Nurse (Clinical Research/Clinical Educator)

National Institutes of Health • Montgomery County, MD

2d

About The Position

The Nurse (Clinical Research/Clinical Educator) position is within the Clinical Center Nursing Department at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Clinical Center (CC), in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The GS-12 Nurse reports directly to a Nurse Manager for a unit or clinic within the specialty area and serves as a senior clinical expert for a designated patient population or program of care. The position combines direct patient care with Unit Clinical Educator responsibilities and supports biomedical research through protocol-related observations, assessments, measurements, and data collection.

The Nurse manages new-hire orientation, staff competency records, preceptor accountability, and clinical education resources. The role designs, implements, and evaluates learning experiences for staff, coordinates in-service and new-product training, and provides direct patient care. It also involves developing participant and family education plans, recognizing and communicating clinical patterns and trends, documenting research data in approved source documents, and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team to address ethical issues in clinical research.

This is an emergency-essential position requiring availability to report for duty under all circumstances to support operations 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. The position requires weekend, night, regular or rotational shift, and holiday hours. The selected candidate must pass a pre-employment medical examination and be able to lift and move items weighing 35 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Requirements

• Completion of an accredited professional nursing educational program resulting in a graduate or higher-level degree, bachelor's degree, associate degree, or diploma; alternatively, foreign nursing school graduates must provide official certification from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools.
• Pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
• Hold a current, active, full, and unrestricted professional nursing license or registration from a U.S. state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or a U.S. territory.
• At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level, including assessing newly hired nursing staff's learning, competency, and training needs; assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating new-staff orientation; coordinating and conducting nursing staff in-services; and collaborating with educators and clinical specialists on educational needs, policies, procedures, and standard operating procedures.
• Meet the U.S. citizenship or U.S. national requirement by the announcement closing date.
• Complete a background investigation, qualification verification, onboarding forms, required document submission, and other job-related requirements.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with the Selective Service.
• Pass a pre-employment medical examination.
• Be able to lift and move items weighing 35 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Be available for weekend, night, regular or rotational shift, and holiday hours, and report for duty under all circumstances as an emergency-essential employee.
• Submit education transcripts or course information; official transcripts are required from selectees before an official offer.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct patient care while serving as a Unit Clinical Educator.
• Manage new-hire orientation, maintain staff competency files and records, ensure preceptor accountability, and manage clinical education resources.
• Educate appropriate staff in the use of new equipment, supplies, and instruments for the unit.
• Coordinate in-services and new-product demonstration training.
• Participate in interdepartmental and departmental educational projects as assigned.
• Design, implement, and evaluate learning experiences to help staff at all levels acquire, maintain, or increase knowledge and competence.
• Develop plans that address research participants' education, safety, comfort, and spirituality needs.
• Develop teaching plans for research participants and families that meet individual needs and may serve as standards for departmental and community use.
• Identify, evaluate, and communicate patterns and trends that may predict illness progression or response to study procedures, and provide nursing care to prevent adverse outcomes.
• Record research data, including clinical measurements, administration of research compounds, and participant responses, in approved source documents such as medical records and data collection sheets.
• Support biomedical research through detailed observation, measurement, and data collection related to protocol-defined assessments and expert clinical judgment.
• Collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to address ethical conflicts in clinical research.
• Manage ethical conflicts or issues, initiate consultation, and assist less experienced nurses in identifying ethical conflicts.

Benefits

• Comprehensive federal employee benefits package for the employee and family; specific benefits depend on position type and should be confirmed with the hiring agency.
• Potential eligibility for salary above the minimum based on superior qualifications or a special need of the Government, subject to hiring manager discretion and approval.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Associate degree