Summary

These Nursing Assistant position are in the Community Living Center (CLC) - this is VA's terminology for Nursing Home - at the VA Maine Medical Center. This position is full-time at 40 hours per week.

Qualifications

Additional information from Duties: Notifications: Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50 - (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title - series - grade - step - tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases - more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. This position is a AFGE Bargaining Unit position. Narrative responses to the knowledge - skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment. The incumbent may be required to travel to other VA campuses and CBOC's. This position is covered by a special rate. Due to a critical staffing shortage - 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference for this job announcement. 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 Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of existing pay - higher or unique qualifications - or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). 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) 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. Nursing Assistants 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: Experience and Education
• None beyond the basic requirements
• GS-4: 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: Experience
• (Full Performance Level)
• 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 KSA below
• OR - 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 Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (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
• References: VA Handbook 5005 - Part II Appendix G46 Nursing Assistant Qualification Standard
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-05
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-03 to GS-05
• Physical Requirements: Work involves varying periods of sitting - standing and walking
• Working with Veterans/residents requires bending - stooping - teaching - lifting - balancing - kneeling - pushing - i.e. - wheelchairs - geri-chairs - litters and similar activities
• Also - it may be necessary to perform such activities as CPR and psychiatric intervention at a unit-specific level.

Duties

• Nursing Assistants 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 illness
• The significant factor is that they provide care under close supervision and refer issues/questions to supervisors or other healthcare professionals
• Depending on grade and assignment duties may include but are not limited to: Under the direction of the RN the NA provides care to acutely ill patients including baths - personal hygiene - nutrition/feeding - elimination - intake and output
• Including assisting with all activities of daily living (ADL)
• Under the direction of the RN the NA may initiate and assist with CPR per hospital policy
• Practices under the model of Patient Centered Care while exhibiting the ICARE values
• Maintains full patient confidentiality
• Participates in the admission - transfer and discharge of patients
• Prepares patient care rooms for admissions or transfers
• Assists with removing patient specific items from the room at discharge
• Performs active and passive range of motion exercises
• Supports and assists patient with turning - moving - or transferring from bed to chair - commode etc
• The NA will maintain competency and utilize lift equipment to practice safe patient handling
• Assists with postmortem care of the body after death and transport of the body to the morgue
• Performs assigned clinical procedures - such as
• application of External Urinary Device's (EUD) and colostomy bags - unsterile soaks and compresses - hot and cold applications - elastic hose - binders - bladder scanning - and oral suctioning
• Performs assigned technical procedures - such as blood glucose monitoring and quality controls - EKG's - taking and recording blood pressure - temperature - pulse - respiration - height - weight - incentive spirometer - collecting specimens - such as expectorated sputum - feces - urine-voided midstream and drainage collection bag
• Documents vital signs - nursing care and belongings inventory list in the electronic medical record and on appropriate flow sheet
• Practices techniques and principles of medical asepsis and infection control - (e.g. - hand hygiene) - care of linen - transmission precautions - etc
• Must be aware of and actively practice principles of universal precautions
• Assists the physician or nurse with diagnostic and therapeutic procedures
• As directed provides assistance with transporting patients that are not critically ill independently from tests - procedures and appointments
• Provides care for behavioral ill or restrained patients - to include but not limited to - those who are: suicidal - homicidal - interfere with medical devices - confused - have poor judgment or require 1:1 monitoring
• Assignments may include restraint monitoring - safety monitoring and/or require physical checks every 15 minutes
• Performs duties required of video monitoring patients
• including management of the call system and role of the rounding NA
• Observes patient receiving I.V
• fluids and reports swelling - pain and or wetness at the needle site
• Observes patient and reports changes in appearance - including physical and emotional reactions
• Reports patient complaint of pain to RN/LPN
• Functions as a \"Safety Monitor\" for patients who need close observation
• Safety Monitor assignment includes providing care (baths - personal hygiene - feeding - elimination and intake and output) for patient and preventing patient from injury or interfering with the treatment by pulling out lines/IVs
• Maintains constant supervision
• Work Schedule: May be schedules to days - evening - nights - weekends - holidays - and off-tours to support facility needs Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 00000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized THIS OPEN & CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT ESTABLISHES A STANDING REGISTER OF ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS - which closes on May 30 - 2025
• The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be November 19 - 2024 with subsequent reviews every other week as additional vacancies occur - or on an as-needed basis - until positions are filled
• Please see the \"What To Expect Next\" area of the announcement which provides additional information on the referral process for this type of announcement.