Summary The primary purpose of the Nursing Assistant (NA) position is to assist licensed nursing staff in the care of residents/Veterans as a member of the nursing care team by providing Cultural Transformation and holistic resident-center care in a manner conducive to comfort and safety in the Community Living Center (CLC) at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center. Responsibilities Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties will vary based on grade. At the GS-5 full performance level of this assignment, the incumbent assist in the full range of nursing care for residents with physical, mental health, dementia, and/or behavioral problems in a rehabilitation, long term care, and hospice setting. Under the direction of a Registered Nurse and/or Licensed Practical Nurse, work is assigned by defining objectives, priorities and deadlines. Duties will include: Prepare and transports residents as needed for tests or discharge. Assist with restorative, rehabilitation, and activity programs that increase quality of life for each resident. Notify nursing of any physical or behavior changes. Assist with a complete range of treatment and procedures Perform a range of diagnostic support duties Identify and report to nursing, the resident's physical and emotional reactions to medical treatment and nursing care. Communicate effectively with residents, families, interdisciplinary team members and other staff personnel. Communicate tactfully and effectively, both orally and in writing, in order to meet CLC objectives. Ability to complete tasks thoroughly and independently with little direct supervision (this includes the ability to organize work, follow instructions, write, and @type legibly and accurately) Recognize and react to emergent resident care situations and intervene while waiting for assistance. Provide restorative care and therapeutic activities based on the Community Living Center's Restorative Care Program Restorative Care refers to nursing interventions that promote the resident's ability to adapt and adjust to living as independently and safely as is possible. Conduct therapeutic activities as identified by the Restorative RN, PT/OT, and interdisciplinary team. Provide recreational activity assistant duties that enhance the ability of the CLC to provide quality resident centered care. Assists in planning, coordinating, and implementing recreational activities for residents in the CLC. Engage in the various activities that are consistent with the rehabilitation plan of care determined by the interdisciplinary care planning committee and recreational therapist. Conduct outings with residents weekly (i.e., lunches, dinners, sports activities, etc.) as appropriate. Coordinate with volunteers for services that augment Veteran interaction with activities such as gardening. Individually bake/cook once per week. Participate in mandatory education classes. Display courteous verbal and non-verbal communication to residents, staff, and visitors. Utilize proper telephone etiquette at all times. Report to charge nurse when leaving ward for any reason. Maintain a clean, neat appearance at all times and follow PCS policies and numbered memorandums (e.g. uniform policy and employee standards of ethical conduct). Work Schedule: 12 hour shifts Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and every other Wednesday Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized 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. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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. Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation. 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 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. 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. 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. Grade Determinations: GS-3 NA (Entry Level) Experience and Education: None beyond the basic requirements. GS-4 NA 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 Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following 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 resident's 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-5 NA (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; AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following 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-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: Heavy lifting (45 pounds and over); Moderate lifting (15-44 pounds); Light lifting (15 pounds); Heavy carrying (45 pounds and over); Moderate carrying (15-44 pounds); Light carrying (under 15 pounds); Straight pulling; Pulling hand over hand; Pushing; Reaching above shoulder; Use of finger; Both hands required; Walking; Standing; Crawling; Kneeling; Repeated bending; Climbing, legs only; Both legs required; Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Both eyes required; Depth perception; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Hearing (Aid may be permitted) Environmental Factors: Outside; Outside and inside; Excessive noise, Intermittent; Slippery or uneven walking surfaces; Working closely with others; 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 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.
