Nursing Assistant (Acute Psych)

The Nursing Assistant (Acute Psych) performs assigned duties in a manner that promotes quality health care, positive and outstanding customer service, and the maintenance of an environment committed to serving the veteran under close supervision with appropriate training and competencies.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

CTVHCS is in the process of making a cultural change, shifting from a disease-focused approach to a health and wellbeing approach, in order to implement the Whole Health System of Care. This is a VA-wide initiative to provide a comprehensive and systematic approach to improve healthcare delivery at all stages of Veteran care. This entails moving from an episodic, "siloed" approach to an interdisciplinary, holistic approach, emphasizing self-care in the larger context of well-being. All staff in this facility will be part of this process, shifting the focus from the question, "What's the matter with you?" to the question, "What matters to you, and how can we help you live your best life?" This strategy also involves integrating a full range of conventional approaches with Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) approaches in order to optimize lifelong health and well-being, as defined by the Veteran, rather than narrowly focusing on disease management.

All duties performed will be completed under close supervision with appropriate training and competencies for assigned task.

Major Duties include but are not limited to:

• Utilizes glucose monitoring machine to receive glucose readings for veterans.
• Provides direct care for complex veterans.
• Makes observations of subtle changes in resident's condition, i.e. behavior shifts, mood, skin coloring, appetite, etc.
• Documents care given, observations and responses on appropriate tools or forms.
• Performs oral and nasopharyngeal suctioning.
• Administers complete tracheostomy care, including suctioning.
• Monitors and documents patient intake and output.
• Performs nursing procedures within scope of practice and according to policies and standard procedures to care for the veteran for such procedures but not limited to: enemas, catheterization, colostomy care, skin care simple dressing, application of braces and prosthetic devices.
• Works on small group activities with veterans/residents according to patients/veterans' treatment plan.
• Recognizes the resident's autonomy and promotes independence by means of respect, limit setting and individualized treatment.
• Actively participates in treatment planning meetings.
• Utilizes equipment to promote the veteran self-care, such as lift equipment, hydro sound tubs, and veteran/resident wandering system.
• Verbally provides patient information to the treatment team for inclusion in the veteran/resident's plan of care, participates in treatment team meetings for resident care planning.
• Enters information about the residents' condition in the chart, utilizing appropriate formats.
• Participates in maintaining a clean, safe environment for the patient/resident.
• Removes defective equipment, reports hazards, observes safety regulations, contributes to infection control, and utilizes proper aseptic technique in performance of duties.

Work Schedule: 11:30pm - 8:00am
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)
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: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 53053F, 53054F, 53055F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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 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 as a NA may also meet in full the experience requirements for GS-3.
• Grandfathering Provisions. All NAs employed in VHA on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the series and grade held that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
  • Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
  • If an employee who was retained (grandfathered) under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status of the grandfathering provision and must meet the full VA qualification standard basic requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.

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-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:
  • 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 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 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):
  • 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:

• Evidence of Lean Belt training or experience
• Professional Governance participation
• Certified Nursing Assistant
• Current BLS certification

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: Heavy lifting (45 lbs and over); light carrying (under 15 lbs); pushing 2 hours; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking and standing (8 - 12 hours; repeated bending (2-4 hours) both legs required; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and 20/40 in the other; both eyes required; depth perception; ability to distinguish basic colors, ability to distinguish shades of colors; hearing aid permitted; mental and emotional stability; sitting (up to 8 hours); simple grasping (2 - 4 hours); fine manipulation (4 - 8 hours); twisting (up to 2 hours)

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.
• 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.