Career Center

Summary

This Nursing Assistant position is within the Nursing and Patient Care Service (Acute Care/MICU) at the West Haven - CT VA Medical Center.

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
• GRADE REQUIREMENTS
• Creditable Experience
• Knowledge of Current Practice
• To be creditable - the experience must have required the use of knowledge - skills - and abilities associated with the current practice
• Quality of Experience
• To be creditable - NA experience must be documented on the application or resume and verified in an employment reference - or through other independent means
• Part-Time Experience
• Part-time experience as a NA is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek
• For example - a NA employed 20 hours a week - or on a 1/2-time basis - would receive 1 full time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service
• 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 (Intermediate or Developmental Level) 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
• Assignment
• Individuals assigned as GS-4 NAs are considered to be at the intermediate or developmental level and are closely supervised
• NAs 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 illness
• 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 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
• Assignment
• This is the full performance level for NAs
• NAs 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
• Preferred Experience: 1 year of Acute Care experience preferred
• Effective communication skills
• Basic medical terminology knowledge
• Good organizational skills
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS5
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS3 to GS5
• 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
• Transferring patients and objects may be required
• 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 - such as annual TB screening or testing - as a condition of employment.

Duties

• The incumbent in this position functions as a Nursing Assistant (NA) and is directed by the Registered Nurse (RN)
• Individuals assigned as GS-5 NA are at the expert developmental level
• This NA refers issues and questions to higher grade NAs
• Provides nursing care - performs clinical procedures - technical procedures and ancillary services
• The NA helps each patient attain optimal physical - physiological - emotional and social well-being
• 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
• Observes and reports evidence of physical and/or verbal abuse of patient
• 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
• Performs duties and responsibilities related to COVID-19 screening - to include performing screening questions for staff and Veterans and performing temperature monitoring for COVID screening
• Work Schedule: Evenings (3:30pm - 12:00am Midnight) and/or Nights (11:30pm - 8am)
• Every other weekend and rotating Holidays
• Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 689-F1094 - 689-F1095 - 689-F1096 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized