Nurse (Clinical Research)

About the role

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 TM research hospital.

What you will do

• 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: *** 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.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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.

Documents you must provide

• Your resume must clearly demonstrate, in two pages or less, how your skills and experiences align with the "Qualifications" section and support your questionnaire responses.
• While cover letters provided with your application will be shared with hiring officials, they will not be used for initial qualification determinations.
• We cannot assume required experience based on your work or academic history.
• If your resume exceeds two pages, only the first two will be reviewed.
• Use a legible font such as Lato, Calibri, Helvetica, or Arial, with 0.5-inch margins.
• Suggested formatting: 14-point for titles and 10-point for body text.
• You may use the USAJOBS Resume Builder or upload your own resume.
• If uploading, ensure it includes all required information and is organized so we can match the following to each position: Job title Employer name Employment dates (MM/DD/YYYY) Hours worked per week (full-time assumed; part-time prorated) Detailed duties, accomplishments, skills, responsibilities, and supervisory details (if applicable) Series and grade or equivalent (for federal positions) If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, you must list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study.
• If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses in your resume.
• Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter.
• We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.
• For resume writing guidance, please visit the following resources: NIH Help Applying, USAJOBS Resource Center, and the USAJOBS Resume Guidance.
• If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, you need to list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study.
• APPLICATION QUESTIONNAIRE: You must submit a completed application questionnaire.
• Unless otherwise stated, we will only use the information above to determine your qualifications.
• Not providing the required information may result in a determination that you do not meet minimum requirements for the position (e.g., an ineligible rating) or a lower rating.
• REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR CAREER TRANSITION CLAIMS Visit our websites to claim selection priority through the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): CTAP: *** ICTAP: *** If you do not provide the required information, we will assume you are not eligible or you do not wish to be considered for any preference or eligibility.
• Please do not submit any other supplementary documentation that is not requested of you.
• To protect your personal information, we will only send your resume and cover letter to the selecting official or hiring manager.

What to expect next

Once you submit your application package, you will receive an acknowledgement email. You will be notified of the status of your applications via email. In addition, you can track the progress of your application package through your USAJOBS account.

At the discretion of the agency, you may be contacted via phone or email for an interview or to provide additional information up to several months from the closing date of the announcement. Please ensure you have provided accurate contact information.

To remain in consideration, you must respond in a timely manner to our correspondence and requests for documentation or information throughout the hiring process.

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.

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.