Nursing Assistant-ICU

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans.

How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

The ICU is looking for staff interested in gaining experience in the specialty and who have high levels of flexibility, adaptability, and initiative. Additionally, interested candidates should be able to navigate change well, communicate effectively, be open to coaching, mentoring and feedback in an effort to provide the best support and customer service to the organization.

Major Duties:

• Perform personal patient care as directed by the RN including bathing, feeding, grooming, and toileting.
• Conduct Purposeful Rounding and initiate cares within scope of practice to meet patient needs.
• Actively and independently round on all patients and nurse's hourly.
• Independently participate in shift duties, communicate results, initiate activity with patients to include obtaining patient weights, glucose checks, repositioning to chair for meal, twice daily ambulation
• Participate in daily huddle with RNs and stay current on unit updates, policy and procedures.
• Perform basic restorative care including assistance with ambulation and transfers.
• Appropriately uses assistive devices for patient transfer and ambulation.
• Provide Continuous Protective Observation (CPO) in accordance with hospital guidelines and document per policy.
• Recognize, report and address any safety hazards, errors, falls, injuries, equipment failures, or concerns with staff/patient behavior.
• Understand basic body mechanics and use of safe patient handling equipment to ensure safe movement, transport, and positioning of patients.
• Adhere to infection control policies and guidelines. Use universal precautions when performing patient care.
• Activate emergency response system and perform BLS measures until appropriate assistance is available.
• Assist RNs in the transport of patients to tests, procedures and to other departments as needed.
• Timely response to patient call lights, patient needs or requests for patient or visitor assistance. Consistently address patients, families, visitors and staff with courtesy and respect.
• Uphold principles of a healthy work environment and work collaboratively with all members of the health care team.
• Demonstrate effective communication techniques and provide personalized care for patients who are confused, have dementia, or are unable to speak.
• Demonstrate appropriate knowledge and use of restraints.
• Provide reinforcement of patient and family teaching provided by RN and MD.
• Ensure logistical readiness for unit admissions and procedures through preparation of patient rooms and critical care equipment.
• Maintain a clean and clutter free work area. Perform inventory and/or assist with packing, storage, and inventory of patients' personal belongings. Support duties for proper environmental maintenance such as identification of potential safety hazards, stocking of supplies and linen, emptying soiled linen bags, checking expiration dates of supplies, maintenance and cleaning of equipment, patient room set-up, tear down, and other duties as assigned.
• Support unit and facility evidence-based practice and process improvement initiatives including but not limited to Pressure Injury Prevention, HAPPEN Oral Care, Daily Weights, CHG bathes.

Preferred Experience: Critical Care and Telemetry

Work Schedule: Full-time on Nights/3rd shift with weekend and Federal holiday rotation required.

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): Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

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.
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by VA Handbook 5005, part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.
• Education or Training: Must possess six months of general experience. Experience must demonstrate the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills to perform the work of a NA; OR, Have completed one full year of education above high school with courses related to the NA occupation; OR, Have 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 a GS-3. (TRANSCRIPTS or CERTIFICATION REQUIRED)

In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must meet the following GRADE REQUIREMENTS:

GS-3 Level:
None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-4 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 (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED);
AND
In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (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 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;
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 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (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 a 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: Walking, bending, stooping, and lifting in the direct care of patients; some extended periods of sitting and/or standing.

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).

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.