Nursing Assistant- Mental Health

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 36,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Phoenix is seeking a Nursing Assistant to join the mental health care team.

The NA assists licensed staff in preventive, acute, sub-acute, chronic, maintenance and hospice care, handling complex patient needs under supervision. Qualifications include US citizenship, English proficiency, and either six months of general experience or two years of higher education related to nursing care; GS-3 to GS-5 levels with responsibilities for care planning and

Qualifications

• Six months of general experience or education related to the NA occupation.
• English language proficiency as per VA standards.
• Education or training meeting threshold for GS-3/GS-4 (see vacancy).

Responsibilities

• Assist licensed nursing staff in patient care and observation.
• Provide basic nursing tasks and support for the nurse care plan.
• Operate and maintain patient care equipment as directed.
• Mentor peers and ensure safety and comfort of patients.

Skills

Nursing care

Communication skills

Patient assessment

Emergency response

Education

Two years higher education in health care

Bachelor's degree in health care

Job description

The Nursing Assistant (NA) Mental Health functions as a member of the nursing care team and assist licensed nursing staff in the care of patients/residents receiving preventive, acute, sub-acute chronic, maintenance, and hospice care. The distinguishing factor is that patient/resident assignments typically involve more complex nursing needs which can vary within a range of predictable to unpredictable requirements. The NA at this level also assumes peer education/mentorship. 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: Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.)
• 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.
  • 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) (a) Experience and Education: None beyond the basic requirements. (b) Assignments: Individuals assigned as GS-3 NAs are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised.

GS-4 NA(a)

(a) 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,

(b) 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

(c) 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) (a) 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,

(b) 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

(c) 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.

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

This position includes a level of physicality normally associated with duties performed by nursing assistants such as direct patient care, and potentially long periods of walking, standing, sitting, moderate lifting, repeated bending, or kneeling. See VA Handbook 5019 and local NA physical standards.

Examples may include but are not limited to:

• Significant amounts of time standing assisting assigned patients
• Utilization of safe patient handling and mobility protocols

Position specific duties/expectations are detailed in the associated competency and should be performed once the competency has been validated. This position potentially requires flexibility in schedule and assignments.