Nursing Assistant - Nursing Home

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Edisonville (PA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Shift differential 10% for evenings/n;

Weekend premium 25% for weekends

Holiday pay 2x rate on holidays

Overtime when over 8 hours in a day

Job summary

The Lebanon VA Medical Center in the Geriatrics and Extended Care Services unit seeks a Nursing Assistant to support patient care under supervision, perform basic clinical tasks, and assist in daily activities. The role emphasizes compassionate patient interaction, safety, and teamwork within a hospital/long-term care setting.

Qualifications include basic experience and education per VA standards; grandfathering provisions may apply for current VA staff.

Qualifications

• Ability to provide a range of patient/resident care and contribute to the nurse care plan.
• Ability to observe patients' physical or emotional status and refer deviations to supervisor.
• Ability to use basic diagnostic and treatment equipment correctly.
• Ability to communicate effectively with patients, families, and health professionals.

Responsibilities

• Provide patient/resident care under RN/LPN supervision and contribute to care plans.
• Observe patient status and report deviations promptly.
• Demonstrate proper use of equipment for basic procedures.
• Communicate clearly with patients, families and staff to support care.
• Preferred: 1 year of experience in nursing/healthcare.

Skills

Patient care basics

Effective communication

Observation of patient condition

Precepting new staff

Education

Two years of college coursework related to nursing care

Intensive occupation-related training program (less than 1 year)

VA grandfathering provision eligibility

Job description

This position is located at the Lebanon VA Medical Center within Geriatrics and Extended Care Services unit.

Additional Pay

• Shift Differential 10% of basic pay for work performed during regularly scheduled hours between 6pm & 6am
• Weekend Premium 25% of basic pay for work performed between the hours of midnight Friday & midnight Sunday
• Holiday Pay 2 times basic hourly rate for regularly scheduled, non-overtime work on a designated holiday
• Overtime when working over 8 hours in a day

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 Nursing Assistant (Entry Level)

• Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-4 Nursing Assistant

• 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, healthcare 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:

1. Ability to provide a range of patient/resident care and contribute to the completion of the nurse care plan and recovery of patients/residents.
2. Ability to observe patients/residents' or resident's physical or emotional status and refer deviations and/or problems to supervisor in a timely manner.
3. 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.
4. Ability to communicate effectively with patients/residents, their families and other health professionals.

GS-5 Nursing Assistant (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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

1 year experience 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

This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing, lifting 45 pounds or more, reaching, stretching, and similar activities supporting various weights. Transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. The incumbent must complete annual employee health requirements as a condition of employment. These physical requirements will be consistent with VA Directive Handbook 5019.

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.