Nursing Assistant - (Telesitter)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 29,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs seeks Nursing Assistants to learn and perform basic nursing duties under close supervision in diverse care settings including outpatient, inpatient, home or community living care, and acute care. The role supports care for patients with acute to chronic conditions.

Applicants must meet citizenship and English proficiency requirements, and may qualify via various education and experience paths. Physical requirements are listed for the position.

Qualifications

• Six months general experience or one year education related to nursing care.
• Completion of an intensive NA training program may meet requirements.
• United States citizenship and English proficiency required.

Responsibilities

• Provide patient/resident care under close supervision.
• Assist licensed nursing staff with the full range of nursing care.
• Observe patients/residents and report deviations to supervisor.
• Operate basic clinical equipment and assist with routine procedures.

Skills

Patient care

Therapeutic communication

Observation skills

Basic nursing procedures

Education

Six months general experience

One year education above high school with related courses

NA training program completion

4-year college with 24 semester hours related to health care

Tools

Blood glucose monitor

Vital signs equipment

Medical devices

Job description

The Primary Purpose of the Position is: The Nursing Assistant is learning to perform basic nursing duties under close supervision in a variety of health care settings such as outpatient, inpatient, home or community living care, acute, sub-acute. The Nursing Assistant will care for patients/residents with acute to chronic conditions.

AMERICA'S VERTANS NEED YOU!

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):
  1. 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,
  2. One year of education above high school with courses related to the NA occupation; OR,
  3. 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

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-3

None beyond the basic requirements. NAs at this grade are considered entry-level and are closely supervised.

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):

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 residents' 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.

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):

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:

• Current/Recent Direct patient care experience (1 year or greater within the past 5 years)
• Remote monitoring of patients experience preferred.
• Microsoft and/or Excel experience preferred
• Certified Nursing Assistant 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 to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Physical Requirements include but are not limited to:

• Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds
• Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds
• Pulling hand over hand (8-12 hours)
• Pushing (8-12 hours)
• Both hands required
• Walking ( 8-12 hours)
• Standing ( 8-12 hours)
• Kneeling ( 8-12 hours)
• Repeated bending ( 8-12 hours)
• Climbing, use of legs and arms
• Both legs required
• Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4
• Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other
• Ability to distinguish basic colors
• Lifting over 35 lbs wit assisted devices
• Twisting
• Simple Grasp
• Fine Manipulation