These Nursing Assistant positions are within the Nursing Service at the Providence VA Healthcare System located in Providence, Rhode Island. There are several positions available that range from 24 hours per week to 40 hours per week on units 5B, 6B, 6E, and the float pool.

Duties

The Nursing Assistant is an integral part of the care team in providing care to veterans at the Providence VA Healthcare System. They are responsible for the delivery of patient care under the direction of a Registered Nurse, Advance Practice Nurse/Physician Assistant, or Physician. Duties include, but are not limited to: Performs assigned technical procedures (such as taking and recording BP, temperature , pulse, respiration, pulse oximetry, height, weight, collecting specimens, and administering oxygen using tank and/or wall oxygen, etc); Provides simple dressing changes; Observes and documents patient's response to medication administrated; Observes, identifies, and responds to the patients' needs for nursing, medication, and equipment assisted care and recognizes deviations from normal; Recognizes and responds appropriately to emergency situations; Performs active and passive range of motion exercises. Supports and assists patient with turning, moving, lifting, or transferring, as well as ambulating; Performs environmental duties to ensure the safety of self, patients and coworkers; and Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Available schedules are 24 to 40 hours per week. The Providence VA Healthcare System operates 24/7 with rotating shifts that typically includes weekends and/or holidays. The tour of duty will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: F03675 Financial Disclosure Report: Not required. Notifications: This position is in the Excepted Service. This position is a LIUNA Bargaining Unit position. This position is covered by a special rate. Due to a critical staffing shortage, 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference for this job announcement. Nursing Assistant - vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Nursing-Assistant-Career-Flyer.pdf

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants MUST meet the following requirements: 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. 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, Education or Training Requirement: Applicants must meet ONE of the following: Six (6) 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 Requirements: Creditable Experience: (1) Knowledge of Current Practice. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with the current practice. (2) Quality of Experience. To be creditable, NA experience must be documented on the application or resume and verified in an employment reference, or through other independent means. (3) Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as a NA is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, a NA employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive 1 full time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service. GS-05 (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 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (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. Note: Experience must be clearly listed on the resume to be considered. Transcripts must be provided in any case where education is being used to qualify. Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005 REFERENCE: Part II Appendix G46The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-05. Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, pushing, and lifting up to 35lbs. 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. The incumbent must be able to navigate all areas of the facility.

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 VA Providence Healthcare System 830 Chalkstone Avenue Providence, RI 02908 US
• Name: Samantha Roberts
• Phone: 612-978-6318
• Email: [email protected]