OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans? 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: Must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by VA Handbook 5005, part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j. Education or Training: Must possess six months of general experience. Experience must demonstrate the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills to perform the work of a NA; OR, Have completed one full year of education above high school with courses related to the NA occupation; OR, Have 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 a GS-3. (TRANSCRIPTS or CERTIFICATION REQUIRED) In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must meet the following GRADE REQUIREMENTS: GS-3 Level: None beyond the basic requirements. GS-4 Level: 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 (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED); AND In addition, the candidate 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 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. GS-5 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; 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 In addition, the candidate 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. Creditable Experience & Knowledge of Current Practice: To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with the current practice. 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. 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/81, Part II, Appendix G46. The full performance level of this vacancy is a GS-5. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to a GS-5. Physical Requirements: Walking, bending, stooping, and lifting in the direct care of patients; some extended periods of sitting and/or standing. ["4C is a 30-bed Acute Medicine, Telemetry, and Hematology/Oncology inpatient unit. 4C provides basic telemetry monitoring for up to 16 patients. Twenty beds are designated for acute medicine population and 10 beds for the oncology population. Of the 30 patient rooms, 26 are private rooms and two are double rooms. All rooms have ceiling lifts in them. The unit also can monitor four patients in negative airflow isolation. Common admitting diagnoses include CHF, COPD, CVA, GI, Respiratory or Renal issues, mental status changes, or complications related to cancer and hematologic disorders. 4C is the only inpatient unit that routinely administers chemotherapy and biotherapy agents. 4C has an inpatient oncology team housed on the unit. Medical care is provided by four medical teams that are also based on the unit. We have two unit-based Social Workers, discharge Pharmacists, and Dieticians to help facilitate care needs and discharge planning. The unit is very fast paced, and patient turnover can be high, but you will learn teamwork, critical multitasking, and prioritizing skills along the way as you become part of a proud and committed team that cares for our very diverse Veteran population. Nursing Assistant - vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Nursing-Assistant-Career-Flyer.pdf Major Duties: Perform personal patient care including but not limited to bathing, feeding, grooming, and mobilizing with demonstration of skills which reflect the needs of the adult population. Document care and assistance provided. Performs vital signs, patient height and weight, glucometer testing, intake, and output, per established guidelines and document appropriately. Recognize and report changes in patient condition, vital signs, input/output measures, and weights. Monitor patients who require continuous protective observation. Appropriate support duties, i.e., individualized patient care, proper implementation of policies and procedures, use of appropriate body mechanics, including use of assistive devices, and operation of specialized functional equipment. Prepare patients for appointments/procedures and transport patients as needed. Collect and properly label patient specimens. Timely response to patient call lights and patient needs. Treat patients and visitors with respect. Uphold principles of a healthy work environment and ICARE values. Communicate effectively. Support duties for proper environmental maintenance such as identification of potential safety hazards, stocking of supplies, checking expiration dates of supplies, and inventory patient belongings etc. Work Schedules: Full-time and part-time available. PM/2nd shift (3:30 PM-Midnight) and NOC/3rd Shift (11:30 PM -8 AM) available. Weekend and holiday rotation required. Shift and weekend differentials. Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of existing pay, 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), Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required."]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.
