Nursing Assistant

About the role

The VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) is a Level 1a major interdisciplinary teaching healthcare system offering a variety of Inpatient and Outpatient services to Veterans at the medical center in La Jolla and at six Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) located in Chula Vista, Escondido, Imperial Valley, Kearny Mesa, Oceanside, Sorrento Valley, and Rio Clinic.

Responsibilities

• Safely and effectively uses patient care equipment
• Identifies potential and actual emergencies and takes appropriate actions
• Maintains confidentiality of patient information
• Sets-up, uses, reprocesses, and maintains all unit/department-specific equipment that is designed by the manufacturer to be reused for multiple patients
• Obtains and records vital signs, pulse, temperature, respirations, blood pressure, and pain level
• Makes measurements and records height and weight of patients
• Assists patients with activities of daily living (e.g., hygiene, eating, dressing, and ambulation), including oral/denture care, bed baths/shower, indwelling catheter care, perineal care, foot care, and changing bed linens
• Positions, sets-up, and assists patients with mealsensures meal trays are removed
• Assists with patient transfers in and out of bed
• Assists with patient toileting needs and keeps incontinent patients clean
• Aids in patient admissions ensuring personal belongings are inventoried and documented
• Aids in patient discharges or transfers including stripping beds, ensuring patients have their belongings, and sweeps medication cabinets in patient rooms
• Answers call lights and unit phones as needed
• Performs glucose checks on patients as ordered
• Turns and repositions patients at risk for skin breakdown
• Performs range of motion exercises for patients
• Reinforces non-sterile dressings
• Applies anti-embolic hose/equipment (i.e., Ted hose, sequential compression devices)
• Applies adaptive devices and non-behavioral restraints as ordered
• Functions as Continuous Observation Attendant (COA) within an arm's length of the patient
• Relieves COAs as needed for breaks and meals
• Wipes down all patients' bedside tables and side rails once a shift
• Ensures patients' bedside areas are neat and tidy
• Ensures patients have an adequate supply of water, cups, and straws at their bedside
• Assists in recording and charting patient input and output (L&O)
• Conducts hourly rounds on patients to ensure their needs are being met
• Ensures safety precautions are in place
• Empties indwelling catheter bags, urinals, surgical drains, and records output amounts
• Assists with post-mortem care
• Stocks supplies in patient care areas to ensure there are adequate supplies and equipment to meet patient care needs
• Cleans reusable medical equipment (RME) on unit as needed
• Documents vital signs in the electronic health record (EHR)
• Documents on the restraint and seclusion flow sheet as needed
• Documents in nursing progress notes care provided
• Identifies potential and actual emergencies and takes appropriate actions
• Implements hospital safety guidelines and maintains a safe environment for patients and staff
• Reports all accidents to supervisor and notifies supervisor promptly of unsafe or unhealthy environmental situations/conditions
• Initiates CPR as appropriate
• Performs bladder scan and reports findings to RN
• Places patients on cardiac monitors as needed
• Applies ice packs with RN delegation as needed
• Performs 12-lead EKGs
• Selects and applies condom catheters as needed
• Transports deceased bodies to morgue
• Transports specimens to lab
• Feeds patients on Aspiration Precautions
• Performs other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship
• English Language Proficiency
• Nursing Assistants appointed to direct patient-care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) - and 7407(d)
• 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
• One year of education above high school with courses related to the NA occupation
• Completion of an intensive - specialized - occupation-related [training]course of study [or program] of less than one year as a NA may also meeting full the experience requirements forGS-3
• Grandfathering Provisions: All Nursing Assistants employed in VHA as of May 22, 2024 - are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the series and grade held that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation
• If an employee who was retained (grandfathered) under this provision leaves the occupation - the employee loses protected status of the grandfathering provision and must meet the full VA qualification standard basic requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation
• Grade Determinations: GS-3 (entry level): None beyond the basic requirements
• GS-4 Experience/Education: 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 treatmentsOR Education: Successful completion of 2 years above high school in an accredited institution with courses related to nursing care - healthcare 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 techniciansANDDemonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs)In 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/residentsAbility to observe patients/residents' or resident's physical or emotional status and refer deviations and/or problems to supervisor in a timely mannerAbility 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 - etcAbility to communicate effectively with patients/residents - their families and other health professionals
• GS-5 Experience Full Performance Level): This is the full performance level for Nursing AssistantsNursing Assistants at this grade level function as a member of the nursing care team and assist 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 illnessThe distinguishing factor is that patient/resident assignments typically involve more complex nursing needs which can vary within a range of predictable to unpredictable requirementsNursing Assistants at this level also assume more of a peer education/mentorship roleExperience: 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 assignmentIn addition - the candidate must demonstrate the professional KSAs in subparagraph (c) belowOR - 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 degreeAND Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs)In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following 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 NurseAbility to communicate orally with patients/residents - families - interdisciplinary team and other personnelThis includes serving as a preceptor to new Nursing Assistants by assisting with the coordination of their orientation and overseeing/assessing their practical experience while in a clinical settingAbility to recognize and react to emergent patient/resident care situations and intervene while waiting for assistanceFor example - recognizing need for basic life support - controlling bleeding and assisting with behavior crisis - etc
• Preferred Experience: 2-3 years working in the last 5 years of Nursing Assistant experienceAbility to properly use equipment - materials and supplies in simple diagnostic and treatment procedures such as bladder scan - blood glucose monitoring machine - specimen collectionKnowledge of the human physical and emotional states - therapeutic communication - and technical skills required for basic and intermediate treatmentsActive BLS Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Benefits

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Schedule

Full Time

Tour Information

0700-1930

Compressed/Flexible

Not Authorized

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus)

Not Authorized