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Nurse (Clinical Research)

Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Clinical Center, Nursing Department (CCND)

Summary

These nursing positions are located within the Clinical Center Nursing Department (CCND) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Clinical Center (CC), in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The National Institutes of Health (NIH), Clinical Center (CC), is a 200-bed research hospital and ambulatory care research facility in Bethesda, Maryland. We are inviting professional devoted registered nurses to join America's Magnet with Distinction ™ research hospital.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
Many vacancies in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$85,532 - $120,051 per year

The salary reflected in this vacancy announcement accounts for full-time work. Salary will be adjusted based on the number of hours worked.

Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Promotion potential
12
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Multiple Schedules - Multiple Schedules - Position can be filled at Full -Time or Part-Time basis. Part-Time is up to 32 hours per week.
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
NIH-CC-DH-26-13021854
Control number
879129100

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National. Foreign nationals or legal permanent residents are not eligible for consideration.

Duties

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The National Institutes of Health Clinical Center leads the nation in implementing a specialty practice model for Clinical Research Nursing. The Clinical Research Nurse reports to a Nurse Manager in an inpatient unit, day hospital, ambulatory clinic, OR, or procedural area and provides direct patient care within the assigned program. The ideal candidate has 1-2 years of acute care RN experience. Nurses at the Clinical Center participate in shared governance, unit practice councils, EBP and more. New hires receive a comprehensive orientation to Clinical Research Nursing specialty practice. Schedules may include rotating day/night/weekend/holiday shifts, 8-12-hour tours, and possible on-call.

This announcement covers vacancies in multiple units/clinics within the NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department.

  • Pediatric and Adult Intensive Care Units (New PICU)
  • Operating Room
  • Inpatient Oncology Medical, Surgical Transplant
  • Ambulatory Clinics
  • Inpatient Pediatrics
  • Procedures, Vascular and Conscious Sedation
  • Blood Services
  • Medical Surgical Specialty Units
  • Special Clinical Studies Unit
  • Neuroscience Unit, Behavioral Health, Addictions, IR, PACU and more
For specific unit descriptions please follow the link below: http://www.cc.nih.gov/nursing/about/patient_care_areas.ht ml

If you are selected for these positions your responsibilities will include:
  • Provides direct patient care to patients participating in biomedical research protocols.
  • Utilize advanced critical thinking and nursing skills to assess, plan, perform, and evaluate nursing care for individual patients, their families and significant others, who are participants in biomedical research protocols.
  • Provide patient-focused nursing care within the interdisciplinary team and collaborate with team members to create and communicate a plan of care that balances clinical care needs with research needs and allows for safe and effective collection of clinical research data.
  • Exercise the full domain of practice for the specialty of clinical research nursing including providing clinical care to research participants, supporting protocol implementation, data collection, continuity of care, human subject's protection and dissemination of clinical research findings.
  • Accurately document observations, identify trends and important findings, and effectively communicate this information to the multidisciplinary research team and nursing colleagues.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship requirement or proof of being a U.S. National must be met by closing date.
  • Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation, verification of qualifications, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, and any other job-related requirement before or after appointment.
  • Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
  • Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
  • This position has the following minimum qualification requirements: nurse education, license and specialized experience.
  • Selectee(s) are required to undergo a Pre-Employment Medical Screening.
  • This position requires the incumbent to be able to lift and move items weighing up to 35 lbs.
  • This position is designated as Tier-1 Emergency Essential. See Additional Information section for specific details on this designation.
  • This position may require the following work shifts: nights, rotational, holidays, weekends.
  • Position can be filled at Full -Time or Part-Time basis. Part-Time is up to 32 hours per week.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: In order to meet the Basic Qualification Requirements for a Nurse (Clinical Research), GS-0610, you must:

A
. Have a graduate or higher-level degree, bachelor's degree, associate degree, or diploma from an accredited professional nursing educational program. This education must have been accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education, or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.
NOTE: Official certification from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools is required for individuals who graduated from foreign nursing schools.

License:
B. 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.

