Summary
The Nursing Assistant position is located at the Lebanon Veterans Affairs Medical Center Nursing Home. Additional pay: Weekend Premium 25% of basic pay for work performed between the hours of midnight Friday and 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
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) - no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are 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
- 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. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements stated above - the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade
- 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 NAs 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
- OR - 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 - psychiatric - or operating room technicians
- AND - in addition you must demonstrate the following Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (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' or 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 (KSAs) 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
- OR - EDUCATION: Successful completion of 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 - in addition you must demonstrate the following Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (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
- 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: The work is primarily physically active and requires extensive and prolonged standing - walking - bending - lifting - sitting - and carrying of items - and also involves pushing and pulling of wheelchairs/stretchers/mobile equipment
- The work requires above average agility and dexterity
- The work may require heavy lifting of equipment - supplies - and/or patients in conjunction with patient lifting resources as available
- The work requires the ability to multitask while performing administrative - clerical - and clinical duties.
Duties
- Major duties of this position include - but are not limited to: Makes observations of subtle changes in resident's condition - i.e
- behavior shifts - mood - skin coloring - appetite - etc
- and takes action accordingly within the NA's assigned role
- Provides direct care for complex veterans Utilizes glucose monitoring machine to receive glucose readings for veterans refers deviation to appropriate health care staff
- Documents care given - observations and responses on appropriate tools or forms
- Responds appropriately to subtle patient changes by contacting the appropriate nursing personal
- Administers complete tracheostomy care - including suctioning
- Monitor and documents patient intake and output reports deviations timely and accurately
- Performs nursing procedures within scope of practice and according to policies and standard procedures to care for the veteran for such procedures but not limited to: enemas - catheterization - colostomy care - skin care simple dressing - application of braces and prosthetic devices
- Works on small group activities with veterans/residents according to the patients/resident treatment plan
- Recognizes the residents' autonomy and promotes independence by means of respect - limit setting and individualized treatment
- Actively participates in Treatment Planning Meetings
- Utilizes equipment to promote the veteran self-care - such as
- lift equipment - Hydro sound Tubs - and Veteran/Resident Wandering System
- Verbally provides patient information to the treatment team for inclusion in the veteran/residents' plan of care - participates in treatment team meetings for resident care planning
- Enters information about the residents' condition in the chart - utilizing appropriate formats
- Participates in maintaining a clean - safe environment for the patient/resident Removes defective equipment - reports hazards - observes safety regulations - contributes to infection control - and utilizes proper aseptic technique in performance of duties
- Serves as the unit safe patient handling liaison Serves as preceptor and mentor to other NAs
- Orients members of the health care team to the units as appropriate Functions as a member of the unit base counsel
- Manages distributed patient behavior and by appropriately intervenes and request assistant from other health care members
- Appropriately initiates basic life support - takes actions appropriate action
- Work Schedule: 6:45am - 3:15pm or 3:00pm - 11:00pm
- Includes every other weekend and every other holiday
- Preferred Experience: 1 year of Nursing Assistant experience preferred
- Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
- Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year)Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experience
- Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child
- Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144-000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
- Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
- Functional Statement #: 595-05358-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized