Summary

This Nursing Assistant (NA) position is located in the Community Living Center (CLC) at the Fayetteville VA Medical Center in Fayetteville - NC aligned under the Geriatrics and Extended Care Service Line. The Nursing Assistant functions as a member of the nursing care team and assists the Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) - Registered Nurses (RNs) - and other healthcare providers in the provision of patient care in the Long Term Care facility.

Qualifications

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 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 or 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: Nursing Assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 - part II - chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3j
• 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-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
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: i
• Ability to provide a range of patient/resident care and contribute to the completion of the nurse care plan and recovery of patients/residents
• ii
• Ability to observe patients/residents' or resident's physical or emotional status and refer deviations and/or problems to supervisor in a timely manner
• iii
• 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
• iv 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
• ~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
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: i
• 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
• ii
• 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
• iii
• 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: A minimum of 1 year of Long Term Care Experience preferred
• 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
• 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: This position requires visual acuity - keen hearing - clear distinctive speech - and manual dexterity
• This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking - standing - stooping - sitting - bending - pulling - and pushing
• Transferring patients and objects may be required
• Mechanical patient lifts are provided and are to be used to preserve patient and staff safety
• The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures
• The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium - dementia - or psychiatric disorders
• The incumbent must be a mature - flexible - sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations - able to shift priorities based on patient needs
• Must complete annual Employee Health requirements - such as annual TB screening or testing - as a condition of employment
• Lifting/carrying 45 lbs
• or more
• Standing
• Sitting
• Walking
• Kneeling
• Bending/Stooping
• Twisting
• Pushing/pulling - Both legs required
• Simple grasping
• Use of fingers - Both hands required
• Fine manipulation (includes keyboarding)
• Reaching above shoulders
• Near vision correctable at 1316" to Jaeger 1 to 4 - Far vision correction in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other eye
• Ability to distinguish basic colors
• Ability to distinguish shades of colors
• Hearing whispered voice (with or without aid)
• Emotional/mental stability
• Walking on slippery or uneven walking surfaces
• Working with hands in water
• Working closely with others
• and Protracted or irregular hours of work.

Duties

• Main duties - skills and abilities are required - but not limited to: Initiating - performing and completing assigned duties in providing care to variable resident populations
• Maintain good communication with Nurse Manager - nursing staff and facility staff
• Serve as a liaison between Charge Nurse - Nurse Manager - and Nursing Assistant peers
• Communicate orally with residents' families - interdisciplinary team - and interact appropriately and courteously with internal and external customers
• Functions as a NA on assigned shift - notifies shift RN - LPN - and other NAs of changes in nursing department - in resident's condition - and relay any problems to the Charge Nurse or Nurse Manager ensuring effective communication - during shift change
• Demonstrates interdepartmental teamwork - collaborates with interdisciplinary team - during interdisciplinary meetings to promote better outcomes for residents
• Maintains a working knowledge of all policies and procedures
• Participates in orientation and training - responsible for maintaining all annual skills competencies for NAs
• Makes environmental - dignity - and safety rounds
• Participates in hourly rounding to prevent falls - meet resident's needs - and enhance the well-being of all residents in the CLC
• **** This announcement will remain open until 25 applications have been received
• The announcement may close earlier than the closing date once the applicant limit is reached
• To ensure consideration - please apply as soon as possible.***** Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Full Time - 7:45am-8:15pm
• every other weekend
• 80 hours/bi-weekly Compressed/Flexible: Available Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized