Nursing Assistant--VA Brockton Unit 42B

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Marshall Corner (MA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Boston VA Healthcare System, Nursing Service, is seeking a Nursing Assistant for the Brockton, MA campus. The position is full-time with evening shifts and rotating weekends/holidays, totaling 40 hours per week.

Applicants may be considered provisionally while meeting education/certification requirements. The role involves providing patient/resident care under supervision, with eligibility considerations under grandfathering provisions for current VA staff.

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship required; non-citizens may be appointed only when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• English language proficiency in spoken and written English per VA standards.
• Six months of general experience or education/training as NA as outlined in the Qualification Standards.
• Grandfathering provisions may apply to current VA employees in this occupation.
• KSAs and grade level requirements are defined for GS-3 to GS-5 levels.
• Reference VA Qualification Standards for detailed requirements.

Education

One year of education above high school

Two years above high school in nursing/healthcare related field

Bachelor's degree in health care or related field

Job description

This Nursing Assistant position is in the 42B Long Term Cognitive Impairment Unit for the Nursing Service at the Boston VA Healthcare System located at the Brockton, MA campus. This position is full-time evenings, with rotating weekends and holidays and 40 hours per week.

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: NAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d).
• Experience: Six months of general experience. Experience must demonstrate the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills to perform the work of a NA;OR,
  • Education: One year of education above high school with courses related to the NA occupation; OR,
  • Training: 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).

Grandfathering Provisions

All NAs employed in VHA on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the series and grade held that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

(1) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.

(2) If an employee who was retained (grandfathered) under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status of the grandfathering provision and must meet the full VA qualification standard basic requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.

Grade Determinations

In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements, applicants will need to meet the grade level requirements, and the Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). To meet the grade level requirement the applicants must have the following listed below:

Requirements for GS-3 Grade

None beyond the basic requirements (Experience and Education).

Requirements for GS-4 Grade

• 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 the following KSAs for GS-4 Grade

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.

Requirements for GS-5 Grade

• 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 the following KSAs for GS-5 Grade

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.

Reference

VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G46. 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 requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. 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 NA must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment. These physical requirements will be consistent with VA Directive Handbook 5019.