AND

C
. You must have passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) or obtained licensure before the implementation of the NCLEX-RN. Individuals who have not passed the NCLEX-RN, but meet all other qualification requirements will be subject to a comprehensive evaluation of both their education and experience prior to final appointment.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

In addition, to qualify for a Nurse (Clinical Research) position at the GS-09 level, you must have at least 1 year of professional Nurse experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks:
1.) Observing patients' conditions, assessing nursing needs, and providing required nursing care. 2.) Administering prescribed oral medications, hypodermic injections and intravenous feeding. 3.) Observing and recording temperature, pulse, blood pressure, respiration data and effects of medication. 4.) Preparing patients for tests, examinations and treatment; preparing and reviewing records, laboratory sheets, etc. AND 5.) Possession of a diploma, associate degree, bachelor's degree, or master's degree from a professional nursing program.
OR
Have completed master's degree in professional nursing.

In addition, to qualify for a Nurse (Clinical Research) position at the GS-11 level, you must have at least 1 year of professional Nurse experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: 1.) Providing comprehensive nursing care to patients based on the physician's medical care plan and the physical, mental and emotional needs of the patient 2.) Administering oxygen, IV fluid, blood transfusions and prescribed oral, subcutaneous and intramuscular medications. 3.) Managing nasal-pharyngeal and gastric suction as well as a variety of other drainage tubes; preparing patients for surgical and/or diagnostic procedures. 4.) Setting up, operating and monitoring specialized equipment such as cardiac monitors, respirators, defibrillators, etc. AND 5.) Possession of a diploma, associate degree, bachelor's degree, or master's degree from a professional nursing educational program.
OR
Have completed a Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree, from a professional nursing educational program or related medical science field


You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay.

Do not copy and paste the duties or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as knowing your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin before receiving an offer.

Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13021854

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. Click here for information on Foreign Education.

Additional information

  • This Open Continuous announcement establishes a list of qualified applicants to be considered for Nurse (Clinical Research) vacancies as they occur. The first list of eligible applicants will be sent to Hiring Managers on August 20, 2026, which includes all applicants who self-certify their eligibility by August 19, 2026 11:59 PM (EST). Subsequent cut-off dates will be established based on the date a request for a List of Eligible Applicants is received from the Hiring Manager to fill a vacancy.
  • This position is designated as an "emergency essential" position and the selected candidate will be considered an "emergency essential" employee and will be required to be available, ready, willing, and able to report for duty under all circumstances (e.g., inclement weather, government closings and holidays, lapses in appropriations, non-emergency and emergency situations) for operation 24 hours a day and 365 days per year coverage.
  • Based on your appointment, a one probationary period may be required. A decision regarding your continued employment with NIH will be made as you near the end of this period.
  • PHS Commissioned Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps should also apply online to this announcement in order to receive consideration.
  • The National Institutes of Health participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers.
  • The NIH maintains a tobacco free work environment and campus.
  • Military Spouses selected from this announcement will remain in their current duty location (i.e., the official duty station of the military service member.
  • Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
  • Visit our Help Applying page for helpful information on the application process.
  • If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: Reasonable Accommodation.
  • If selected, you may be eligible to receive a salary above the minimum based on superior qualifications and/or a special need of the Government for your services. This applies to employees paid under the General Schedule (GS) and Federal Wage System (FWS) pay systems and is at the discretion of the hiring manager. A salary above the minimum must be approved before the appointment.

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.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies: Reasoning, Attention to Detail, Flexibility, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills and Teamwork

The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

A direct hire authority covers the position(s) advertised in this announcement. Traditional rating and ranking of applicants, including category rating, does not apply. Qualified candidates meeting the minimum proficiency score on the technical assessment will be referred for further consideration in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire guidelines. Veterans' Preference does not apply.

To be considered well qualified for the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry and substantively exceed the basic qualifications and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.

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.

National Institutes of Health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the largest biomedical research funding organization in the world. NIH is made up of 27 Institutes and Centers, each with a specific research agenda, often focusing on particular diseases or body systems. NIH employs approximately 18,000 employees in varied occupations, all supporting research efforts that improve health and save lives. For more information on NIH's mission and goals, and its 27 Institutes and Centers, visit the NIH website.

Virtually explore the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Bethesda campus, learn about scientific research, and get to know NIH community members who are working to help people live longer, healthier lives: https://www.nih.gov/virtual-tour/.

This is an open continuous announcement. We accept applications on a continuous basis; qualified applicants will be considered as vacancies arise. To support career advancement this is a career/clinical ladder position to the Full Performance Level (FPL) GS-12.

Agency contact information

NIH HR Service Desk Branch E
Email
ohrcsdbranchesrvdsk@od.nih.gov
Address
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892
US

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