Nursing Assistant

Summary

The Nursing Assistant (NA) function as a member of the nursing care team and assist licensed nursing staff in the care of patients/residents receiving preventive, acute, sub-acute chronic, maintenance, and hospice care. The distinguishing factor is that patient/resident assignments typically involve

more complex nursing needs which can vary within a range of predictable to unpredictable requirements.

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Duties

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The Nursing Assistant in Home-Based Primary Care provides direct patient care to Veterans in the home setting who require assistance with

Activities of Daily Living (ADL)s and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL)s such as bathing, dressing, grooming, light housekeeping duties, and meal preparation. Under supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN), the Nursing Assistant is accountable for adhering to the standards of care, standards of practice and maintaining competencies with roles and responsibilities, while adhering to Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center policies and procedures.

Such responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Provides assistance with personal hygiene duties which include:
  • Bathing, partial bathing
  • Oral hygiene
  • Hair care
  • Shaving
  • Hand and foot care
  • Intact skin care
  • Dressing
• Assists with range of motion (ROM), ambulation, positioning and turning Veterans.
• Utilizes principles of body mechanics in Veteran lifting, equipment handling, and Veteran care related to activities.
• Applies slings and braces as needed.
• Provide simple/light meal preparation/assistance, clean up and report any nutritional concerns to the RN.
• Incumbent may be asked to provide simple/light housekeeping tasks to include dust, vacuum, sweep, straighten up, wash dishes, clean the bathroom and kitchen, do laundry, dispose of trash, change linens and making beds.
• Observes, reports, and records Veteran bowel and bladder function. Assists with bladder and bowel elimination which may include:
  • Assistance with bedpan, bedside commode, urinal, toilet
  • Application of condom catheters
  • Incontinent or involuntary care
  • Emptying urine/stool collection and colostomy bags
• May apply topical creams (not pharmacy dispensed)
• Simple dressing changes
• Performs diagnostic support duties, such as collection of specimens: stool, urine, sputum
• Serve as a responsible member of the nursing team requiring interaction with Veterans, family members, professional personnel, supportive personnel and members of other services; responding to concerns of Veterans and family in a manner that is effective and improves customer satisfaction.
• Observes and reports current observations such as Veterans' physical condition, emotional response, observes skin condition, variations in vital signs, urine, stool or sputum; personal habits of Veteran, and listens for clues to Veteran's reaction to illness and treatment, and reports observation to RN.
• 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.
• Identify and report health and safety hazards in the work area and practice safe work habits. Incumbent must have the ability to recognize safety in the home that includes environmental, emotional, and spiritual aspect and be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situation, able to shift priorities based on Veteran, environmental and program needs.
• Practices universal precautions and follows blood borne pathogen and other potentially infectious material standards.
• Incumbent is required to complete and maintain VA approved Basic Life Support (BLS); initiates and performs CPR.
• Responsible for charting into designated templates of the electronic health record (EHR) for assigned Veterans daily.
• Flexibility in schedule and assignments is required, must be self-motivated in the pursuit of meeting professional work standards. Willing to work cooperatively as a member of a team or as an individual in all assignments.
• Completes mandatory reviews and in-service(s) education in a timely manner.
• Maintain skills as identified by unit specific competencies. The incumbent may be required to participate in the Interdisciplinary Team meetings (IDT).
• Maintains valid driver's license and pass the Incidental Drivers Exam given by Occupational Health. The incumbent is an incidental operator who is required to operate a government owned or leased motor vehicle to properly carry out his or her assigned duties.

Work Schedule : Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 3:30 pm, No weekends, No Holidays

Compressed/Flexible : Not Authorized

Telework : Not eligible for Telework

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 93436-A, 93437-A, 93438-A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant:

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 evaluation.
• 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

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):
  1. 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,
  2. One year of education above high school with courses related to the NA occupation; OR,
  3. 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):

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 residents' physical or emotional status and 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-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):

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 Vocational 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 NAs by assisting with the 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: Home Care

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: Driving, standing, walking, lifting, assisting patients with positioning and transfers, emotional stability, mental stability, working closely with others, and working with biohazardous materials.

(See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.)

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:

* If using Education in substitution for experience, must provide transcript.

Additional information

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.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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. 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.

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.

Whole Health Statement

VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

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.