nursing degree.
• Specialized experience requirements are detailed for GS-07, GS-09, and GS-11 levels, focusing on areas like basic nursing care, data collection, health education, case management, and population health assessment.
• Must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date.

Additional Information

• Federal Employees earn annual leave based on years of service; credit for previous non-federal experience or military service may be offered.
• This position may be covered by a Bargaining Unit.
• Recruitment or relocation incentives may be authorized; a service agreement will be required.
• Student Loan Repayment Programs (SLRP) may be available through IHS, NHSC, and HRSA.
• Promotion potential to GS-11 is not guaranteed and depends on management discretion and need.
• Evaluated under OPM Merit Hiring Plan.
• Optional essay responses may be reviewed by hiring managers to assess commitment to Constitution, government efficiency, executive orders, and work ethic.
• Financial Suitability Requirement: Requires a review of financial history; individuals with significant delinquent financial obligations may be deemed unsuitable.

Key skills/competency

• Public Health Nursing
• Community Health
• Pediatric Care
• Adolescent Care
• Adult Geriatric Care
• Nursing Process
• Health Education
• Communicable Disease Control
• Case Management
• Electronic Health Records (EHR)