Nursing Assistant

About the role

The Nursing Assistant functions as a member of the nursing care team and assists licensed nursing staff in the care of patients/residents receiving outpatient care — home or community living care — or other patients/residents who are in acute, sub-acute, or chronic states of illness.

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:
  • Six (6) months of general experience demonstrating the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills to perform the work of a Nursing Assistant; OR
  • One year of education above high school with courses related to the Nursing Assistant occupation; OR
  • Completion of an intensive, specialized, occupation-related training course of study or program of less than one year as a Nursing Assistant (may meet in full the experience requirements for GS-3).
• May qualify based on the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees in this occupation who meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-5. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected is in the range of GS-3 to GS-5. In addition to the basic requirements above, the following criteria must be met for each grade:

GS-03 (Entry Level)

• Experience and Education: None beyond the basic requirements.
• NAs at this grade are considered entry-level and are closely supervised.

GS-04 (Developmental)

• 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 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 a field of study appropriate to the specialization (e.g., psychology, psychiatric, or operating room technicians).
• AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): All of the following must be demonstrated in your resume:
  • 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' 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 (e.g., bladder scan, continuous passive motion device, blood glucose monitoring machine, specimen collection).
  • Ability to communicate effectively with patients/residents, their families, and other health professionals.

GS-05 (Full Performance Level)

• Experience: One (1) year of progressively responsible assignments and experience equivalent to the GS-4 level demonstrating KSAs directly related to the specific assignment. Specialized experience includes functioning as a member of the nursing care team assisting licensed nursing staff and other care team members in the full range of nursing care for patients/residents receiving outpatient, home, or community living care, or those receiving preventative, acute, sub-acute, chronic, maintenance, and hospice care; 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): All of the following must be demonstrated in your resume:
  • 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 coordination of their orientation and overseeing/assessing their practical experience in a clinical setting.
  • Ability to recognize and react to emergent patient/resident care situations and intervene while waiting for assistance (e.g., recognizing need for basic life support, controlling bleeding, assisting with behavior crisis).

Preferred Experience

• Long term care/geriatric experience
• Hospice/Palliative Care Experience
• Rehabilitation Training — 1 year healthcare experience
• Proficient in Electronic Medical Record Documentation

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/

Responsibilities

• Utilizes glucose monitoring machine to obtain readings for Veterans and reports deviations to appropriate healthcare staff
• Provides direct care to Veterans with complex needs
• Observes subtle changes in residents' conditions (behavior, mood, skin color, appetite, etc.) and responds appropriately
• Documents care, observations, and patient responses using required tools and forms
• Contacts appropriate nursing personnel when noticing patient condition changes
• Administers complete tracheostomy care, including suctioning
• Monitors and documents patient intake and output, reporting deviations accurately and timely
• Performs nursing procedures within scope of practice and in accordance with policies (e.g., enemas, catheterization, colostomy care, skin care, simple dressings, brace and prosthetic application)
• Facilitates small-group patient/resident activities according to individual treatment plans
• Respects residents' autonomy and promotes independence through individualized care and appropriate limit-setting
• Actively participates in treatment planning meetings
• Uses equipment that promotes patient self-care
• Provides verbal updates to the treatment team for inclusion in Veterans' care plans and participates in ongoing care-plan discussions
• Enters accurate information about resident conditions in charts using appropriate formats
• Helps maintain a clean and safe environment — removes defective equipment, reports hazards, and follows safety regulations
• Contributes to infection control efforts and uses proper aseptic technique
• Serves as preceptor and mentor to other Nursing Assistants
• Orients new healthcare-team members to the unit as appropriate
• Manages patient behaviors and seeks assistance from other team members when needed
• Initiates basic life support and takes appropriate emergency action when required
• Completes all mandatory training within required timelines
• Participates in annual competency assessments and validations

Work Schedule

Rotating Shifts

Pay & Benefits

• Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• Paid Time Off: 37–50 days of annual paid time off 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, and long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement).
• Telework: Not Available