Summary The Nursing Assistant (NA) functions as a member of the nursing care team and assist licensed nursing staff, and other members of the care team in the care of Veterans receiving outpatient care, home or community living care or other Veterans who are in acute, sub-acute, or chronic states of illness. The significant factor is that they provide care under supervision and refer issues/questions to supervisors, or other healthcare professionals. Responsibilities The Nursing Assistant (NA) functions as a member of the nursing care team and assist licensed nursing staff, and other members of the care team in the care of Veterans receiving outpatient care, home or community living care or other Veterans who are in acute, sub-acute, or chronic states of illness. The significant factor is that they provide care under supervision and refer issues/questions to supervisors, or other healthcare professionals. The Nursing Assistant is a member of the nursing team and is responsible for, but not limited to, psychosocial rehabilitation nursing care and therapy modalities associated with treatment plans for Veterans in the mental health units, residential rehabilitation units and the Community Living Center (CLC). The incumbent may will have established working hours and will be an active participating member of the interdisciplinary treatment team. 1. Maintains a safe and therapeutic environment. 2. Utilizes proper body mechanics, equipment, and supplies in order to prevent injury. 3. Identifies potential risks and takes necessary precautions to insure the safety of veterans,( i.e., Fall prevention interventions). 4. Identifies and reports environmental hazards in a timely manner. (i.e. computer work orders) and to supervisor or designee. 5. Assumes responsibility to follow infection control guidelines and reports infection control issues. 6. Completes safety rounds and reports any identified safety hazards. 7. Complies with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for cleaning Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) as defined Class 3 Non-Critical. RME cleaning will be done in accordance to the schedule on the unit. 8. Demonstrates toleration of mildly disruptive behavior and limits the use of prevention and management of disruptive behavior (PMDB) as trained. When PMDB interventions have failed the NA may call a code orange and notify the charge nurse per policy. 9. Ability to recognize and react to emergent Veteran care situations and intervene while waiting for assistance. For example, recognizing need for basic life support, controlling bleeding, and assisting with behavior crisis, etc. and reports this information to the Registered Nurse Work Schedule: 2 Available Shifts: 7:30am - 4:00pm, Days with rotation which may include weekends and holidays Midnight to 8:00am which may include weekends and holidays Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 925940, 925950, 925960 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. 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: a. Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.) b. [Experience or] Education or Training. (1)[Six 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 meeting full the experience requirements for GS-3. c. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. d. 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. e. Grandfathering Provisions: 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). 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 Requirements: a. Creditable Experience. (1) Knowledge of Current Practice. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with the current practice. (2) Quality of Experience. To be creditable, NA experience must be documented on the application or resume and verified in an employment reference, or through other independent means. (3) Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as a NA is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, a NA employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive 1 full-time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service. b. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-3 NA (Entry Level) (a)Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements. (b)Assignments. Individuals assigned as GS-3 NAs are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised. GS-4 NA (a) 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, (b) 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 (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: i - Ability to provide a range of patient/resident care and contribute to the completion of the nurse care plan and recovery of patients/residents. ii - Ability to observe patients/residents' or resident's physical or emotional status and refer deviations and/or problems to supervisor in a timely manner. iii - 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. iv - Ability to communicate effectively with patients/residents, their families and other health professionals. GS-5 NA (Full Performance Level). (a) 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, (b) 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 (c) Demonstrated KSAs. i - 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. ii - 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. iii - 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: Prefer 2 plus years of mental health or substance use disorder experience and/or 2 plus years of nursing assistant 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-05. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-03 to GS-05. Education Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information In response to President Trump's March 27, 2025, Executive Order (EO), Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs, that excluded certain federal agencies and agency subdivisions from the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute, on August 6, 2025, VA announced the termination of collective bargaining agreements for most of VA's bargaining unit employees. This announcement begins a new chapter that will eliminate barriers and increase focus on the world class care and services Veterans deserve. VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the @context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
