Nursing Assistant

Nursing Assistant Duties

The nursing assistant will develop skills in order to participate in assessing, implementing, and evaluating nursing care. Responsibilities will be completed under close supervision at all times as well as with appropriate training.

Identifies the needs of patients and performs a range of personal nursing care duties which include feeding, bathing, oral hygiene, nail care, hair care, and related personal hygiene duties.

Application and care of external catheter.

Provides post-mortem care.

Utilizes proper body mechanics to move, lift and transfer patients.

Maintains clean and neat environment for patients including cleaning of patient's room after bed bath and after discharge when necessary, keeping utility rooms, supply rooms, nurse servers, coffee rooms, bathrooms, and nutrition kitchens in order.

Answers patient's calls expediently.

Assists and/or escorts selected patients by minibus, car, and ambulance to and from hospital, Community Living Centers, etc.

Assists patients in use of ADL devices.

Provides indwelling catheter care according to procedure.

Assists with orientation of new patients to the unit and inspects their personal belonging in accordance with Medical Center Memorandum as directed by the professional nurse.

Performs enteral tube feedings (gastrostomy tube and naso-gastric tube feedings.)

Gives individual care and attention to critically ill, emotionally unstable, and patients with multiple complex problems.

Demonstrates support of individual patient choices, dignity, autonomy, and preferred routines. (for example, allows patient to choose preferred bathing time, bedtime)

Encourages patients to increase their physical and emotional independence by giving, directing, instructing, and supervising them in their care.

Participates in developing the plan of care for individual patients during team conferences.

Offers emotional support to the dying patient and/or family members.

Performs a variety of supporting diagnostic duties which includes taking, recording, and reporting to the team leader deviation in vital signs, collecting, labeling, and taking specimens to the Laboratory.

Initiates CPR and/or Heimlich maneuver when such life-saving techniques are indicated.

Observes patients receiving IV solutions for obvious infiltration of solution and/or low solution level in bottle and discontinues IVs at the direction of the professional nurse.

Assembles oxygen equipment, identifies amount of oxygen in cylinders when appropriate, and provides continuity of oxygen therapy as directed by the professional nurse.

Uses principles of aseptic techniques to apply and remove sterile dressings as directed by the professional nurse.

Assists with orientation of new patients and staff to the unit.

Demonstrates and maintains patient privacy, courteous, prompt, and helpful interactions in personal and telephone encounters with patients, visitors, and staff.

Upon certification, performs 12-lead EKGs.

Work Schedule: Day shift with weekend and holiday rotation.

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 613-25056-F

Whole Health is an approach to health care that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their life to the fullest. The VA is committed to Whole Health and values Veteran and Employee health and wellbeing. As a VA employee, you will practice Whole Health in an environment that supports personalized and proactive care.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)