Nurse (Pediatrics In-Patient Unit)

The position is located in the branch of Inpatient Pediatric Unit within the Division of Nursing at the Gallup Indian Medical Center, Gallup, New Mexico. This position serves as a professional Registered Nurse providing comprehensive inpatient Pediatric and Medical-Surgical nursing care to adult and pediatric patients experiencing acute, chronic, pre-operative, and post-operative conditions.

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

Total Compensation Package - Check out IHS's outstanding total compensation package for this job:
Registered Nurse Total Compensation | Pay (ihs.gov)

• Applies professional nursing judgment and evidence-based practice to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate care; coordinates interdisciplinary services; and ensures culturally and age appropriate, patient-centered care.
• Performs comprehensive and ongoing assessments to identify actual and potential health problems. Develops and modifies individualized nursing plans based on patient assessment, provider orders, and response to therapy. Provides direct bedside care for a full range of medical and surgical diagnoses, including pre-and postoperative management. Administers medications, IV fluids, blood products, and treatments per provider orders and nursing protocols.
• Monitors patient status recognizes clinical changes, and initiates appropriate nursing interventions, including emergency measures. Uses critical-thinking and prioritization skills to manage multiple patients with varying acuity levels.
• Collaborate with physicians, advanced practice providers, pharmacists, therapists, social workers, and other staff to coordinate care. Participates in interdisciplinary rounds, contributing nursing assessments and recommendations to treatment planning.
• Accurately documents assessments, interventions, and outcomes in the electronic health record (EHR). Communicates changes in condition and critical information using standardized reporting tools. Ensures documentation meets professional, legal, and regulatory requirements. Responds to and corrects documentation deficiencies within established timeframes and participates in quality improvement efforts related to EHR accuracy and completeness.

On-call hours or standby duty may be required. Rotating shifts, weekends, holidays, and on-call duty may be required based upon patient care needs.

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.

The Hiring Manager/Selecting Official may elect to utilize an available flexibility wherein applicants who are currently enrolled and expected to complete the required education and obtain the required licensure/certification/registration within 9 month(s) of applying, may be deemed tentatively qualified.

BASIC REQUIREMENT(S):

Basic Requirements

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 (external link) 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(external link). 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.

Experience

The work experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. At the GS-9 and above grade level, many positions may require experience in a specialty area of nursing.

Basic Requirements for the GS-9 (or equivalent) Grade Level

In addition to the above requirements, applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

• 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 (or equivalent) Grade Level

In addition to the above requirements, applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

• 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-9 grade level) and possession of a diploma, associate degree, bachelor's degree, or master's degree from a professional nursing educational program.

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 in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks:
GS-09: 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. Specialized Experience: Providing professional nursing care principles, practices and procedures to pediatrics patients such as assessments, diagnosis, planning of care, implementing the care and evaluation of the plan established for each patient. Knowledge of pharmaceuticals, their desired effects, side effects, and complications of their use; recognizing adverse signs and symptoms which are not always apparent and to react promptly in emergency situations including the implementation of life saving procedures; providing counseling, guidance and health instruction to patients; and identifying disease entities in order to recognize complications and therapeutic interventions required.
OR
Master's degree in professional nursing

GS-11: At least one full year of professional nursing experience (equivalent to the GS-9 grade level) and possession of a diploma, associate degree, bachelor's degree, or master's degree from a professional nursing educational program. Specialized experience: Function as a senior clinical expert managing care for patients with highly complex, high-risk, or unstable conditions; Provide clinical leadership and guidance to nursing staff as a subject matter expert; Lead or coordinate unit-level quality improvement, patient safety, or evidence-based practice initiatives to improve patient outcomes and clinical workflows; Participate in development and implementation of nursing policies, procedures, and clinical practice guidelines; Collaborate with nursing leadership and interdisciplinary partners to address system-level issues affecting patient care delivery, staffing, and resource utilization.
OR
Successful completion of a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree from a professional nursing educational program or related medical science field

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

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: https://www.ed.gov/accreditation.

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 https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.