Summary

The primary purpose of the Nursing Assistant (NA) position is to float to all areas of the facility and assist licensed nursing staff in the care of Patients/Veterans as a member of the nursing care team by providing holistic care in a manner conducive to comfort and safety at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center (MGVAMC).

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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
• 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 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
• 1) Knowledge of Current Practice
• To be creditable - the experience must have required the use of knowledge - skills - and abilities associated with the current practice
• 2) 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
• 3) 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
• 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: 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 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 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
• 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
• REFERENCE: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• 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: Heavy lifting (45 pounds and over) - heavy carrying (45 pounds and over) - straight pulling (3 hours) - pulling hand over hand (3 hours) - pushing (3 hours) - reaching above shoulder - use of fingers - both hands required - walking (12 hours) - standing (12 hours) - crawling (3 hours) - kneeling (3 hours) - repeated bending (3 hours) - climbing (3 hours) - both legs required - ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously - both eyes required - depth perception - ability to distinguish basic colors - ability to distinguish shades of colors - and hearing (aid may be permitted)
• Environmental factors include outside and inside - excessive noise (intermittent) - slippery or uneven walking surfaces - working closely with others - and protracted or irregular hours of work.

Duties

• Assist in the full range of nursing care for Veterans with behavioral and/or physical problems in the rehabilitation/long term care/hospice setting (CLC) - Medical/Surgical - Acute Psychiatric Unit - ACU/ICU - Urgent Care Center - Primary Care and Specialty Clinics - under the direction of a Registered Nurse and/or Licensed Practical Nurse
• Provide daily living activities such as assisting residents with daily oral care (dentures - toothbrush) - hair grooming - bathing - nail - and related hygiene care
• Set up - serve - and monitor veteran meals - lift - turn - and transfer residents with appropriate technique and lifting assistance devices
• Prepare and transport patients as needed for tests - procedures - or discharge
• Notify nursing of any physical or behavior changes
• Document these changes using proper documentation forums
• Use computer - computer programs - phone - xerox and fax machines
• Conduct other duties as required to provide patient with quality care outcomes
• Assist with a complete range of treatment and procedures that include but is not limited to the following: environmental safety checks - management of hazardous items - patient belonging inventory - administering hot and cold packs
• accuchecks
• caring for patients in isolation
• BVI
• colostomy care
• application of EKG leads and providing 1:1 monitoring of patients with altered mental status - suicidal/homicidal ideation - or identified as high risk and in need of constant supervision
• Perform a range of diagnostic support duties which includes taking - recording - and reporting deviations in vital signs - performing EKGs - and loading proper patient information into this device - collecting specimens - labeling specimens for the laboratory - and assisting the provider in a variety of diagnostic exams
• Consistently make accurate observations of the patient's condition and reports and documents findings
• Identify and report the patient's physical and emotional reactions to medical treatment and nursing care
• Verbally provide patient information to the licensed staff for inclusion in the nursing care plan
• Enter information about the patient's condition in the patient's written and/or electronic records following facility policies
• Communicate effectively with patients - families - interdisciplinary team members - and other staff personnel
• Act in a professional manner as a role model for peers
• Serve as a preceptor to new NAs by assisting with employee orientation and overseeing/assessing their practical experience while in a clinical setting
• Maintain appropriate and professional boundaries with patients and their families
• Communicate tactfully and effectively - both orally and in writing - to meet unit objectives
• This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to the supervisor
• Instruct patients on the patient's role in various tests - such as x-rays - covering information previously supplied by the doctor or nurse
• Instructs patient/resident on the set up and purpose of treatment supported by auxiliary equipment such as oxygen and suction
• Support patient teaching based on evidence-based - general information covered with the patient previously by either the doctor or nurse
• Recognize and react to emergent patient/resident care situations and intervene while waiting for assistance
• For example - recognize the need for basic life support - control bleeding and assist with behavior crisis - etc
• Participate and complete mandatory education classes by designated due date
• Display courteous verbal and non-verbal communication to patients/residents - staff - and visitors
• Always utilize proper telephone etiquette
• Is dependable
• report on and off duty on- time
• Report to charge nurse when leaving ward for any reason
• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: 12-hour shifts 0700-1930 - variable days Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of 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) 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
• 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 #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized