Nursing Assistant

Summary

This position provides specialized personal nursing care to residents whose care may be impacted by psychiatric, medical and geriatric conditions. This position will perform multi-step treatments and procedures requiring skills and extensive knowledge specific to resident conditions, medical treatment, and an understanding of the effects of the treatment.

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Duties

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The work consists of providing a range of resident care and contributes to the completion of the treatment plan and recovery of residents. This can include: personal care, diagnostic support procedures, treatments, charting and resident teaching. The employee is required to recognize differences in a variety of situations and take appropriate action to meet the resident's needs. Work involves assigned duties that require prioritization of tasks, selection of appropriate equipment, selection of the appropriate procedure for assigned treatments, and recognition of differences in resident's medical condition to facilitate appropriate and accurate documentation.

Major duties of the position include:

• Personal patient care including bathing, feeding, grooming and mobilizing with demonstration of skills which reflect the needs of the older adult.
• Appropriate support duties i.e., individualized patient care, proper implementation of policies and procedures, use of good body mechanics, and assist in application and operation of specialized functional equipment.
• Support duties for proper environmental maintenance such as identification of potential safety hazards.
• Providing care to patients as directed and serving as an integral member of the treatment team by motivating patients and redirecting their behavior toward treatment plan goals.
• Participating in the admission of patients by collecting information, orienting patients to the unit, checking them for contraband when indicated, and assisting the Nurse in formulating appropriate nursing actions; accurately and efficiently vital signs, obtaining specimens, and supporting the Physician with any other diagnostic tests.
• Identifying and meeting the needs of patients for information and guidance in daily living.
• Promoting patient participation in therapeutic communities by fostering increased self-reliance and independence through education and involvement of their treatment plan.
• Reporting any changes in patient condition or behavior in a timely manner to the appropriate personnel on the ward.
• Being able to concisely describe and report any subtle behavior changes and interactions among patients and nursing staff. Performing patient care treatments such as foot soaks or changes of sterile dressings.
• Encouraging patients to maintain self-care and monitoring their physical and emotional progress using the designated charting techniques; maintaining a safe and secure environment oriented toward future independent living; adhering to all Medical Center policies and procedures as directed.
• All other duties assigned.

Work Schedule : 11:30pm - 8:00am; rotating days, weekends and holidays

Telework : Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 01896F, 01898F, 01899F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Available

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Available

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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 :

• Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.)
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by VA Handbook 5005, part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.
• Education or Training: Six 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 for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

GS-3 NA (Entry Level): Experience and Education.

None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-4 NA: Experience . One year of specialized experience as a NA or experience 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 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

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). n addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following 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 resident's 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-5 NA (Full Performance Level).Experience . One year of progressively responsible assignments and experience equivalent to the GS-4 level which demonstrates knowledge, skills, and abilities that are directly related to the specific assignment. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the professional KSAs in subparagraph (c) below;

OR,

Education. Successful completion of a 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

Demonstrated 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.

Reference: 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.

Physical Requirements: This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, and sitting.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.