Nursing Assistant - Rehabilitation Care Services

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs seeks a Nursing Assistant to join the Inpatient Rehabilitation Care Services team.

The NA supports physicians, nurse managers, RNs and other staff during acute inpatient rehab, handling complex nursing needs within predictable to unpredictable care scenarios. Qualifications include six months of general experience or related education, plus completion of a relevant training course if applicable.

Qualifications

• Six months of general experience or education related to nursing assistant work.
• Completion of an occupation-related training course may meet the experience requirement.
• Ability to observe patients and communicate with the team effectively.

Responsibilities

• Assist physician, nurse manager, RN and other team members during Acute Inpatient Rehab episodes.
• Provide nursing assistance for complex patient needs as assigned.
• Observe patients’ physical or emotional status and report deviations to supervisor.
• Operate basic equipment and support care plans as directed by the RN or physician.

Skills

Communication

Observation

Team collaboration

Job description

The Nursing Assistant functions as a member of the Rehabilitation Care Services (RCS) Inpatient Rehab Team and provides assistance to the physician, nurse manager, registered nurse, and other team members during the Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation episode of 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.

NOTE: THE 2-PAGE RESUME REQUIREMENT DOES NOT APPLY TO THIS OCCUPATIONAL SERIES. FOR MORE INFORMATION, REFER TO REQUIRED DOCUMENTS BELOW.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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. 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.

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, 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

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

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

Certified Nursing Asst, Rehabilitation Experience

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

There are no physical requirements for this occupation per OCHCO Communications email to VA Handbook 5019, updated on 4/17/2026.