Nursing Assistant - Community Living Center G-35 - Sepulveda

Veterans Health Administration • Los Angeles, CA

14d • Onsite

About The Position

The Greater Los Angeles VA Health Care System is seeking an experienced Nursing Assistant for a full-time night-shift position in Nursing Service, Community Living Center G-35, at the Sepulveda VA Medical Center in North Hills, California. The Nursing Assistant provides preventive, acute, sub-acute, chronic, maintenance, and hospice care to Veterans with complex nursing needs as a member of the nursing care team, and supports peer education and mentorship.

The role includes advanced assistance with activities of daily living; independently completing patient measurements and monitoring; performing non-complex procedures; supporting safe mobility and patient handling; and recognizing and reporting changes in patient condition. The Nursing Assistant also contributes to infection control and environmental safety, conducts virtual patient monitoring using approved VA platforms, provides clinical and technical support, and assists with admissions, transfers, and discharges.

The position requires accurate electronic health record documentation, situational awareness while monitoring multiple patients, effective therapeutic communication and de-escalation, and coordination with nursing staff and interdisciplinary teams. Work is scheduled from 7:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. and may include weekends or holidays. Compressed/flexible scheduling is available. Telework is not available, and this is not a virtual position.

Requirements

• Six months of general experience demonstrating the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills to perform Nursing Assistant work, or qualifying education/training as described in the announcement.
• One year above high school with courses related to the Nursing Assistant occupation; an intensive, specialized occupation-related Nursing Assistant course of less than one year may also meet the experience requirement for GS-3.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English for direct patient-care work.
• For GS-4 qualification, one year of specialized Nursing Assistant experience or experience in another medical field performing technical and nursing skills, or successful completion of two years above high school with relevant coursework; the applicable route also requires the stated knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• For GS-5 qualification, one year of progressively responsible experience equivalent to GS-4 or qualifying bachelor's-level education; the applicable route also requires the stated professional knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Ability to assist with nursing care for patients or residents with physical and/or behavioral problems under licensed nursing staff direction.
• Ability to communicate orally with patients, families, interdisciplinary teams, and other personnel.
• Ability to recognize and respond to emergent patient-care situations, including basic life-support needs, bleeding, and behavioral crises.
• U.S. citizenship.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation and background/security investigation; selected applicants in testing-designated positions are subject to urinalysis screening.
• Must complete the online onboarding process and provide acceptable identification and required application documents.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, as applicable.
• Work requires walking, standing, stooping, lifting, bending, pushing, turning, and sometimes carrying heavy loads; requires good body mechanics and stamina to withstand stress.
• Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited institutions may be used to qualify; foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with transcripts.

Nice To Haves

• One or more years of Nursing Assistant experience in a Community Living Center, skilled nursing facility, long-term care, or other residential nursing care setting.
• Experience providing direct nursing care to geriatric patients or residents with multiple chronic conditions and complex care needs.

Responsibilities

• Provide assistance with activities of daily living, including hygiene, toileting, feeding, and mobility.
• Perform patient measurements and monitoring, including vital signs, pain assessments, neurological checks, bladder scans, and oxygen monitoring.
• Perform non-complex procedures, including specimen collection and simple dressing changes, with minimal supervision.
• Assist with complex mobility, lift-equipment operation, weight-bearing support, and safe patient handling.
• Recognize and promptly report changes in patient condition.
• Apply infection-control principles, including airborne, contact, and droplet isolation.
• Identify environmental hazards and escalate safety concerns; participate in fall-prevention and skin-integrity programs.
• Conduct remote patient monitoring using approved VA virtual monitoring platforms.
• Monitor for unsafe behaviors, provide voice redirection when appropriate, and notify bedside staff when in-person intervention is needed.
• Document monitoring observations, interventions, escalation steps, interruptions, equipment malfunctions, and changes in patient risk according to policy.
• Ensure virtual-monitoring equipment readiness, camera positioning, privacy, and confidentiality.
• Collect, label, and process routine specimens such as urine, stool, and sputum according to policy.
• Provide basic wound-care support, including simple dressing changes, under licensed staff direction.
• Assist with telemetry, oxygen therapy, and suction equipment; support patient transport to procedures and continuity of observation.
• Accurately document patient care in electronic health records.
• Assist with admissions by obtaining vital signs, orienting patients, and providing basic instruction.
• Inventory, secure, and transfer patient belongings appropriately.
• Support discharges by escorting patients, coordinating transport, and assisting with final activities of daily living.
• Provide timely reports to unit staff, charge nurses, Patient Safety, and Flow Coordinators.
• Collaborate with Nursing Leadership and interdisciplinary teams in clinical and administrative workflows.
• Advise bedside teams when monitoring identifies patterns requiring intervention, such as restlessness or repeated unsafe actions.
• Demonstrate situational awareness while monitoring multiple patients, use VA de-escalation and therapeutic communication strategies, and identify when virtual monitoring is insufficient.
• Communicate and coordinate with RNs, LVNs, physicians, therapists, social workers, and administrative staff; participate in interdisciplinary huddles and nursing-administration workflows.
• Assist licensed nursing staff with the full range of nursing care under the direction of a Registered Nurse and/or Licensed Vocational Nurse/Licensed Practical Nurse.
• Recognize and respond to emergent patient-care situations while awaiting assistance.
• Serve as a preceptor to new Nursing Assistants by assisting with orientation and overseeing or assessing their clinical practical experience.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered for higher or unique qualifications or special VA needs.
• 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.
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to request and approval.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster-care placement of a child.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility criteria.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and a federal 401(k) with VA contributions of up to 5%.
• 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: High school or GED