The Nursing Assistant (NA) helps patients or clients with healthcare needs under the leadership of a Registered Nurse (RN) or a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).

Duties

The Nursing Assistant must have knowledge, skills, strong work ethic and patient-driven orientation to provide quality patient care as well as to provide verbal and written documentation. He/she must have knowledge of medical terminology and poses sufficient skills to apply practice in order to assure the appropriate/safe use of equipment and supplies. The NA must have knowledge of principles of infection control and principles of safety, and be able to recognize urgent/emergent situations. Work Schedule: Day shift Monday-Friday and extended Hours Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. 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. 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. Grandfathering Provisions. All Nursing Assistants employed in VHA on the effective date of this qualification standard (3/26/2014) 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: (1) 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. (2) 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.Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates (Experience and Education Requirement):To qualify at the GS-3 grade level (Entry Level): None beyond the basic requirements above.To qualify at the GS-4 grade level: 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,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 (KSA's): In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSA's 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. To qualify at the GS-5 level (Full-performance):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;ORSuccessful 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 (KSA's) In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSA's. 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: Proficiency in spoken and written Spanish, preferred Previous experience working with patients in perioperative setting, preferred. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G46 Nursing Assistant Qualification Standard GS-621 Veterans Health Administration. 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: Work involves long periods of sitting, standing, and walking with regular recurring bending, heavy lifting, transferring, and positioning patients. It also involves computer skills, keyboard, and telephone work. Also may be necessary to perform specific duties i.e. CPR and psychiatric interventions.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address San Juan VA Medical Center 10 Calle Casia San Juan, PR 00921 US
• Name: Luis Burgos-Pena
• Email: [email protected]