Nursing Assistant (Acute Care)

Nursing Assistant Position

Career-ladder Nursing Assistant position in Acute Care at South Texas Veterans' Healthcare System, a tertiary facility serving Veterans across acute, surgical, behavioral health, rehabilitation, geriatric, and primary care. NAs are members of the interdisciplinary nursing team, providing direct patient care under RN/LVN clinical direction and Nurse Manager supervision. This is a 24/7 facility requiring rotating shifts, weekends, and holidays. May be filled at GS-3, GS-4, or GS-5, with promotion potential to the GS-5 full performance level.

GS-3 (Entry):

Works under close, direct supervision with preceptor guidance; refers questions to licensed or higher-graded staff. Learning basic duties: glucose monitoring, personal hygiene, physical comfort, nutrition, elimination, activity/rest, prevention of skin breakdown, and rehabilitative care. Begins using observation and reporting skills. Assists with patient/family orientation, equipment setup, and group activities. Learning proper body mechanics and safe equipment use to prevent injury. No independent on-call duties.

GS-4 (Developmental):

Works under close RN/LVN supervision; directs same- or lower-graded staff on tasks. Performs broader direct care, including catheterization, colostomy care, skin/wound care, dressings, and braces/prosthetics; uses monitoring equipment (bladder scanner, CPM, glucometer) with QC responsibility; documents intake/output, vitals, pain scores, and rounding; recognizes and reports condition changes and abuse signs; applies de-escalation techniques with aggressive or elopement-risk patients; assists in emergencies/codes; provides emotional support to dying patients/families; transports patients, specimens, and medications. Subject to rotating shifts and disaster labor pool reassignment.

GS-5 (Full Performance):

Functions at the full performance level under RN-in-Charge direction; serves as preceptor/mentor to lower-graded NAs, overseeing orientation and practical experience. Performs the same clinical, emergency, assessment, and communication duties as GS-4, with greater independence across more complex, less predictable assignments, plus peer education responsibilities and emphasis on calming, reassuring patient/family communication. Subject to non-administrative tours and disaster/pandemic labor pool activation.

Work Schedule: Day Shift

Compressed/Flexible: Available

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized

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)

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 54768-F, 54769-F, 54770-F

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized