Nursing Assistant

Under the direction of a Registered or Practical Nurse, the Nursing Assistant (NA) provides direct patient care. The Nursing Assistant operates across diverse settings, including inpatient, outpatient, acute, community living care & home care, supporting patients with both acute & chronic conditions.

About the position

This position serves as a Nursing Assistant (NA) in the Nursing Service. At the GS-03 level, the NA will build upon knowledge of basic nursing care and standardized procedures to provide service to Veterans. They perform basic individualized nursing care under the supervision of licensed health care professionals and management of equipment special to the area is required.

At the GS-04 level, the NA will provide complex nursing care independently as a member of the nursing care team by assisting higher graded NAs, licensed nursing staff, and other members of the care team. They provide care under close supervision and may perform these duties in a variety of health care settings such as outpatient, inpatient, community living care, acute, sub-acute, psychiatry. At the GS-05 level, the NA serves as a member of the nursing care team and assists licensed nursing staff in the care of Veterans receiving preventive, acute, sub-acute chronic, maintenance, and hospice care.

NAs at this level also assume more of a peer education/mentorship role and are responsible and accountable for maintaining training required and may be assigned additional duties as area needs required. Work Schedule: 6:30am-7pm and 6:30pm-7am Varied days Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 10969F/10970f/10971F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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. Experience/Education/Training: You may qualify based on your experience, training, and/or education as described below: General

Experience

You must possess six (6) months of general experience. Experience must demonstrate the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills to perform the work of a Nursing Assistant. OR;

Education

One (1) year of education above high school with courses related to the Nursing Assistant occupation OR; Training: Completion of an intensive, specialized, occupation-related training course of study or program of less than one (1) year as a Nursing Assistant. 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. 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-03 Level: Nursing Assistant: Experience or Education. None beyond basic requirements (see above). GS-04 Level: Nursing Assistant:

Experience

One (1) year of specialized experience as a Nursing Assistant 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 two (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: In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate all of 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-05 Level: Nursing Assistant:

Experience

One (1) 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; Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate all of 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. Qualifying specialized experience includes nonprofessional nursing care work in a hospital, outpatient clinic, nursing home, or other medical, nursing, or patient care facility, or in such work as that of a home health aid performing duties such as: Providing personal nursing care such as providing pre- and post-operative care. Support duties for diagnostic and technical treatment procedures, such as setting up and operating special medical equipment and apparatus.

Caring for mentally ill patients, including observing, recording, and reporting changes in their behavior, and providing reassurance and encouragement. Assisting surgeons and registered nurses in operating room activities, including passing instruments, maintaining sterile conditions, and draping and positioning patients. 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. 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

See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

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 identification 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.

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/.

Receiving Service Credit for 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…