Career Center

Summary

This position is located in the Eastern Colorado Health Care System under Patient Care Services/Operating Room. The purpose of this position is to provide a range of direct patient care in collaboration with the operating room team. The incumbent will serve as a member of the nursing team. All work is reviewed by a Registered Nurse (RN).

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 Policy
• Experience or 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 meet in full the experience requirements for GS-3 English Language Proficiency: NAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 - part II - chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3j
• 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)
• Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• GS-3 NA (Entry Level) Experience and Education: None beyond the basic requirements
• Assignments: Individuals assigned as GS-3 NAs are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised
• GS-4 NA 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 treatments
• OR - Education
• Successful 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 technicians
• AND 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/residents
• Ability to observe patients/residents' or resident's 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-5 NA (Full Performance Level) Experience
• 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 assignment
• In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the professional KSAs in subparagraph (c) below
• OR - 4 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 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
• Preferred Experience: History of working in the OR preferred
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is 5
• Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity - keen hearing - clear distinctive speech - and manual dexterity
• This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking - standing - stooping - sitting - bending - pulling - and pushing
• It requires assisting with transferring patients to wheelchairs/litters and transporting them to other departments
• In addition to the aforementioned duties - it may involve moving equipment/objects in excess of 40lbs
• The position may require the incumbent to go up and down several flights of stairs in response to all emergency codes
• Transferring patients and objects may be required
• Mechanical inpatient lifts are provided
• The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations
• The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium - dementia - or psychiatric disorders
• The incumbent must be a mature - flexible - sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations - able to shift priorities based on patient needs
• Must complete annual Employee Health requirements as a condition of employment.

Duties

• Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Nursing Assistant - vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Nursing-Assistant-Career-Flyer.pdf Duties and skills needed to be successful in this position include - but are not limited to: Performs and fulfills a variety of nursing care tasks in support of safe and effective patient care with the appropriate level of training
• All tasks - assignments - and activities will be under the direction - guidance - and supervision of a RN
• Contributes to a safe - clean - and therapeutic environment for patients and staff by maintaining clean equipment - operating rooms and work areas
• Demonstrates compliance with infection control practices - such as hand washing and wearing of appropriate personal protective equipment
• Demonstrates safe work practices
• Complies with safety rules and regulations for safe job performance and fire protection
• Performs a variety of nursing care tasks - including assisting with specimen collection - positioning - turning and lifting patients
• Performs runner duties to include picking up and transporting items to the blood bank - laboratory or other areas as requested
• Delivers stat specimens as needed
• Assists with preparation of case carts for surgical procedures - adding items as needed
• Prepared case cart list
• Delivers clean or dirty carts to and from Sterile Processing Services (SPS)
• Manages supplies including putting them away - inventory - removing expired supplies - working with supply chain to secure needed items and other duties as assigned
• Stocks warmers with blankets and solutions - rotating dated stock
• Stocks scrub sinks with brushes - soap solutions - masks and protective eyewear accessories
• Checks rooms at the end of cases - removes extra equipment - places furniture in proper place and restocks rooms from list provided by the Circulating Nurse
• Transports patient as needed
• Changes linens on stretchers or beds as needed
• Checks blood refrigerator and returns unused products at the end of the day
• Adheres to Safe Patient Handling practices for safe body mechanics - use of mechanical devices
• Uses sound judgement when requesting assistance from other staff when moving - lifting - or turning patients to prevent injury to patient - self or others
• Keeps supply rooms - and patient equipment carts orderly
• Report issues with supply levels or restocking to the charge nurse or unit management
• Check for expired products - and discard items with past expiration dates
• Promptly reports all accidents to RN - Lead Nurse - Charge Nurse or Nursing Supervisor
• Notifies responsible parties of unsafe or unhealthy environmental situations/conditions
• Corrects safety hazards promptly
• Puts broken equipment out of service immediately - tags it as such - and submits a Maximo request for repair
• Participates in unit based educational activities and continuing education opportunities to increase clinical and professional knowledge
• Completes orientation - unit-based in-services - and mandatory educational activities in a self-directed manner by established timeframes
• Identifies own deficits in skills and knowledge and acts to correct performance
• Receptive to constructive feedback and self-directed in improving performance and interpersonal skills to enhance professional development
• Submits completed annual self-evaluation to the supervisor in a timely manner by the requested deadline
• Annual self-evaluation is realistic as measured by the qualification standards and the functional statement
• Performs other duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: 9:00am- 5:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 54228-A