The Tuscaloosa VA, Patient Care Service is seeking multiple full-time Nursing Assistants for the VA Medical Center in Tuscaloosa Alabama. This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2024. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be October 23, 2023, with subsequent cut-off dates until the position is filled.

Duties

The Nursing Assistant (NA) assigned to the Mental Health Service has education and skills necessary to provide clinical support for the care of the young adult, adult and geriatric patient. The NA serves as a direct caregiver, patient advocate, and participates in the daily plan of care for the patients in accordance with the established nursing and facility policy/ procedures. The NA performs all duties under the direction of the RN and LPN. The NA may be assigned clinical and non-clinical duties. Work assignments may consist of clinical and environmental tasks. The NA possesses the personal quality, desire, and attitude necessary to adapt to rapidly changing demand on time. Duties include but are not limited to: Maintains good communication with Nurse Manager, nursing staff, and other facility staff. Serves as a liaison between Charge Nurse, Nurse Manager, and Registered Nurses. Communicates and interacts appropriately and courteously with internal and external customers. Meet all charting requirements of the Medical Center in an accurate and timely manner. Functions as a NA on their assigned shift, notifies shift RN, LPN, and other NAs of changes in the nursing department, in patient conditions, in the environment of care and relays any problems to the charge nurse or Nurse Manager. Demonstrates interdepartmental teamwork. Maintains a working knowledge of all policies and procedures pertaining to the NA position. Participates in interviewing, orientation, training, and mentoring of new NA employees. Responsible for maintaining all annual TMS and skills competencies for NAs. Conducts peer reviews and monitors to ensure that services are being delivered to patients properly and as prescribed. Makes environmental and safety rounds, participates in Mental Health Environment of Care education and rounds, ensuring prompt actions are taken if any hazardous items are noted. Encourages, assist, and teaches Veterans to maintain a neat, clean, safe living area. Makes scheduled and continuous comfort and safety rounds to check on all Veterans. Performs other duties as assigned by the Nurse Manager, charge nurse, or Team RN. In addition to demonstrated knowledge, skill and ability to develop increased skills at the GS-3 level and acquires knowledge of more extensive, complex procedures. The NA provides personal nursing care to mental health Veterans and serves as an active, participating member of the interdisciplinary treatment team. The Veteran's nursing and treatment team needs change within a predicable range. The objectives for care are set in the treatment plan as established by the interdisciplinary treatment teams. Participates in the admission of the patients by obtaining information, orienting patients to the unit and treatment team and checking patients and their belongings for hazardous items. Follows SOP in managing hazardous items and personal belongings. Safety is a number one priority. Checks vital signs, collects specimens and assists the professional nurse or physician with diagnostic testing. Escorts patients to lab, x-ray, or another unit. Encourages independence in patients by instructing, guiding, and assisting patients as needed in activities of daily living. Participates in interdisciplinary treatment planning by suggesting nursing actions, and reporting and documenting observations. Utilizes a variety of treatment approaches including individual, re-motivation and reality orientation on a one-to-one and group interaction level. Recognizes and reports behavioral changes, and changes in the patient's condition that may be related to medications or sensory distortions. Makes rounds every 15 minutes and documents rounding sheet. Encourages Veteran and family to actively participate in the individualized patient centered treatment plan. Demonstrates acceptable, healthy behavior as a role model for patient behavior. Promotes a sense of ego integrity, self-worth, and dignity by acknowledging patients' acceptable behavior. Encourages positive patient-family relationships. Uses proper body mechanics, appropriate lifts, wheelchair, stretchers, and scales as appropriate to lift, move or weigh Veterans Provides care for Veterans in alcohol and drug withdrawal Observe Veterans for medication side effects (i.e. tremors, drooling, drowsiness, etc.) and reports these to the RN Team Leader. Work Schedule: Full Time/8 Hour Shifts, to include evenings, nights, weekends and holidays Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 52616F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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. Education or Training. One year above high school with courses related to the NA occupation. Completion of an intensive, specialized, occupation-related course of study of less than one year as a nursing assistant may also meet in full the experience requirements for GS-3. Nursing Assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English 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). Preferred Experience: Certification preferred but not required. Geriatrics and Extended Care and/or Mental health experience preferred. Grade Determinations: GS-5 In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.GS-5 Nursing Assistant (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 AND Demonstrated 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. References: Nursing Assistant Qualification Standard GS-621 Veterans Health Administration, VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G46. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-5. Physical Requirements: This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. 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.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center 3701 Loop Road East Tuscaloosa, AL 35404 US
• Name: Kara Wanner
• Email: [email protected]