Nursing Assistant

The incumbent of this position serves as a Nursing Assistant with the Oscar G. Johnson, VAMC (OGJVAMC), Community Living Center (CLC). The primary purpose of this position is to perform a very wide range of patient personal care, treatment, and charting activities on a regular and continuing basis on a rehabilitation, short-term and long-term care ward. The incumbent performs duties in such a way as to promote a sense of worth and dignity for the individual.

• Performs a complete range of treatment procedures such as routine urinary catheter care; including external catheter placements; application of cold and heat; changing simple dressings; and irrigation of a healed colostomy. Additionally, performs selected treatments such as foot-soaks; performs basic care for patients requiring the use of isolation techniques. Recognizes life-threatening situations and initiates cardiopulmonary resuscitation as needed. Alerts the nurse to changes in the patient's condition and assists in emergency treatment. Participates in nursing care conferences and interdisciplinary team meetings, using good judgment in identifying and reporting patient problems, planning individual care, and discharge planning. Suggests feasible means to meet patient needs.
• Provides comfort care and hygiene to patients to include bathing, hair and nail care, oral hygiene, and skin care. Positions patients for comfort and therapy. Assists with feeding and maintains a safe, clean, pleasant patient environment. Assists patients in walking, moving, and changing position by supporting and turning them. Accompanies patients to other areas of the hospital.
• Takes vital signs; i.e., blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate and temperature, measures height and weight, and measures intake and output. Carries out specified procedures such as irrigations, care of drainage tubes, suctioning, and administration of oxygen. Knowledge and ability to perform restorative functions. Changes or assists with the changing of dressings, both sterile and clean.
• Assists the physician and/or nurse with complex procedures, gathering the required items, comforting the patient, monitoring patient physical status, and passing instruments and supplies. Assists in post­ mortem care. Obtains laboratory specimens for testing including urine, stool, sputum and nasogastric tube specimens. Performs capillary glucose testing by glucometer, if applicable.
• Uses the approved method to record and report patient care including obvious physical and/or behavioral changes of patients, vital signs, as well as less obvious and more complex changes such as non-verbal cues; e.g., early signs of skin breakdown, slight drooling of the mouth; changes in sensorium in the medical record. Maintains flow sheets and patient records, documenting patient care as per expected standards.
• Maintains a safe patient environment, recognizing hazards and taking corrective action.
• Sets up, operates, performs minor maintenance and upkeep, cleans and properly stores equipment. Adheres to safety practices concerning patient care; maintains a safe clean environment in the use and maintenance of equipment and supplies, as well as takes action to correct less obvious hazards, and makes suggestions for improving current equipment and environment.
• Provides Resident Centered Care: VA CLCs are committed to providing resident-centered care. Resident-centered care identifies an approach to providing health care where the treatment plan is driven by the needs, preferences, and life-long habits of the resident.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional
Work Schedule: Full-Time. 2:00pm- 10:30pm (may include rotating weekends and holidays.)
Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized.
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus):Not Authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance):Not Authorized.
EDRP Authorized: 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)
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)
Telework: This is not a telework position.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 06086F, 06087F, and 06088F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not authorized

Salary Ranges:
GS-3: $32,435 - $42,170
GS-4: $40,897 - $53,169
GS-5: $45,757 - $59,485

Basic Requirements:
Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

Experience, 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

IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE, YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING GRADE REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION.

GS-3 Grade Requirements:
Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-4 Grade Requirements:
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
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 Grade Requirements:
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
In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following 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.

Preferred Experience: 1-2 years of nursing assistant experience perferred.

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.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.