The selectee(s) can be part of a float pool sitters, rotating amongst services as needed or assigned to one of the following areas: Med Surg, Emergency Department (ED), Mental Health, and Community Living Center (CLC).. Bargaining unit position.

Duties

Duties include but are not limited to the following: Provide a handoff report to the oncoming Therapeutic Companion, assigned nurse and charge nurse or team leader at the beginning of their tour. The handoff will include, but is not limited to: Veteran's diagnosis Reason for the Therapeutic Companion Vital signs Presence of lines/tubes/dressings Food or fluid restrictions Mobility status Intake and output Isolation precautions Mental status Special preferences/needs of the Veteran. Listens attentively to report, notes pertinent items, and integrates information received with prior knowledge of Veteran. Formulates work schedule based on prioritization of Veteran care needs. Provides dependable and timely age-specific nursing care for more complex Veterans by: Accepting adults chosen lifestyles and assisting with necessary adjustments relating to health. Recognizing adults' values and function of independence and ability to be self-sustaining in life. Supporting change necessary for health. Assisting patients to keep physically and socially active and to maintain peer group interactions. Assisting Veterans to cope with loss (e.g., hearing, eyesight, death of significant others). Assisting Veterans with self-care as required, and with maintaining as much independence as possible. Engage the Veteran in activities such as, but not limited to: folding towels, puzzles, playing cards, reading, music, television, or holding a conversation on daily events or personal history. Immediately summons the nursing staff on the appropriate unit if the Veteran requires assistance. Arranges meal break times with the Charge Nurse and informs the Charge Nurse prior to leaving the assignment for any reason so that relief may be provided to ensure constant Veteran observation. The Therapeutic Companion will not leave the Veteran until relief staff arrives and hand off has been completed. Provides Veterans with explanations as necessary but does not counsel or provide opinions. He/she demonstrates behaviors consistent with the VA and Nursing Service core values. Seeks help or advice as soon as possible when the Veteran appears to pose a threat to themselves or others. The NA/SNT seeks assistance with the removal of any potential safety hazard from the Veteran's room and reports the findings to the Charge Nurse of the unit. Seeks help or advice as soon as possible when the Veteran appears to pose a threat to themselves or others. The NA/SNT seeks assistance with the removal of any potential safety hazard from the Veteran's room and reports the findings to the Charge Nurse of the unit. Performs procedures and treatments according to the orientation/annual/unit specific competency checklist for assigned Veterans. Assists with the delivery of procedures/treatments for a team of Veterans, in an organized and timely manner in accordance with established policy and procedure, seeking guidance when necessary. Must accompany the Veteran to any procedure/test and remain for the duration of the services provided. Preserves Veteran confidentiality, respects Veteran/family/significant other rights, and assists the multidisciplinary team with resolving ethical issues. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: 1930-0800 with additional 8-hour per pay period or 2330-0800, schedules include holiday and weekend rotations Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized. Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized. Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #:91653-A, 91654-A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Nursing-Assistant-Career-Flyer.pdf

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. 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 course of study or program of less than one year as a NA may also meet in full the experience requirements for GS-3. Grandfathering Provisions. All NAs employed in VHA on the effective date of this qualification standard 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 re-entry 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. 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, healthcare 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 Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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. Assignment. Individuals assigned as GS-4 NAs are considered to be at the intermediate or developmental level and are closely supervised. NAs at this grade level function as a member of the nursing care team and assist higher graded NAs, licensed nursing staff, and other members of the care team in the care of patients/residents receiving outpatient care, home or community living care or other patients/residents who are in acute, sub-acute, or chronic states of illness. The significant factor is that they provide care under close supervision and refer issues/questions to supervisors, higher graded NAs or other health care professionals. In this role, the NA functions as a member of the nursing care team and assists higher graded NAs, licensed nursing staff, and other members of the care team in the care of patients/residents receiving outpatient care, home or community living care, or other patients who are in acute, sub-acute, or chronic states of illness. The NA in this role provides care under close supervision and refers issues/questions to supervisors, higher graded NAs, or other health care 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; 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. Assignment. This is the full performance level for NAs. NAs at this grade level function as a member of the nursing care team and assist licensed nursing staff in the care of patients/residents receiving outpatient care, home or community living care or other patients/residents who are in acute, sub acute or chronic states of illness. The distinguishing factor is that patient/resident assignments typically involve more complex nursing needs which can vary within a range of predictable to unpredictable requirements. NAs at this level also assume more of a peer education/mentorship role. References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G46 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-04 to GS-05. Physical Requirements: The Dayton VA Medical center is a major interdisciplinary teaching facility, serving medical, surgical, inpatients and outpatients. There is a large outpatient psychiatric population, with admissions for medical co-morbidities. This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continues 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. 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.

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 Dayton VA Medical Center 4100 West Third Street Dayton, OH 45428 US
• Name: Derek Fultz
• Phone: 3048947913
• Email: [email protected]