Nursing Assistant

SummaryThis Nursing Assistant position is in Nursing, Acute Care services at the VA White River Junction Healthcare System located in White River Junction, Vermont. This position is a full-time at 40 hours per week.Nursing Assistant - vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Nursing-Assistant-Career-Flyer.pdfTotal Rewards of a Allied Health ProfessionalDutiesHelpThe Nursing Assistant (Acute Care) in Nursing Service at the White River Junction VA Medical Center will work in the outpatient clinic within the main hospital facility. It is expected that the incumbent will possess/acquire the necessary skills in the specific tasks/tests/procedures to meet patient care and Service needs specific to the organizational element to which assigned.Duties include but are not limited to:Performs assignments required of a Nursing Assistant and will uphold the standards of care as outlined by the Medical Center and the Service policies and procedures.Cleans reusable medical equipment on the unit and maintains a neat and orderly patient care environment.Treats all patients, families, co-workers and all customers with dignity, respect, and civility.The incumbent performs duties related to patient care and ward administration.The incumbent will interface with personal computer (PC) applications as well as numerous electronic medical record applications.Provides care to patients with acute to chronic conditions in a health care setting.Assignments at this level include but are not limited to: interacting with both internal and external customers; obtaining medical information from patients, providing educational materials to patients, coordinating information/consults and actions related to patient care and services; takes all vital signs -weight, blood pressures, temperatures, I&Os; does routine standardized diagnostic procedures such as EKG's, Glucometry and Pulse Oximetry; collects lab specimens, processes medical records, notifies bed control for patient movements, and documents work. The incumbent will also be responsible for stocking all supplies in patient rooms and transporting patients as necessary.The broad nature of the assignments in performing a variety of basic technical support activities (EKG's, minor medical or surgical tests/procedures, etc.) and routine service oriented tasks (escort etc.) requires the Nursing Assistant to organize work flow in such a manner as to promote and enhance the timely provision of services to the Veteran. The NA will normally be instructed by a licensed health care professional to perform specific tests/procedures/functions involving outpatients. The NA is the back up for the wards MSA's if they need assistance with administrative duties.Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday - Friday, TBD. 8 and/or 12 hour shifts with day, night, and rotation for weekends and holidays.Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not AuthorizedPermanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not AuthorizedPay: 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 VAInsurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)Telework: Not AvailableVirtual: This is not a virtual position.Functional Statement #: F1024 at GS-03, F1023 at GS-04, F1022 at GS 05.Financial Disclosure Report: Not RequiredNotifications:This position is in the Excepted Service.This position is not a Bargaining Unit position.Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment.This position is covered by a special rate.Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.RequirementsHelpConditions of employmentYou 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.You may be required to serve a trial period.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 examination.Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).QualificationsApplicants 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 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 Nursing Assistant; OR,One year of education above high school with courses related to the Nursing Assistant occupation; OR,Completion of an intensive, specialized, occupation-related training course of study or program of less than one year as a Nursing Assistant may also meet in full the experience requirements for GS-03.English Language Proficiency: Nursing Assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.Grandfathering Provisions: All Nursing Assistants 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: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.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 reentry 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.GS-03 Nursing Assistant (Entry Level):Experience and Education: None beyond the basic requirements.GS-04 Nursing Assistant:Experience: One 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 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;ANDDemonstrated 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-05 Nursing Assistant (Full Performance Level):Experience: One year of progressively responsible assignments and experience equivalent to the GS-04 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;ANDDemonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the professional KSA below: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.Preferred Experience: 1-3 years of Nursing Assistant experience in ambulatory or acute care desired.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.Physical Requirements: The work requires the Nursing Assistant to be mobile throughout the Medical Center as needed, involving standing, walking, bending, pushing and lifting (moderate-heavy). The Nursing Assistant should be capable of prolonged standing/walking and be physically capable of pushing equipment.EducationNote: 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 informationReceiving 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.Expand Hide additional informationCandidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.BenefitsHelpA career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.Review our benefitsEligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.