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Nursing Assistant

Department of Health and Human Services
Indian Health Service
Various locations across the Agency

Summary

At the Indian Health Service, 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. You'll serve as support staff, responsible for prioritizing tasks assigned under supervision of a licensed professional staff, utilizing universal precautions to ensure a safe and clean environment conducive to the delivery of nursing care.

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Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
01/30/2026 to 04/30/2026
Salary
$36,464 to - $65,599 per year

**Pay is determined by each service unit location

Pay scale & grade
GS 3 - 4
Locations
few vacancies in the following locations:
Camp Verde, AZ
Chinle, AZ
Cibecue, AZ
Dennehotso, AZ
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Multiple - The majority of positions to be filled under this announcement are permanent. This announcement may also be used to fill time-limited appointments such as TERM and Temporary.
Work schedule
Multiple Schedules - The majority of positions to be filled under this announcement are full-time. This announcement may also be used to fill various work schedules, including full-time, part-time (less than 40 hours per week), and intermittent (as needed).
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
7 - Not all locations may have promotion potential to the GS-07 level. Contact the locations you are interested in to verify promotion potential.
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes - This position may or may not be covered by a bargaining unit, depending on the duty location. Final determination will be made at the time of appointment.
Announcement number
IHS-26-HQ-12866394-ESEP/MP
Control number
856156800

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Duties

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Total Compensation Package - Check out IHS's outstanding total compensation package for this job:
IHS Total Compensation of a Certified Nursing Assistant

All Grade levels MAY NOT be available at all locations. The purpose of this position is to provide comprehensive care to patients within the Indian Health Service:

  • Provide basic nursing care to patients with a variety of conditions, illnesses, and/or injuries, under the direction of a registered nurse
  • Responsible for obtaining and recording patient information as assigned per unit policy
  • Responsible for accurate input into unit computer system
  • Assist in the arrangement of clinic appointments and discharge/transfer transportation
  • Assist in admitting and discharging patients
  • Assist patient in Activities of Daily Living (ADL) in accordance to the units' checklist
  • Perform general maintenance duties including cleaning, arranging, and restocking supply cabinets
  • Assists with collection and proper care of specimens

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Selectee may be subject to a probationary period
ESEP appointees typically serve a two year trial period
U.S. Citizenship is required
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
This position may covered by a bargaining unit
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 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.

On-call hours or standby duty may be required. Position may be subject to rotating shifts: days, evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.

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:

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.

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.

Experience: The work experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

Basic Requirements for the GS-03 (or equivalent) Grade Level:

  • (6) months general experience; OR,
  • (1) year above high school with courses related to the occupation.
Basic Requirements for the GS-04 (or equivalent) Grade Level:
  • (6) months general experience and (6) months specialized experience; OR,
  • (2) years above high school with courses related to the occupation. Successful completion of a 2-year degree program in an accredited community college, junior college, or college or university in practical nursing or in a field of study appropriate to the specialization of the position, such as education in a program for a psychology, psychiatric, or operating room technician.
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:

Generalize Experience (for position at GS-03): (6) months general experience: (1) Any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation.

Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-04 and above): Qualifying specialized experience includes nonprofessional nursing care work in a hospital, outpatient clinic, nursing home, or other medical, nursing, or patient care facility or in such work as that of a home health aid performing duties such as:
  • Performing a variety of nonprofessional nursing care and diagnostic support duties in a hospital, outpatient clinic, nursing home or other medical, nursing, or patient care facility.

Time In Grade
Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level. Time-In-Grade provisions do not apply under the Excepted Service Examining Plan (ESEP).

Click on the following link to view occupational requirements for this position: Nursing Assistant Series 0621

You must meet all qualification requirements by the respective cut-off day of rating to be eligible for consideration.

Education

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/.

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 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 may be covered by a Bargaining Unit.

Not all locations may have a promotion potential to the GS-07 level. Promotion to the next grade level is at management's discretion and is based on your demonstrated ability to perform the higher level duties, the continuing need for the higher level duties, and "Regulatory/Administrative" approval. Promotion to the next higher grade level 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.
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.
  1. 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?
  2. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness?
  3. How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role?
  4. 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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

This is an Open Continuous Announcement. There MAY NOT be immediate vacancies at all locations. You will be limited to selecting no more than 5 locations during the application process and will only be considered for the locations you select. Eligible applicants will be referred out as vacancies occur.

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

To determine if you are qualified for this position, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against the qualifications as defined in the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement and your responses to the assessment questions.
You will be further evaluated/rated based on the information provided in your resume (your resume must state specific duties that relate to this position) and your responses to the assessment questions to determine your competency in the following.

  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Technical Competence


You will receive a numeric rating based on your responses to the assessment questionnaires. If after reviewing your resume and responses to the assessment questions, a determination is made that you have overstated your qualifications and or experience, you may lose consideration.

The following links below provide information on how you may be eligible for various hiring authorities. If you are a Veteran, qualified CTAP and ICTAP eligible, or an individual with a disability, please refer to the following links below for additional guidance. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Workforce Restructuring Career Transition website at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. CTAP/ICTAP documentation requirements are listed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. Click here to view vacancy questions: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12866394.

The first cutoff date will be February 7, 2026, at 11:59 pm EST. Future cutoff dates will be each Thursday thereafter at 11:59 pm EST until the closing date.
Your application will remain active for 90 days from the submission of application.

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