Nursing Assistant

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Florida; On-site; USD 35,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs seeks Nursing Assistants to join the Miami VA Healthcare System. The incumbent will be part of the nursing care team, provide direct patient care, assist licensed staff, and work across outpatient, inpatient, home or community settings.

Shifts vary (day, evening, night) and may include weekends/holidays. Applicants must meet basic requirements and KSAs as outlined; duties and selection will be discussed during interview.

Qualifications

• Six months of general experience or education related to NA work
• Ability to assist in full range of nursing care under RN/LPN direction
• Ability to communicate orally with patients, families, and interdisciplinary team
• Ability to recognize emergent patient care situations

Responsibilities

• Care for patients/residents with acute to chronic conditions
• Provide direct care and monitor intake/output
• Perform nursing procedures per policies
• Report safety hazards and follow infection control procedures
• Work with shifts including days, evenings, nights, weekends

Job description

Qualifications

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

• All applicants must meet the following basic requirements to qualify
• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• Experience - 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 (transcripts required) Physical Requirements
• Must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation as required by VA Handbook 5019
• This evaluation is administered by VA Occupational Health
• English Language Proficiency: NAs must be proficient in spoken and written English
• In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(f) and 7407(d) - no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English
• 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
• GS-5 Grade Requirements (Full Performance Level): In addition to the above basic requirements - all applicants must also meet the following 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
• Examples of experience include - but is not limited to: functioning as a member of the nursing care team & assisting higher graded NAs - licensed nursing staff & other members of the care team 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
• 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
• assisting licensed nursing staff in the care of patients/residents receiving outpatient care - home or community living care
• etc
• -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 (transcripts required)
• AND Demonstrated KSAs
• In addition - you must demonstrate the following 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- These preferences are highly desired: Experience in utilizing dependability self direction
• Critical thinking and problem-solving abilities
• Able to adapt and be flexible
• Outstanding customer service skills & the ability to work in a team environment
• Working independently with minimum supervision & to prioritize tasks
• Working under pressure & with individuals with various socioeconomic backgrounds in a courteous - tactful & professional manner to complete tasks & assist Veteran patients & their families
• 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.
  

Duties

• Applicant's note: This announcement is being used to fill various vacancies throughout the Miami VA Healthcare System
• Selections will be made from various service lines/departments as vacancies become available
• When applying for this position - you must select which shift(s) you are available for & wish to be considered - as well as what duty location(s) you wish to be considered
• You may select more than one shift and more than one duty location
• But you will only be considered for the shift(s) and location(s) you select when you apply under this announcement
• You may be selected for any available Nursing Assistant position with any service line/section/supervisor at the Miami VA over the next 90 days.
• The Bruce W
• Carter Department of VAMC is looking for Nursing Assistants (NAs) in various specialty areas and shifts
• The incumbent functions as a member of the nursing care team
• This role supports licensed nursing staff by promptly identifying and reporting safety concerns while maintaining Veteran-centered customer service standards
• The NA may perform these duties in a variety of health care settings such as outpatient - inpatient - home or community living care - acute - sub-acute
• The NA will care for patients/residents with acute to chronic conditions
• Primary duties and responsibilities for all NAs include - but are not limited to: Utilizing glucose monitoring machine to receive glucose readings for Veterans refers deviation to appropriate health care staff
• Providing direct care for complex Veterans
• Monitoring and documenting patient intake and output reports deviations timely and accurately
• Performing nursing procedures in accordance to policies and standard procedure to care for the Veterans
• This includes but is not limited to enemas - catheterization - colostomy care - skin care simple dressing - application of braces and prosthetic devices
• Working on small group activities with Veterans/residents according to the patient's treatment plan
• Removing defective equipment - reporting hazards - observing safety regulations - contributing to infection control and utilizing proper aseptic technique in performance of duties
• Serving as the unit safe patient handling liaison
• Work Schedule : Various shifts available that may include working weekends - nights and/or some holidays
• Available shifts will be discussed during your interview/selection process
• 1st shift : Includes daytime hours (shifts typically start around 6-9 am) 2nd Shift: Incudes afternoon hours (shifts typically start around 12-4 pm) 3rd Shift: Includes evening hours (shifts typically start around 9 pm - 12 am) Rotating Shifts: Includes various shifts that may include evenings and/or weekend hours (Note: Work schedules are determined and approved by the supervisor
• The incumbent may be required to work various shifts on a permanent or temporary basis based on facility/patient care needs).