Nursing Assistant
What you'd do
Nursing Assistants in the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System are members 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.
Major duties
The Nursing Assistant (NA) GS-3 is the entry level nursing position; the Nursing Assistant will be provided opportunities to develop basic nursing skills in order to provide care to patients/residents with acute to chronic conditions in a health care setting. Individuals assigned as GS-3 NA's are considered to be at the entry and are monitored and closely supervised. The significant factor is that they provide care under close supervision and refer issues/questions to supervisors, higher graded NA's, or other healthcare professionals. The Nursing Assistant (NA) at the GS-4 level is considered to be at the intermediate or developmental level and is closely supervised. The Nursing Assistant at this grade level is learning to provide complex nursing care independently as a member of the nursing care team by assisting higher graded NAs, licensed nursing staff, and other members of the care team. The significant factor is that they provide care under close supervision, are learning to perform complex nursing skills, and will refer issues/questions to supervisors, higher graded NAs, licensed nursing staff or other healthcare professionals This is the full performance level for Nursing Assistant (NA) occupation 0621 series. The Nursing Assistant 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 preventive, acute, sub-acute chronic, maintenance, and hospice care. The distinguishing factor is that patient/resident assignments typically involve more complex nursing needs which can vary within a range of predictable to unpredictable requirements. The NA at this level also assumes a peer education/mentorship. Work Schedule: Rotating days of 7:00 pm to 7:00 am. Subject to change by supervisor to meet facility needs. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 520-02091-F, 520-02089-F, 520-02090-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
What you need to qualify
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 s a NA may also meet in full the experience requirements for the GS-03 English Language Proficiency. Nursing Assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Policy. 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: GS-03: None beyond the basic requirements. GS-04: To qualify at the GS-4 level you must meet the experience or education requirements and the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): EXPERIENCE: One (1) year of experience as a Nursing Assistant or 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. EDUCATION: Successful completion of two (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. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 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 residents' 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-05: To qualify at the GS-5 level you must meet the experience or education requirements and the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): EXPERIENCE: One (1) year of progressively responsible assignments and experience equivalent to the GS-4 level which demonstrates knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that are directly related to the specific assignment. Specialized experience includes but is not limited to functioning as a member of the nursing care team and assisting licensed nursing staff and other members of the care team in the full range of nursing care of patients/residents receiving outpatient care, home, or community living care or other patients/residents who are receiving preventative, acute, sub-acute, chronic, maintenance, and hospice care. EDUCATION: Successful completion of 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. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 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. 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-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: 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 NA may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. The NA may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The NA must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. The NA must complete annual employee health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment. These physical requirements will be consistent with VA Directive Handbook 5019
Before you apply
Federal applications are different: your resume should be 3–5 pages and mirror the language of this announcement. Read our federal resume guide first — it's the #1 reason qualified people get screened out.
Don't miss the next one.
Get an email the moment a similar federal job opens — postings can close in as little as 5 days.