Nursing Assistant - VA Community Living Center

Summary

At the Sioux Falls VA Health Care System - Nursing Assistants play a vital role in supporting high-quality - compassionate care for Veterans. Here - you will help meet a wide range of preventive - acute - chronic - and hospice needs while ensuring safety - dignity - and comfort for those who served. Your work strengthens a collaborative team dedicated to exceptional Veteran-centered care.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• English Language Proficiency
• In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) - no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English
• Experience - Education or Training
• You must meet one of the following to meet the basic requirements for a Nursing Assistant (NA): Six (6) months of general experience
• Experience must demonstrate the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills to perform the work of a NA
• OR - One year of education above high school with courses related to the NA occupation
• OR - Completion of an intensive - specialized - occupation-related training course of study or program of less than one year as a NA may also meet in full the experience requirements for GS-3. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements stated above - the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade
• The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade
• GS-03 - None beyond the basic requirements
• NAs at this grade NAs are considered entry-level and are closely supervised
• GS-04 - To qualify at the GS-4 level you must meet the following: EXPERIENCE: One (1) year of experience as a Nursing Assistant or in another medical field (licensed practical nurse - health technician - hospital corpsman - etc.) - performing technical and nursing skills requiring knowledge of the human physical and emotional states - therapeutic communication - and technical skills required for basic and intermediate treatments
• OR - EDUCATION: Successful completion of two (2) years above high school in an accredited institution with courses related to nursing care - health care or in a field of study appropriate to the specialization of the position - such as education in a program for psychology - psychiatric - or operating room technicians
• AND - in addition you must demonstrate the following Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (KSAs): Ability to provide a range of patient/resident care and contribute to the completion of the nurse care plan and recovery of patients/residents
• Ability to observe patients/residents' or residents' physical or emotional status and refer deviations and/or problems to supervisor in a timely manner
• Ability to properly use equipment - materials and supplies in simple diagnostic and treatment procedures such as bladder scan - continuous passive motion device - blood glucose monitoring machine - specimen collection - etc
• Ability to communicate effectively with patients/residents - their families and other health professionals
• GS-05 - To qualify at the GS-5 level you must meet the following: EXPERIENCE: One (1) year of progressively responsible assignments and experience equivalent to the GS-4 level which demonstrates knowledge - skills - and abilities (KSAs) that are directly related to the specific assignment
• Specialized experience includes but is not limited to functioning as a member of the nursing care team and assisting licensed nursing staff and other members of the care team in the full range of nursing care of patients/residents receiving outpatient care - home - or community living care or other patients/residents who are receiving preventative - acute - sub-acute - chronic - maintenance - and hospice care
• OR - EDUCATION: Successful completion of 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree that included 24 semester hours of courses related to health care or possession of a bachelor's degree
• AND - in addition you must demonstrate the following Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (KSAs): Ability to assist in the full range of nursing care to patients/residents with physical and/or behavioral problems in a hospital - long-term care or outpatient setting under the direction of a Registered Nurse and/or Licensed Vocational Nurse/Licensed Practical Nurse
• Ability to communicate orally with patients/residents - families - interdisciplinary team and other personnel
• This includes serving as a preceptor to new NAs by assisting with the coordination of their orientation and overseeing/assessing their practical experience while in a clinical setting
• Ability to recognize and react to emergent patient/resident care situations and intervene while waiting for assistance
• For example - recognizing need for basic life support - controlling bleeding and assisting with behavior crisis - etc
• References: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-5. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-5.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional As a Nursing Assistant at the Sioux Falls VA Health Care System - you will provide hands-on care that supports Veterans with diverse physical - emotional - and cultural needs
• You will work closely with Registered Nurses (RNs) - Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) - and the broader care team to deliver essential daily care - maintain a safe environment - and enhance each Veteran's overall well-being
• This role offers the opportunity to build meaningful relationships while contributing to a mission-driven - patient-focused team
• Major Duties include - but are not limited to: Provides personal care including bathing - feeding - oral care - hygiene - and supporting range of motion - ambulation - positioning - and self-help activities
• Assists with bladder and bowel elimination and related care - including measurement and application of condom catheters
• Utilizes glucose monitoring equipment and reports abnormal findings to appropriate staff
• Performs diagnostic support such as collecting stool - urine - sputum - and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) swab specimens
• Observes and reports changes in physical condition - emotional responses - vital signs - elimination patterns - and other Veteran behaviors to the Registered Nurse (RN)
• Applies slings - braces - topical creams (not pharmacy-dispensed) - repositions oxygen cannulas - and replaces oxygen tanks as needed
• Maintains a safe environment by identifying hazards - practicing infection control - and following safety procedures and universal precautions
• Supports dining room operations including feeding Veterans - monitoring the dining area - and maintaining cleanliness
• Assists with admissions - orientation to unit features - and preparation of clothing for labeling
• Provides one-to-one support for Veterans requiring close observation and assists with recreational and cultural activities
• Work Schedule: Intermittent - Sunday- Saturday - Day and Night Shifts
• Rotating holidays and weekends required
• 4 - 8 - or 12-hour shifts
• Work schedule will vary based on staffing needs
• This is an intermittent position
• Intermittent employment is defined as non-fulltime employment in which employees serve under an excepted or competitive service appointment without a regularly scheduled tour of duty
• A position with an intermittent work schedule is sporadic and unpredictable so that a tour of duty cannot be regularly scheduled in advance
• Compressed/Flexible: 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
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Physical requirements: This position requires some degree of fitness - strength - and agility
• Duties require extensive periods of standing and walking
• Working with patients requires regular and recurring bending - lifting - stooping - stretching - pushing - pulling - lifting arm overhead - and similar activities
• You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position
• Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Create a Job Match for Similar Jobs

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.

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