Re: Indian Health Services Originally Posted by cactus wren 
My daughter is working for IHS in NM, and she loves it. The bennes are good, they will pay off her student loans, I think they pay 1/2 after 1 year, and the other after 2.As it is a very rural place she has "government housind" that somewhay sucks, but she really just needs a place to sleep,as she goes home after her week is up. She works 7 on 7 off 12 hour shifts.I raised my kids in NM ,and that is home to her, have a Navajo dil, that helps my belagana( white woman) get along with her patients quite well.I think she started out as a g-8 or 9. She makes more money than I do, and I have been an ICU nurse for 15 years.
May I ask Catus Wren, is it common for the IHS to allow a 7 days on..7 days off schedule? May I also ask where that facilty where your daughter works at is located? I would personally message you but I can't seem to find out how to personally message. If you can personally message me for more privacy, that is fine as well. I wanted to apply to the IHS and would love to have that type of schedule so I can communte back home as your daughter does. I live about 3 hours away from a IHS unit in NM and 6 hours away from the Medical Center in Phoenix. I would prefer to work in Phoenix because it is a full blown Medical center and I'd like to work ICU or ED...but I did enjoy my community health rotation in the nursing program. My goal is to stay at the trauma hospital I am currently at (as a tech) for a year in the ICU once I graduate, then go into the IHS. I can easily be happy as a community nurse, but I'd like to start off in a critical care area and stay PRN. Your opinion would make my day since you are an ICU nurse. Thanks.
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