Nursing Assistant

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Coatesville (Chester County); On-site; USD 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

The US Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking qualified Nursing Assistants (NA) at GS-3 to GS-5 level. This position requires U.S. citizenship and English proficiency, with progression through GS-3 to GS-5 as experience and education meet the standards.

Candidates perform patient care under supervision, operate basic medical equipment, and communicate with the care team and patients. Information on qualifications and the grandfathering provision is provided in the vacancy description.

Qualifications

• United States citizenship required; non-citizens may be eligible per VA policy.
• English language proficiency in speaking and writing.
• Six months of general experience or education above high school or a short training course for NA.
• Grandfathering provision may apply for current VA employees in the occupation.

Responsibilities

• Provide a range of patient/resident care and contribute to the nurse care plan.
• Demonstrate knowledge of equipment such as bladder scan, CPM, and glucose monitoring.
• Communicate effectively with patients, families, and health professionals.

Skills

Therapeutic communication

Patient care

English language proficiency

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Nursing assistant training or certification

Job description

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. NAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j

Experience or 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.

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:

• i Ability to provide a range of patient/resident care and contribute to the completion of the nurse care plan and recovery of patients/residents.
• iii 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.
• iv 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 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 KSAs

• i. 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.
• ii 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.
• iii 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

Two years of nursing assistant experience is preferred as well as one year of experience with mental health or substance use disorder.

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

You will be asked You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.