Nursing Assistant

Summary The Nursing Assistant performs activities of daily living and delivers comprehensive care that supports the Veteran's treatment plan - recovery - and overall wellness under the direction of a licensed health care provider. Core duties include providing physical care such as bathing - showering - shaving - grooming - oral care - feeding - ambulating - weighing - and positioning individuals with prescribed physical limitations. 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 PolicySix months of general experienceExperience must demonstrate the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills to perform the work of a NAOR - One year of education above high school with courses related to the NA occupationOR - 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. English Language ProficiencyNursing Assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 - part II - chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3jMay 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).Grandfathering ProvisionsAll NAs employed in VHA on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the series and grade held that are part of the basic requirements of the occupationFor employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard - but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it - the following provisions apply: Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed - on a temporary or permanent basis - until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standardIf 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 re-entry to the occupationGrade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidatesGS-3 NA (Entry Level) Experience and EducationNone beyond the basic requirementsAssignmentsIndividuals assigned as GS-3 NAs are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised(2) GS-4 NA ExperienceOne 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 - EducationSuccessful 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 techniciansAND Demonstrated 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(d) AssignmentIndividuals assigned as GS-4 NAs are considered to be at the intermediate or developmental level and are closely supervisedNAs at this grade level function as a member of the nursing care team and assist higher graded NAs - licensed nursing staff - and other members of the care team 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 significant factor is that they provide care under close supervision and refer issues/questions to supervisors - higher graded NAs or other health care professionalsIn this role - the NA functions as a member of the nursing care team and assists higher graded NAs - licensed nursing staff - and other members of the care team in the care of patients/residents receiving outpatient care - home or community living care - or other patients who are in acute - sub-acute - or chronic states of illnessThe NA in this role provides care under close supervision and refers issues/questions to supervisors - higher graded NAs - or other health care professionalsGS-5 NA (Full Performance Level)ExperienceOne 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 - EducationSuccessful 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 KSAsAbility 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 NAs 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 - etcAssignmentThis is the full performance level for NAsNAs 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 requirementsNAs at this level also assume more of a peer education/mentorship roleReference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit 0621-NursingAssistant.pdf (va.gov)The full performance level of this vacancy is 05The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 03 to 05Physical Requirements: Duties require extensive period of standing - sitting and walkingWorking with patients requires regular and recurring bending - lifting - stooping - stretching and similar activitiesThe employee provides physical restraints for confused or combative patients as necessaryThe nursing assistant must be physically able to lift to meet the physical standards of the position as evaluated by Employee Health. Duties Major duties include - but may not be limited to: Performs activities of daily living and a broad range of clinical and supportive careDemonstrates the knowledge - skills - and abilities required to assist in the full spectrum of nursing care for individuals with physical or behavioral health needsPerforms a wide range of clinical tasks such as obtaining and recording vital signsobtaining daily weight and admission weightmonitoring and documenting intake and outputSupports admissions - transfers - discharges - and postmortem care - and assists with diagnostic procedures and follow-up observationAdheres to Close Observation and Suicide Precaution policies when caring for high-risk patients and consistently follows Infection Control - safety policies - and aseptic techniqueManages disruptive patient behavior - initiates appropriate safety interventions - and requests assistance when neededAll other duties as assignedWork Schedule: Evenings: 15:30 - Midnight19:30 - 08:00 and 23:30 - 08:00with flexibility to meet the needs of the serviceTelework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual positionFunctional Statement #: 11847F/11848F/11849F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized