Nursing Assistant T2 - Spinal Cord Injury

United States Department of Veterans Affairs • Long Beach, CA

133d

About The Position

The Nursing Assistant (NA) is assigned to the T2 ward in the Spinal Cord Injury Service at the Long Beach VA Healthcare System. The NA is responsible for personal patient care including transporting, bathing, dressing, feeding, turning, toileting, collection of various samples including sputum and urine, entering specific information into the patient's medical record, vital signs, maintaining and stocking medical supplies, and serving as a basic contact for patients and families. The NA will support diagnostic procedures, nursing treatments, patient charting, and reinforcement of patient teaching. The performance of these tasks involves direct working relationships with patients and participation as a member of the treatment or nursing care team in direct service to patients.

Requirements

• United States Citizenship.
• Six months of general experience or one year of education above high school with courses related to the NA occupation or completion of an intensive specialized training course.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Ability to demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade GS-3, GS-4, or GS-5.

Nice To Haves

• CNA with at least 1 year current experience in long-term care setting.
• Ability to document using EMR.

Responsibilities

• Safely and effectively uses patient care equipment.
• Identifies potential and actual emergencies and takes appropriate actions.
• Maintains confidentiality of patient information.
• Sets-up, uses, reprocesses, and maintains all unit/department-specific equipment that is designed by the manufacturer to be reused for multiple patients.
• Obtains and records vital signs, pulse, temperature, respirations, blood pressure, and pain level.
• Measures and records height and weight of patients.
• Assists patients with activities of daily living (e.g., hygiene, eating, dressing, and ambulation) including oral/denture care, bed baths/shower, indwelling catheter care, perineal care, foot care, and changing bed linens.
• Positions, sets-up, and assists patients with meals ensuring meal trays are removed.
• Assists with patient transfers in and out of bed.
• Assists patients to and from toilet and keeps incontinent patients clean.
• Assists with patient admissions ensuring personal belongings are inventoried and documented.
• Assists with patient discharges or transfers including stripping beds, ensuring patients have their belongings and sweeps medication cabinets in patient rooms.
• Answers call lights and unit phones as needed.
• Performs glucose checks on patients as ordered.
• Turns and repositions patients at risk for skin breakdown.
• Performs range of motion exercises for patients.
• Reinforces non-sterile dressings.
• Applies anti-embolic hose/equipment (i.e., Ted hose, sequential compression devices).
• Applies adaptive devices and non-behavioral restraints as ordered.
• Functions as Continuous Observation Attendant (COA) within an arm's length of the patient.
• Relieves COAs as needed for breaks and meals.
• Wipes down all patients' bedside tables and side rails once a shift.
• Ensures patients' bedside areas are neat and tidy.
• Ensures patients have an adequate supply of water, cups, and straws at their bedside.
• Assists in recording and charting patient input and output (l&O).
• Conducts hourly rounds on patients to ensure their needs are being met.
• Ensures safety precautions are in place.
• Empties indwelling catheter bags, urinals, surgical drains, and records output amounts.
• Assists with post-mortem care and transports deceased bodies to morgue.
• Stocks supplies in patient care areas to ensure there are adequate supplies and equipment to meet patient care needs.
• Cleans reusable medical equipment (RME) on unit as needed.
• Documents vital signs in the electronic health record (EHR).
• Documents on the restraint and seclusion flow sheet as needed.
• Documents in nursing progress note care provided.
• Initiates CPR as appropriate.
• Performs bladder scan and reports findings to RN.
• Places patients on cardiac monitors as needed.
• Applies ice packs with RN delegation as needed.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Performs 12-lead EKGs.
• Selects and applies condom catheters as needed.
• Transports patients from one unit/area to another or to clinic appointments.
• Transports specimens to lab.
• Feeds patients on Aspiration Precautions.
• Performs digital stimulation and manual removal for bowel care.
• Provides quad/assisted cough.
• Provides nail clipping on hands and feet for non-diabetic patients.

What This Job Offers

• Industry: Administration of Human Resource Programs