Nursing Assistant, Nursing Mental Health (1 West)

About the role

The Nursing Assistant performs complex age-specific nursing care for adult and geriatric patients with a variety of physical, mental, behavioral, or psychological needs. They continue to provide care under supervision of a Registered Nurse, learning to perform complex nursing skills, and refer issues or questions to supervisors or other healthcare professionals.

Responsibilities

• Care for Veterans with acute to chronic behavioral health conditions
• Utilize vital signs monitoring machine to collect and document appropriate vital signs readings for the assigned Veteran
• Utilize glucose monitoring machine to collect and document appropriate glucose readings for assigned Veteran
• Utilize the 12 LEAD EKG machine to collect and document appropriate 12 LEADs for the assigned Veteran
• Maintain positive therapeutic relationships by displaying respect for human dignity with patients, families, and/or significant others utilizing learned communication skills
• Maintains PMDB level 3 of containment techniques currently for the inpatient mental health unit
• Utilizes observation skills for data collection, reporting, and recording Veteran observations to appropriate Staff RNs, Licensed Independent Practitioners (LIPs), or other clinicians
• Performs aspects of nursing care to meet Veteran’s needs for the following: Monitoring and documenting Veterans for safety (one-to-one Patient Safety Attendant) as assigned, Transportation of Veterans to other needed care in other departments, Completion of safety assessment rounds every shift, Completion of environment of care safety rounds as assigned, Performs intentional rounding as assigned, Performs NA community groups, Documents timely tasks related to nutrition and hydration, Reports on any environmental safety concerns to RN and Management team, Floats to Acute Care and MHRRTP unit to assist as needed, Utilizes principles of proper body mechanics and follows procedures for use of patient care equipment to prevent injury to self or others in all settings such as utilization of lifting equipment

Requirements

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.

Qualifications

• 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; 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 meeting full the experience requirements for GS-3.
• 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).
• Grandfathering Provisions: All Nursing Assistants employed in VHA as of March 12, 2015 are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the series and grade held that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For 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 standard. 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.
• May 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).

Skills

Nursing 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 illness. 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. Nursing Assistants at this level also assume more of a peer education/mentorship role.

Benefits

• 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)
• 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)

Pay

Competitive salary and regular salary increases

Schedule

Total Rewards of an Allied Health Professional

Work Schedule

7:30 AM - 8:00 PM includes weekends and holidays

Telework

Not Available

Virtual

This is not a virtual position