Nursing Assistant (Long Term Care)

Description:

Nursing Assistants function as a member of the nursing care team and assist licensed nursing staff in the care of patients/residents receiving preventive, acute, sub-acute chronic, maintenance, and hospice care.

Requirements:

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:
  • (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; TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED
    • 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. PROOF OF COMPLETION/CERTIFICATION REQUIRED

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 :

GS-5 (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 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 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.

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.

Physical Requirements: heavy lifting (45 pounds and over), straight pulling (6 hours), pushing (2 hours), reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, both hands required, walking (6 hours), standing (2 hours), repeated bending (6 hours), ability to distinguish colors, hearing (aid may be permitted), visual acuity 20/30 corrected, mental and emotional stability.