Nursing Assistant

Summary Under the direction of a Registered or Practical Nurse - the Nursing Assistant Inpatient Mental Health 10B provides direct patient care. The NA operates across diverse settings - including inpatient - outpatient - acute - community living care & home care - supporting patients with both acute & chronic conditions. 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: Must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 - part II - chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3j Education: 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 above high school with courses related to the NA occupation OR completion of an intensive - specialized - occupation-related course of study of less than one year which resulted in attaining certification as a nursing assistant may also meet in full the experience requirements for GS-3. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria) Grade Determinations: GS-3: None beyond the basic requirements GS-4: One year of specialized experience as a nursing assistant or experience in another medical field (LPN - 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): In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1 Ability to provide a range of patient/resident care and contribute to the completion of the nurse care plan and recovery of patients/residents 2 Ability to observe patients/residents or resident's physical or emotional status of refer deviations and/or problems to supervisor in a timely manner 3 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 4 Ability to communicate effectively with patients/residents - their families and other health professionals GS-5: 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 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 Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs): In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs 1 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 Vocation Nurse/Licensed Practical Nurse 2 Ability to communicate orally with patients/residents - families - interdisciplinary team and other personnel This includes serving as a preceptor to new nursing assistants by assisting with coordination of their orientation and overseeing/assessing their practical experience while in a clinical setting 3 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 Preferred Experience: Inpatient psychiatry/mental health experience 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-03 to GS-05 Physical Requirements: The physical requirements of this position include lifting - prolonged standing and sitting - frequent bending - walking (distance) - climbing - reaching (overhead - extensive/repetitive) - pulling - pushing - repetitive motion and stooping The mental/sensory requirements include recall - reasoning - problem-solving - hearing - speaking clearly - writing legibly - keyboarding - reading and logical thinking - depth perception - hearing (aide permitted) near/far vision correctable to meet Driver's License requirements The environment's pace can vary from steady to a sometimes-fast pace requiring handling of multiple priorities - frequent - sometimes intense customer interactions - and the ability to adapt to frequent changes in a sometimes-noisy environment There may be the need to use personal protective equipment to prevent exposure to disease - illness and hazardous materials Work requires extensive walking - standing - stretching and bending in caring for patients. Duties Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The duties of the Nursing Assistant Inpatient Mental Health 10B include but are not limited to: Participates in patients' admissions by establishing rapport and orienting the patient to the physical layout of the unit - hospital and unit rules/regulations - unit staff and patient rights Provides nursing care to patients of all ages and cultures and who are acutely - chronically - or seriously ill Provides input regarding patient care planning and implementation Offers constructive suggestions for improvement of patient care and encourages others to do the same Observes - reports and charts changes in patient's condition - attitudes - and complaints Institutes appropriate measure of intervention with patients during behavioral incidents Encourages the development of patient independence and assists with activities of daily living as appropriate Shares in responsibility for general ward orderliness and sanitation and care of equipment Keeps immediate supervisor informed of supply shortages and defective equipment Actively participates in developing and maintaining a safe recovery-oriented environment for patients and staff Assumes responsibility for validating own observations and therapeutic patient interventions with professional team members Actively participates as a member of the multidisciplinary treatment team Assists the Registered Nurse in the care and treatment of the patient Recognizes emergency situations and intervene within scope of practice while awaiting assistance Assists the charge nurse with dressing changes and complex procedures Utilizes all lifting equipment to the fullest capability to assist the patient in getting in and out of bed Will help educate and show other staff how to use the equipment safely and effectively Actively participates as a member of the multidisciplinary treatment team Maintains BERT - PMDB - and CPR certifications Work Schedule: Fulltime Night Shift 12AM - 8AM with rotating weekends and holidays 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 #: 21U58 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized #J-18808-Ljbffr Diversity Group