Nursing Assistant

This job announcement will be used to fill multiple vacancies on the Veterans Homeland, Long Stay Hospice inpatient unit. This position requires flexibility in schedule and assignment as the facility conducts 24/7 operation.

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:

At least six months of general experience. Experience must demonstrate the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills to perform the work of a Nursing Assistant (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 only.

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 Requirements:

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 fulltime 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

Experience and Education:

None beyond the basic requirements

Assignments:

Individuals assigned as GS-3 NA's are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised 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 You must also demonstrate the following knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (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:

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 KSA's 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:

Previous experience in long-term care, skilled nursing, assisted living, and/or hospice setting

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:

Physical qualifications require the ability to stand, walk, bend, and move freely. Must be able to utilize good body mechanics in lifting or restraining patients. Must have good hearing, eyesight, and physical dexterity. Must be clean and neat in appearance. Must be emotionally stable and cooperative.