Summary This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and will remain on file through December 31, 2024. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be September 10, 2024. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred biweekly or on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. PLEASE READ THE COMPLETE ANNOUNCEMENT TO ENSURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND SUBMIT A COMPLETE APPLICATION PACKET. Responsibilities Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Nursing Assistant - vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Nursing-Assistant-Career-Flyer.pdf Applicant's note: This announcement may be used to fill various positions. Multiple areas are being filled from this vacancy announcement. You must choose which area you want to be considered for. NOTE that there may not be any current vacancies in a specific area at the time of this announcement. However, applicants may be considered for future and any additional vacancies that become available until the announcement closes. The West Palm Beach VA Medical Center is currently seeking clinically experienced, innovative and energetic Nursing Assistants to serve in various positions located within our facility. The incumbent serves as a member of the nursing team on a rotating, day evening and/or night tour. Incumbent gives direct patient care to patients who may require medical and/or psychiatric nursing care under the indirect supervision of the registered nurse.The Nursing Assistant functions as a member of the nursing team in providing quality patient care on any medical/surgical unit. The employee in this position provides intensive or total nursing care to medically/surgically unstable patients which requires a high degree of versatility. These patients range from those with an acute onset of a disease to multiple systems failure. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Knowledge of the patients' plan of care and follows them Understanding call light system, using Vocera, phones and call lights Receives and utilizes the Nursing Assistant Patient Care Assignment Uses written documentation worksheets to record observations and finding, chart appropriate values into Electronic Health Record, as well as to report to the RN Starts assignments promptly and works steadily in an organized manner Performs or assists in patient to complete these activities of daily living: Bathing, shaving, daily oral hygiene, and denture care, feeding, skin care - including care of hands and feet, toileting, assisting with dressing, positioning and transferring. Makes rounds at the beginning and end of shift. Completes bedside report at the beginning and end of every shift Obtain vital signs: Temperature, Pulse, Respiration, Blood Pressure and Pain level. Obtain weights by using appropriate equipment Check patients at a minimum every two hours or more frequently as appropriate Verbally reports observations and findings to the registered nurse Identifying environmental safety hazards and notifies the charge nurse immediately Functioning as a member of the nursing care team an assist licensed nursing staff and others in the care of residents Performing a complete range of procedures such as routine urinary catheter care Collecting and labeling specimens (urine, stool, sputum) following protocol and labeling accurately Assisting resident with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) such as personal hygiene and daily nourishment with direction Supporting resident in self-care activities Supporting family and visitors to assure comfort, peace and dignity during the dying process Treating residents, family, self and others with respect and dignity Adhering to infection control guidelines in efforts to reduce and prevent infectious disease from spreading Observing residents physical and emotional status and referring deviations and/or problems to supervisor in a timely manner Attending unit specific meetings and in-services. Work Schedule: Various tours available, to include Rotating shifts, weekends and holidays.. Will be determined by the Hiring Manager (Nurse Manager) of the position during interview. Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of existing pay, higher or unique qualifications, or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). 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) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Permanent Change of Station (PCS Not authorized. Requirements Conditions of Employment 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. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. 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 Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. 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. 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. 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). 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. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-3 NA (Entry Level) Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements. Assignments. Individuals assigned as GS-3 NAs are considered tobe at the entry level and are closely supervised. 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: i Ability to provide a range of patient/resident care and contribute to the completion of the nurse care plan and recovery of patients/residents. ii Ability to observe patients/residents' or resident's physical or emotional status and refer deviations and/or problems to supervisor in a timely manner. iii 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. iv Ability to communicate effectively with patients/residents, their families and other health 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 (c) Demonstrated KSAs. i 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. ii 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. iii 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 Geriatrics & Extended Care: Long-Term Care and/ or acute care experience Mental Health: At least 2 years of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Experience. Operations: Experience in ER, Med Surg, Tele Acute Care: Acute Care Experience Perioperative:Acute Care Experience Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is 5. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 3 to 5. Physical Requirements: The nursing assistant within all services may require shift work and or rotation of tour assignments. Routinely requires regular and recurring bending, stooping, walking, stretching, lifting, standing, and repositioning and transportation of patients or similar activities. Work requires the ability to physically intervene with disruptive patients and protect self and others from injury using the knowledge gained from ongoing training. This position will require the ability to work outside daily for duration of shift. Will need to follow facility guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination and influenza vaccination of employees. 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/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.