The Nursing Assistant positions are located at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and surrounding areas of Houston, TX. If you are not a current, permanent VA employee or Federal employee from another agency, you should apply CBST-12189775-24-TH.

Duties

Nursing Assistant &/or Tele-Sitter Nursing Assistant functions as a member of the team to support various Care Lines to include the Tele-Sitter program. Responsible for the more complex personal patient care duties, supporting diagnostic procedures, technical nursing treatments, patient charting, and patient instruction which involves direct work relationships with patients and participation as a member of the nursing care team in direct services to patients. Primary duties include, but are not limited to:

Requirements

Qualifications

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2024 or until all positions are filled. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be November 17, 2023, with subsequent application reviews every 2 weeks. If vacancies remain after September 30, 2024, then another announcement will be opened in October 2024. Eligible applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available. This Announcement will be used to fill multiple vacancies within multiple Services identified during the interview. TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION, YOU MUST SUBMIT A COMPLETE APPLICATION PACKAGE, OR YOU WILL RECEIVE AN ELECTRONIC NOTICE THAT YOU ARE RATED INELIGIBLE. SEE QUALIFICATIONS SECTION AND REQUIRED DOCUMENTS SECTION FOR DETAILS. KSAs MUST BE DEMONSTRATED IN YOUR RESUME. PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE ANNOUNCEMENT AND REFER BACK TO IT OFTEN WHEN WRITING YOUR RESUME. 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. Transcript for Nursing Assistant courses or Nursing Assistant License must be submitted. English Language Proficiency. Must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA policy. 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). Resume must include hours per week for work experience credit. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Your resume must demonstrate that you possess the specialized experience necessary to possess the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities required for the grade. Be explicit in describing the job duties that demonstrate you possess the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities listed. Transcript must be submitted GS-3 Nursing Assistant (Entry Level) (a) Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements. GS-4 Nursing Assistant (a) 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 (b) 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; Transcript must be submitted. AND (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition, you must demonstrate the following 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 Nursing Assistant (Full Performance Level) (a) 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 (b) 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; Transcript must be submitted. AND (c) Demonstrated 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. Preferred Experience: 2-3 years current Nursing Assistant experience on a Nursing Unit & Certified Nursing Assistant References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Nursing Assistant Qualification Standards, Appendix G46 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-5. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-5. Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting, 50 pounds and over; moderate carrying, 50 pounds and over; Straight pulling (1-2 hours), pushing (1-2 hours), walking (2-4 hours), standing (2-6 hours), reaching above shoulder; use of fingers, good dexterity (both hands required); prolonged walking / sitting, prolonged standing; repeated bending; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near & far vision correctable to 20/20; ability to distinguish basic colors; depth perception, hearing (aid permitted).

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 Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center 2002 Holcombe Boulevard Houston, TX 77030 US
• Name: Tonya Hagins
• Phone: 719-413-9330
• Email: [email protected]