Nursing Assistant (Mental Health)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Coatesville (Chester County); On-site; USD 36,000 - 49,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation incentive

On-site parking

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs seeks a Nursing Assistant to provide patient-centered care in Mental Health across outpatient, inpatient, home, and community settings. The role supports nursing care plans and clinical teams with basic medical tasks.

Applicants must meet basic federal requirements, with experience or education options, and may qualify for grandfathering where applicable. Relocation incentives may be authorized for eligible candidates.

Qualifications

• Six months of general experience or education above high school or related training.
• Specialized training meeting VA qualifications may substitute experience.
• Bachelor-level education with health-focused coursework meets higher level requirements.

Responsibilities

• Provide patient/resident care in Mental Health settings across multiple care environments.
• Assist with nursing care plans and coordinate with registered/licensed staff.
• Observe patient status and report deviations to supervisor promptly.
• Use basic medical equipment and assist with routine procedures as directed.
• Communicate effectively with patients, families, and health professionals.

Skills

Nursing care

Therapeutic communication

Observation skills

Equipment usage

Interdisciplinary communication

Education

Six months general experience

One year education above high school

<1 year occupation-related training (NA)

Bachelor's degree with basic health courses

Job description

Recruitment or Relocation incentive may be authorized for eligible, highly qualified candidates! The nursing assistant works in Mental Health and provides care to patients or residents with acute to chronic conditions. The incumbent will perform in a variety of healthcare settings such as outpatient, inpatient, home or community living care, acute, sub-acute, chronic maintenance and hospice care.

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.

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.

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.
• ii Ability to observe patients/residents' or resident's physical or emotional status and refer deviations and/or problems to supervisor in a timely manner.
• 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

Mental Health experience is preferred.

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.