Nursing Assistant- Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Unit

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Omaha (NE); On-site; USD 35,000 - 45,000; Part time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is hiring a Psychiatric Nursing Assistant for the Omaha VA Medical Center. This position involves providing specialized nursing care to veterans in a secure inpatient environment, under the supervision of licensed nursing staff.

The ideal candidate must possess strong communication skills, critical thinking abilities, and the capability to assist with a range of patient care tasks, including monitoring vital signs and supporting patients with emotional and physical needs. This role offers a unique opportunity to serve those who have served our nation.

Qualifications

• Must be United States citizen and proficient in English.
• Experience as a Nursing Assistant or in a medical field.
• Ability to provide patient care under supervision.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct care and support to patients.
• Document vital signs and report on patient status.
• Assist nursing staff with patient mobility and care.

Skills

Patient care

Communication skills

Basic life support

Knowledge of psychiatric conditions

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Completion of a specialized training course

Tools

Electronic health record systems

Patient monitoring equipment

Job description

Summary

This Psychiatric Nursing Assistant position is located within a secure inpatient mental health unit at the Omaha VA Medical Center in Omaha, NE. The Nursing Assistant works as part of a team providing veteran‑specific care for individuals who may be impacted by psychiatric, medical, and geriatric conditions. The Nursing Assistant performs a range of duties under the direction of the RN including personal care, diagnostic support procedures, treatments, charting, and resident teaching.

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

• 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; in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) a person shall serve in direct patient‑care positions only if proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• Experience—education or training: You must meet one of the following to meet the basic requirements for a Nursing Assistant (NA): six (6) months of general experience demonstrating the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills to perform the work of an 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; an NA may also meet in full the experience requirements for GS‑3.
• The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade.
• GS‑03 – None beyond the basic requirements.
• NAs at this grade are considered entry‑level and are closely supervised.
• GS‑04 – To qualify at the GS‑4 level you must meet the following: experience—one (1) year of experience as a Nursing Assistant or 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.
• Education: Successful completion of two (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, psychiatry, or operating‑room technicians.
• 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' 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‑05 – To qualify at the GS‑5 level you must meet the following: experience—one (1) 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.
• Specialized experience: Includes but is not limited to functioning as a member of the nursing care team and assisting licensed nursing staff and other members of the care team in the full range of nursing care of patients/residents receiving outpatient care, home, or community living care, or other patients/residents who are receiving preventative, acute, sub‑acute, chronic, maintenance, and hospice care.
• Education: Successful completion of a four‑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.
• Additional 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; 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; examples include recognizing need for basic life support, controlling bleeding, and assisting with behavior crisis.
• References: 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: This position requires some degree of fitness, strength, and agility.
• Duties require extensive periods of standing and walking.
• Working with patients requires regular and recurring bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, pushing, pulling, lifting arm overhead, and similar activities.
• If selected, you will be asked to participate in a pre‑employment examination or 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.

Duties

• Total rewards of an Allied Health Professional within this secure and inpatient unit – the Nursing Assistant provides care to veterans with a variety of mental health needs under the supervision of a Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse, or medical provider.
• Provide specialized personal nursing care to veterans and perform treatments and procedures requiring skills and extensive knowledge specific to veterans’ conditions, medical treatments, and an understanding of the effects of the treatments.
• Interact with and provide veteran‑specific care for veterans of varying ages and cultures.
• Major duties include—taking, recording, and reporting vital signs accurately; assisting ambulation; transporting patients within the medical center and other duties or care as directed by registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, or providers.
• Observe patients who may be confused or have other cognitive issues and report to nurse when the condition changes.
• Initiate emergency action in life‑threatening situations such as cardiac or respiratory arrest, massive bleeding, shock, or assaultive behavior by alerting licensed personnel immediately.
• Document vital signs and activities of daily living in the electronic or paper record during contingency; perform continuous rounding while on mental health unit.
• Assist ward staff with direct patient care activities as assigned.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Work schedule: This is an intermittent position. Intermittent employment is defined as non‑fulltime employment in which employees are appointed without a regularly scheduled tour of duty. Work is sporadic and unpredictable, so a tour of duty may not be regularly scheduled in advance. Expected availability is a 1‑12‑hour shift or 8‑hour shifts per bi‑weekly pay period, with additional hours as needed. Shifts may be scheduled Sunday‑Saturday, including days, nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized. Nebraska‑Western Iowa is part of the VA Midwest Health Care Network (VISN 23).
• We promote a Whole Health System of care, operating in a model with three core elements—personalized health plan for each veteran, healing relationships and environments, and connection back to the veteran’s community.