IHS - Best Reservation

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Hi everyone -

I was wondering if someone out there could give me some feedback on specific reservations where you have had good and bad working experiences. I am a single female and looking to apply to IHS for the loan repayment program for working on an indian reservation. Just have no idea what to expect. Do they provide housing? Do you find your own housing? Do you have private housing or do you have to share with other IHS nurses? Are you isolated if you come through the IHS program or have you experienced becoming part of the Native american community while working on the reservation? Are there ICUs at the reservation hospitals? All of my experience is in critical care, not sure if that is a useful specialty to have when applying to work on a reservation. Any feedback would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

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A good friend of mine works for IHS in Chinle, AZ and I will be starting a position at Fort Defiance in July. I'll let you know how it goes if you like. Gallup, NM called and offered me a position in their ICU but I had already obligated myself to Fort Defiance. I really look forward to it.

I sent an e-mail to a recruiter at one facility and she forwarded it to other facilities. I received several phone calls. Just go to the IHS.gov site and do a job search. They'll have a person of contact and their e-mail. Drop them a line. It may take a few days to hear back. I think the e-mail I initially sent was to the district recruiter.

Good luck to you!

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A good friend of mine works for IHS in Chinle, AZ and I will be starting a position at Fort Defiance in July. I'll let you know how it goes if you like. Gallup, NM called and offered me a position in their ICU but I had already obligated myself to Fort Defiance. I really look forward to it.

I sent an e-mail to a recruiter at one facility and she forwarded it to other facilities. I received several phone calls. Just go to the IHS.gov site and do a job search. They'll have a person of contact and their e-mail. Drop them a line. It may take a few days to hear back. I think the e-mail I initially sent was to the district recruiter.

Good luck to you!

Did u start your application process before u graduated from nursing school?

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Cutiepie, I applied after I got my license. I'll write more later. I'm headed out the door.

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most of the people at the hospital are just wonderful. but things are getting very bad in the admin part of the hospital. ceo, at this time, contract not renewed. head of housing and security let go for some "un-ethical" things. vist this website for information on what they have done to others, and are doing to us. they should really stress this fact to people planning or thinking about coming to work here. if you are non native, you practicly have no rights on the rezervation.

http://tubacitynursing.viviti.com/ . it is not trashing the hospital, nor any one person. just some facts on what you might run into here.

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I have some questions as well. I just graduated and have spent the last 5 months working in an ER in Pueblo CO. I'm interested in working on an Indian reservation and have looked at the IHS site.

I want to go and look at some of the reservations before I start applying for a job, such as Gallup and Shiprock and Albuquerque. These places are around a 7 hour drive, so does anyone have a preference or any other suggestions of where I should go check out? Does anyone have a connection at a reservation that may be willing to show me around or that I could talk to?

Also about the loan repayment program. Does anyone have any personal experience with IHS on this matter?

Thank you all for your time and reading.

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Bodyexel,

Just e-mail any of the recruiters and they will dispurse your phone number and e-mail to other recruiters. As I mentioned in a previous post I work at Fort Defiance. The recruiters will set up a site visit for you. Some recruiters are better than others. Mine was awesome. I know a little about Shiprock and Gallup. Not so much about the areas around Albuquerque.

As far as the loan repayment plan I elected not to take it. I didn't want to be obligated for 2 years. Maybe after this year I'll consider it. Otherwise, it is a very good plan.

Send me a PM if I can answer any questions for you.

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Thanks for your reply, I wasn't sure if the recruiters would be interested in talking to me being I need another 7 months of work before I reach the one year mark of experience.

Have you worked in any of the reservations in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada?

Thanks again for your help.

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most of the people at the hospital are just wonderful. but things are getting very bad in the admin part of the hospital. ceo, at this time, contract not renewed. head of housing and security let go for some "un-ethical" things. vist this website for information on what they have done to others, and are doing to us. they should really stress this fact to people planning or thinking about coming to work here. if you are non native, you practicly have no rights on the rezervation.

http://tubacitynursing.viviti.com/ . it is not trashing the hospital, nor any one person. just some facts on what you might run into here.

that website has been deactivated.

i did clinicals in zuni, nm in the spring of 1994. i only lived there 2 months but it was a very interesting experience for me. no way would i want to go there now because gangs came into the area a few years later. :eek:

you aren't limited to the southwest, btw. there are facilities in the midwest, plains, pacific northwest, and much of the alaska native health care is provided by the ihs. one of my preceptors at zuni had a choice between zuni and kotzebue, alaska. i'm pretty sure he still lives in zuni.

the pay isn't quite what it is in the "civilian" world (at the time, the pay for pharmacists was about 2/3 of what it was in the private sector) but the benefit package is very good and includes housing and meal allowance, since you are paramilitary, and you can shop at a px as well. lots of people who worked at the hospital picked up perishables in zuni or gallup if they went there (40 miles away), and drove 2 1/2 hours to albuquerque once a month or so for their bulk shopping.

be prepared, no matter where you end up, to see people who still live in third world conditions. :o

since you asked about housing, it was provided free for students but my classmates who went to santa fe had to find and pay for their own. what's available will vary widely from town to town, just like any other area.

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They'll be interested. The only reservation I've worked is here at Fort Defiance in AZ. I may try and go to Chinle, AZ next year. Who knows.

Thanks for your reply, I wasn't sure if the recruiters would be interested in talking to me being I need another 7 months of work before I reach the one year mark of experience.

Have you worked in any of the reservations in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada?

Thanks again for your help.

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Specializes in ER, Outpatient,.
I have some questions as well. I just graduated and have spent the last 5 months working in an ER in Pueblo CO. I'm interested in working on an Indian reservation and have looked at the IHS site.

I want to go and look at some of the reservations before I start applying for a job, such as Gallup and Shiprock and Albuquerque. These places are around a 7 hour drive, so does anyone have a preference or any other suggestions of where I should go check out? Does anyone have a connection at a reservation that may be willing to show me around or that I could talk to?

Also about the loan repayment program. Does anyone have any personal experience with IHS on this matter?

Thank you all for your time and reading.

I would look into Shiprock. They are still federal and there are quite a few services in Shiprock. not to mention that it is close to Farmington and not to terribly far from CO.

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