Nursing Assistant - Mental Health

Veterans Health Administration • San Antonio, TX

2d

About The Position

The Nursing Assistant (NA) works as part of a nursing care team, assisting licensed nursing staff and other care-team members with patients receiving outpatient, home or community living care, or care for acute, sub-acute, or chronic illness. Assignments typically involve more complex nursing needs that may range from predictable to unpredictable. The role serves patients with physical and behavioral needs, including mental health needs, under the direction of registered or licensed practical/vocational nurses.

The NA completes care assignments and documentation, uses and maintains appropriate patient-care equipment, assists with nursing procedures within scope of practice, and helps maintain a safe and clean environment. The position also involves patient observation, transportation, emergency response, infection prevention, therapeutic communication, patient education and recreational activities, and coordination with an interdisciplinary team. The incumbent may encounter stressful situations, patients who are combative or at risk of elopement, infectious materials, isolation precautions, and changing assignments in a 24/7 healthcare facility.

The vacancy may be filled at GS-03 through GS-05, with GS-05 as the full performance level. Work is scheduled on rotating tours, including nights, weekends, and holidays. Telework is ad hoc only; this is not a virtual position.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, except where appointment of a non-citizen is permitted under VA policy when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Six months of general experience demonstrating ability to acquire NA knowledge and skills; or one year of post-high-school education with courses related to the NA occupation; or completion of an intensive, specialized, occupation-related NA training course or program of less than one year. These are the stated basic qualification alternatives.
• For GS-04, one year of specialized NA experience or experience in another medical field involving technical and nursing skills, therapeutic communication, and basic and intermediate treatments; or successful completion of two years of post-high-school education in an accredited institution with relevant nursing-care, healthcare, psychology, psychiatric-technician, operating-room-technician, or other appropriate courses. GS-04 candidates must also demonstrate the stated patient-care, observation and reporting, equipment-use, and communication abilities.
• For GS-05, one year of progressively responsible experience equivalent to GS-04 in directly related assignments; or a four-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree that included 24 semester hours of healthcare-related courses, or possession of a bachelor's degree. GS-05 candidates must demonstrate the stated abilities to assist with full-range nursing care, communicate with patients and care teams, precept new NAs, and recognize and respond to emergencies.
• Ability to work effectively in stressful situations, shift priorities based on patient needs, communicate with people of varied educational levels and ethnic backgrounds, and work cooperatively as a team member.
• Must maintain BLS certification.
• Subject to background/security investigation and, if tentatively selected for a testing-designated position, pre-employment urinalysis for illegal drug use.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must meet Selective Service registration requirements.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA healthcare personnel.
• Must complete online onboarding and application requirements, and serve a one- or two-year trial period.
• Education used to qualify must be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and from an accredited institution; foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency and transcript.
• Physical requirements may apply depending on organizational needs.
• May occasionally encounter combative patients, infectious patients or contaminated materials, and may need to wear personal protective equipment for extended periods or care for patients on isolation precautions.

Nice To Haves

• Mental health experience.
• Emergency department experience.

Responsibilities

• Complete patient-care assignments safely and on time, and assist nursing staff and other care-team members with patient care.
• Participate in unit quality-improvement activities, huddles, team meetings, committees, in-services, and patient-care conferences as assigned.
• Document care and observations according to policy, including intake and output, daily weights, vital signs, pain scores, hourly rounding, and blood-glucose testing with appropriate notification comments.
• Use appropriate patient-handling and clinical equipment, maintain quality controls where applicable, follow reusable medical equipment procedures, and participate in equipment inventory.
• Implement interventions to prevent or reduce pressure ulcers and patient falls under RN/LVN direction.
• Perform nursing procedures within scope of practice and policy, including catheterization, colostomy care, skin care, simple dressings, and application of braces and prosthetic devices.
• Assist with surgical skin preparation, including hair clipping and holding limbs, as assigned.
• Maintain a clean and safe environment and use proper body mechanics.
• Maintain BLS certification and initiate CPR appropriately.
• Transport patients safely using handoff communication tools, and transport medications, supplies, equipment, blood, specimens, and other items as directed.
• Monitor patients according to assigned observation levels, including one-to-one and close observation, and observe patients at least every 60 minutes or more often as directed by facility policy.
• Assist with coordination of daily activities under RN/LVN direction and provide assistance to clinical and non-clinical staff within competence and scope of practice.
• Use effective verbal interaction and preventative tactics with aggressive, disruptive, confused, potentially assaultive, or elopement-risk patients; apply the least restrictive environment when appropriate.
• Recognize emergencies, initiate timely life-saving measures when other healthcare-team members are absent, and participate in code and emergency-management procedures.
• Participate in group meetings and patient education or recreational activities that support socialization, self-esteem, learning, and quality of life; reinforce teaching provided by the registered nurse.
• Recognize care-management difficulties, changes in patients’ physical or mental condition, and signs of abuse, and promptly report findings to the registered nurse or supervisor.
• Communicate with patients and families in a calm, reassuring, supportive, and courteous manner, including providing emotional support to dying patients and their families.
• Establish therapeutic relationships with patients and interdisciplinary-team members and promote positive communication and socialization.
• Use email effectively and appropriately to remain current and informed.
• Follow safety and infection-control guidelines, help prevent the spread of communicable diseases and resistant organisms, and respond to fire and disaster drills and alarms.
• Adapt to changing patient needs, priorities, assignments, and care environments, including possible pandemic or disaster-response labor pools.

Benefits

• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, comprising 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Eligible selected applicants may receive credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to request and approval.
• After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with birth, adoption, or foster-care placement of a child.
• After 60 days, eligible full-time employees with total family income below $144,000 may qualify for a childcare subsidy of up to 25% of eligible childcare costs, subject to a monthly maximum of $416.66.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed