Charles George VA Medical Center is looking to fill a Nursing Assistant position within Inpatient Mental Health.

Duties

The primary duties of the Nursing Assistant may vary by assignment. Duties may include, but are not limited to the following: (1) The employee in this position is assigned on a regular basis to the Inpatient Mental Health unit. He/she performs all duties outlined in the position description and performs nursing care tasks as identified in the functional statement. (2) Functions as a member of the Multi-disciplinary Team and assists the Registered Nurse in the care of Veterans with Acute and Chronic Mental Health needs, including observing, recording, and reporting changes in their behavior, and providing reassurance and encouragement. (3) Work with multidisciplinary staff to achieve treatment goals for Veterans by providing input and feedback concerning the effectiveness of interventions. (4) Provides a full range of nursing care to Veterans with a variety of physical and/or behavioral problems including personal nursing care, diagnostic support duties and treatment procedures; appropriately responds to Veteran needs and reports changes in Veteran condition to the RN. (5) Performs support duties using initiative and without specific direction such as taking vital signs, recording and reporting deviations to the supervisor; collects specimens and labels for laboratory. (6) Participates in admissions, transfers, escorting Veterans to appointments and therapies, discharges and contributing to the formulation of Treatment goals. (7) Assists in providing information to Veterans and participates in recovery oriented programming including topics such as social skills training, music group, exercise/walking group, therapeutic recreation group, and ADL skills group. (8) Records subjective and objective and significant information about the Veteran's behavior in relation to the treatment plan and Veteran's response to care given on the Veteran's clinical record. (9) Recognizes and respond appropriately to medical and psychiatric emergency situations. (10) Participates in the use of Restraint and Seclusion (R/S), including proper use of and application of R/S; 1:1 observation and documentation on the behavioral R/S flow sheet; and release from R/S. (11) Participates in the Prevention and Management of Disruptive Behavior; uses principles to prevent or respond to psychiatric emergencies; participates in BERT responses. (12) Provides intensive observation, including 1:1 observation and continuous nursing observation and complies with procedure to ensure Veteran safety. (13) Conducts and documents safety rounds/ environmental rounds per procedure as assigned with an understanding of the importance of monitoring the environment on a continuous basis and reporting all actual or potential hazards per policy. (14) Verifies and understands the proper procedures for the cleaning of reusable medical equipment utilized in the assigned area. (15) Maintains cleanliness of the work area and ensures that the Veteran care areas are stocked with needed supplies. (16) Maintains positive relationships with Veterans, visitors, and personnel. Answers telephones and call lights. Receives and directs Veterans and/or their families by answering routine questions. (17) Participates in in-service programs and assists in the orientation of new employees as needed. (18) Maintains active BLS Certification. (19) Additional duties as assigned. Work Schedule:8 & 12 Hour Night Tours with Weekend and Holiday Requirement Telework: Not Eligible Financial Disclosure Report: NOT Required Recruitment Incentives: May be eligible for highly qualified candidates

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
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• 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)
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Personnel
• Cover Letter indicating specialty area of interest
• Maintaining BLS certification is a condition of employment.
• Must meet Education and other requirements of the position

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. 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. English Language Proficiency. NAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j. Experience Requirement: GS-03 Nursing Assistant: For GS-03 Entry Level consideration: None beyond the basic requirements. Experience Requirement: GS-04 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. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the professional KSAs in subparagraph (c) below; 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 AND (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (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. *Individuals assigned as GS-4 NA's are considered to be at the intermediate or developmental level and are closely supervised--they provide care under close supervision and refer issues/questions to supervisors, higher graded NA's or other healthcare professionals. Experience Requirement: GS-05 Nursing Assistant: (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; AND (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA's) 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 the need for basic life support, controlling bleeding, and assisting with behavior crisis, etc. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-05. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-03 to GS-05. References: Nursing Assistant Qualification Standards, VA Handbook 5005/81, Part II, Appendix G46, dated March 12, 2015. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Preferred Experience: Mental health experience; experience in principles to prevent or respond to psychiatric emergencies. Physical Requirements: In accordance with VA Handbook 5019, Part II, Paragraph 3, II-1, 1(a), A pre-placement physical examination to determine the physical, cognitive and emotional fitness of candidates for appointment in VA is required, and shall be completed prior to appointment, for all full-time individuals appointed under 38 U.S.C., Chapter 73, for Title 38 positions.

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 Charles George VA Medical Center 1100 Tunnel Road Asheville, NC 28805 US
• Name: Elise Csajko
• Phone: 631-774-4216
• Email: [email protected]