Nursing Assistant - Community Living Center

Summary This Nursing Assistant position is located within the VA Community Living Center at the Fort Meade campus of the VA Black Hills Health Care System in South Dakota. You will provide care to Veterans across varied settings. The mission of a Community Living Center is to restore each Veteran to his or her highest level of well-being - to prevent declines in health - and provide comfort at the end of life. Summary This Nursing Assistant position is located within the VA Community Living Center at the Fort Meade campus of the VA Black Hills Health Care System in South Dakota. You will provide care to Veterans across varied settings. The mission of a Community Living Center is to restore each Veteran to his or her highest level of well-being - to prevent declines in health - and provide comfort at the end of life. 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): 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 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. Duties Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties of the Nursing Assistant - Community Living Center include - but are not limited to: Provide daily personal care - including hygiene - comfort - nutrition - elimination - and skin-integrity support Deliver safe - individualized care to Veterans with complex medical needs Assist nurses with treatments - procedures - and routine clinical tasks Perform basic diagnostic tasks and accurately chart observations Support patients' physical - emotional - rehabilitative - and spiritual needs Help prevent skin breakdown and promote mobility and comfort Prioritize and multitask effectively in a fast-paced care environment Maintain a safe environment and follow established care protocols Work Schedule: Mix of Day and Night shifts - scheduled to work 80 hours biweekly with six 12 hour shifts and one 8 hour shift: Day Shift: 6:00 AM - 6:30 PM - 6:00 AM - 2:30 PM Night Shift: 6:00 PM - 6:30 AM - 10:00 PM - 6:30 AM Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Recruitment/Relocation incentive authorized for eligible - highly qualified applicants A service agreement is required for all recruitment/relocation incentives Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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) Physical requirements: 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 The VA Midwest Health Care Network 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs