The Nursing Assistant functions as a member of the Specialty Clinic Service Line, carrying out a variety of duties with the direction and support of Specialty Clinic leadership, nurses and providers. The Nursing Assistant is responsible for a variety of personal care or nursing care activities including assisting with clinical procedures according to specialty, technical procedures and ancillary services for complex patients. 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: NAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j. Experience or Education or Training: You must possess one of the choices below to meet the basic requirement of this occupation. (1) Six months of general experience. Experience must demonstrate the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills to perform the work of a NA; OR, (2) One year of education above high school with courses related to the NA occupation; OR, (3) 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. Grade Determinations: GS-3 (Entry Level) Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements. GS-4 (Developmental Level) - In addition to the basic requirement you must possess: 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 two 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 to the above experience or education, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1) Ability to provide a range of patient/resident care and contribute to the completion of the nurse care plan and recovery of patients/residents. 2) Ability to observe patients/residents' or resident's physical or emotional status and refer deviations and/or problems to supervisor in a timely manner. 3) 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. 4) Ability to communicate effectively with patients/residents, their families and other health professionals. GS-5 (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; OR, Education: Successful completion of a four-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). In addition to the above experience or education, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1) 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. 2) 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. 3) 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/81 Part II Appendix G46. Promotion Potential: The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-5. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-5. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. ["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 of this occupation will include, but are not limited to: Taking-recording-reporting vital signs accurately Assisting with ambulation or wheelchair usage Providing safe environments and other duties or care as directed by Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses or providers. Incumbent will initiate emergency action in life threatening situations such as cardiac and /or respiratory arrest, massive bleeding, shock, or assaultive behavior and will alert licensed personal immediately Performing EKG's Rooming and prepping patients for exams Obtaining specimens, properly labeling and preparing specimens for transport for testing. POC testing Cleaning/disinfecting exam rooms/medical equipment after patient use Performs other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: No Authorized 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 #: Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized"]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.
