Salary : $66,830.40 - $103,500.80 Annually
Location : Cherokee - 51012 - Cherokee County, IA
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 27-00716
Agency: 400 Health & Human Services - State Operated Specialty Care
Opening Date: 09/09/2026
Closing Date: 9/23/2026 11:59 PM Central
LinkedIn Tag: #LI-POST
Point of Contact:

Job Description
The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Division of State-Operated Specialty Care, Bureau of Cherokee Mental Health Institute (CMHI) is seeking a Nurse Clinician/Trainer to join our team!

This is a full-time position with a Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. schedule.

This position is eligible for a $5,000 recruitment payment. This position is also eligible for a retention payment of $5,000 for every 6 months of commitment. Speak to the Hiring Manager for more eligibility information. Current state employees are not eligible for recruitment payments upon transfer, demotion, or promotion to another agency.
The Nurse Clinician/Trainer provides education, staff development, and on-going training to all clinical and non-clinical staff. This position also serves as the hospital's Employee Health Coordinator. Job duties include but are not limited to:
• Develop and deliver orientation for onboarding and continuing education programs
• Assess educational needs and develop trainings based on needs
• Conduct competency assessments and skill demonstrations
• Ensure training materials reflect current evidence-based practices, regulatory requirements, and hospital policies
• Monitor and evaluate effectiveness of educational programs and make adjustments as needed
• Maintain accurate educational records
• Participate in Quality Improvement initiatives as it relates to safety and regulatory readiness
• Conduct new employee orientation with all new employees
• Chair the Staff Development Committee
• Provide continuing education offerings and credits to staff
• Serve as the hospital's Employee Health Coordinator, handling employee health services including pre-employment health requirements, annual health screenings, immunizations, health assessments, and wellness initiatives.
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Be an active member in hospital-wide committees to include but not limited to Performance Improvement, Safety, Infection Prevention and Control, Medical Executive, Joint Commission Workgroup, and other ad hoc committees as indicated.

Applicants will be required to complete a background check to be considered for this position.

CMHI provides active inpatient treatment to adults in need of acute psychiatric care. The facility offers several services includingindividualized treatment plans. Support for patients with special education needs to continue their education is provided, and individuals are encouraged to collaborate with staff members in formulating their own plan. Medication, group counseling, and activities therapies might be included as well. For more CMHI info:
Benefits of Joining CMHI

Working for the State of Iowa comes with its perks. In addition to a competitive salary, you'll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your well-being and professional growth.

• Health, Dental, and Vision Coverage: Health and dental insurance packages to keep you and your family healthy at a low cost with outstanding coverage!
• Paid Time Off: Take time to recharge with paid time off, including vacation(96 hours/year to begin, increasing with years of service), sick leave (144 hours/year), and paid holidays (9 days/year).
• Retirement Plans: Participate in retirement plans such as IPERS (employees contribute 6.29% and the State of Iowa contributes 9.44%) as well as our Retirement Investors Club (RIC), Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan (the State of Iowa matches dollar for dollar up to $75/month).
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Take advantage of flexible spending accounts for medical and dependent care expenses.
• Insurance Coverage: Benefit from life insurance and free long-term disability insurance for added peace of mind.
• Employee Assistance Program: Access resources and support through our Employee Assistance Program for personal and professional challenges.
• Employee Discount Programs: Enjoy discounts on a variety of goods and services through our employee discount programs.

For additional information on benefits

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Cherokee Highlights

CMHI is located in Cherokee, a city of approximately 5,000 set in the beautiful Little Sioux River Valley in Northwest Iowa. Residents enjoy fishing and canoeing on the Little Sioux River which winds through town providing a backdrop to a well-developed parks and trails system. In addition, Cherokee has over 1,000 acres of land devoted to parks and outdoor activities like camping, hiking, and horseback riding. Cherokee is the home of the first accredited museum and planetarium in Iowa, Sandford Museum and Planetarium, established in 1951. Cherokee may be the smallest town in the world to have its own symphony orchestra! This 60-member orchestra has been referred to as the "best kept secret in Northwest Iowa."

Cherokee is home to Western Iowa Tech Community College and 1 hour or less from other educational institutions including Morningside College, Northwestern College, Buena Vista University, and Dordt College. This quintessential Iowa town is 1 hour from Sioux City and 2 hours from Omaha. Check out these .
Minimum Qualification Requirements

Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:
1) Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree in nursing and experience equal to one year of full-time professional clinical work in a correctional environment or in any combination of nursing specialty areas including epidemiology, geriatrics, maternal and child health, nursing education, pediatrics, public health, mental health or psychiatrics, or intellectual disability.

2) All of the following (a and b):

a. One year of full-time professional clinical work experience in either a correctional environment or in any combination of nursing specialty areas including epidemiology, geriatrics, maternal and child health, nursing education, pediatrics, public health, mental health or psychiatrics, or intellectual disability; and

b. A total of four years of education and/or full-time experience (as described in number one), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university course work in nursing equals one year of full-time experience.

3) Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch at the Iowa Veterans Home that includes experience equal to five years of full-time work as a Registered Nurse. The Iowa Veterans Home's service/duty requirements are not applicable to other institutions or agencies for qualification purposes.
For additional information, please click on this

Additional Qualification Requirements

All positions in this class require licensure as a Registered Nurse in the State of Iowa by the Iowa Board of Nursing, or licensure as a Registered Nurse in accordance with the Nurse Licensure Compact Administrator's Agreement of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

More information about the Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators agreement of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing is available at
01

Do you understand that the answers to all of the following questions must be truthful, honest, and accurate to the best of your ability? Please read all questions and answers thoroughly and make sure you understand them completely. Ensure the answers to your questions match the information filled out on your application and the attachments you have uploaded. If the answers to your questions are inconsistent with your application information or uploaded attachments, you will be given zero points for the question. Knowingly misrepresenting the facts when submitting any information related to an application, examination, certification, appeal, or any other facet of the selection process will result in your disqualification from this application and future employment with the state of Iowa.

• Yes - I understand and agree.
• No

02

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
Have you filed a registration statement pursuant to the federal Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended, 22 U.S.C. §611 et seq?

• No - I have NOT filed a registration statement pursuant to the federal Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended, 22 U.S.C. §611 et seq
• Yes - I HAVE filed a registration statement pursuant to the federal Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended, 22 U.S.C. §611 et seq

03

Have you graduated from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree in nursing? IF YES - How many months of experience do you have of full-time professional clinical work in a correctional environment or in any combination of nursing specialty areas including epidemiology, geriatrics, maternal and child health, nursing education, pediatrics, public health, mental health or psychiatrics, or intellectual disability?

• I have not graduated from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree in nursing
• Less than 12 months of the identified experience
• 12 months or more of the identified experience

04

Do you have one year of full-time professional clinical work experience in either a correctionalenvironment or in any combination of nursing specialty areas including epidemiology, geriatrics, maternal and child health, nursing education, pediatrics, public health, mentalhealth or psychiatrics, or intellectual disability? IF YES - How many years do you have of a combination of accredited college or university course work in nursing AND/OR additional* experience (as described in the first part of this question)? *The experience used to fulfill this requirement must not be the same experience used to qualify on the first part of this question. 30 semester hours of accredited college or university course work in nursing equals one year of full-time experience.

• I do not have the the one year of full-time professional clinical work experience in either a correctionalenvironment or in any combination of nursing specialty areas including epidemiology, geriatrics, maternal and child health, nursing education, pediatrics, public health, mentalhealth or psychiatrics, or intellectual di