Nursing Assistant - Community Living Center

Veterans Health Administration•Saint Cloud, MN

16h•Onsite

About The Position

The Nursing Assistant works in the Community Living Center at the Saint Cloud VA Medical Center in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, providing nursing-home-level care to Veterans. The role delivers safe, basic physical and emotional care to residents with simple to complex needs and develops technical skills under the supervision of a Registered Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse. The position is full-time, with rotating day, evening, and night shifts scheduled Sunday through Saturday. Rotating weekends and holidays are required. Additional pay may include shift differentials, weekend premiums, and holiday pay. The position is not telework or virtual. The full performance level is GS-5, and selection may be at GS-3 through GS-5. The VA describes its care model as a Whole Health System focused on personalized health plans, healing relationships and environments, and connections to the Veteran’s community. The role supports the VA mission of improving Veterans’ health and well-being.

Requirements

Meet one of the basic qualification pathways: six months of general experience demonstrating ability to acquire Nursing Assistant knowledge and skills; one year of post-high-school education with related coursework; or completion of an intensive, specialized, occupation-related Nursing Assistant training program of less than one year. A grandfathering provision may apply to qualifying current VHA employees.
Be proficient in basic written and spoken English.
For GS-4 qualification, have one year of experience as a Nursing Assistant or in another medical field performing relevant technical and nursing skills, or two years of post-high-school education in related coursework; also demonstrate the stated patient-care, observation and reporting, equipment use, and communication abilities.
For GS-5 qualification, have one year of progressively responsible experience equivalent to GS-4 in related nursing-care assignments, or a four-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree with 24 semester hours of related coursework or a bachelor’s degree; also demonstrate the stated nursing-care, communication, precepting, and emergency-response abilities.
Obtain and maintain Basic Life Support certification.
Complete a pre-employment physical examination or evaluation and meet the position’s physical requirements.
Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
Meet applicable U.S. citizenship requirements; non-citizens may be appointed only when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
For males born after December 31, 1959, meet Selective Service registration requirements.
Complete required background/security investigation, online onboarding, and application documentation.
Serve a one- or two-year trial period, as required.
If using education or training to qualify, provide the specified transcripts or training documentation; foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency.

Nice To Haves

Previous hospice or long-term-care experience is preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Provide direct personal care, including bathing, grooming, dressing, toileting, and oral hygiene.
Assist residents with mobility, transfers, turning, positioning, and ambulation using proper body mechanics and assistive devices.
Serve meals, assist with feeding, and monitor residents’ intake and output.
Measure and record vital signs, including temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure, weight, and oxygen saturation.
Observe and promptly report changes in residents’ physical or emotional condition to licensed nursing staff.
Perform routine skin checks, reposition residents, and report signs of pressure injuries or skin breakdown.
Collect urine, stool, and sputum specimens as ordered and assist with diagnostic procedures as directed.
Assist with toileting, incontinence care, and catheter care, and document output accurately.
Position residents to support breathing and assist with oxygen therapy as directed.
Maintain a clean, safe, and comfortable environment by following infection-control protocols and using personal protective equipment.
Promote residents’ dignity, privacy, and independence in all aspects of care.
Document care and resident observations using electronic or paper charting systems.
Participate in interdisciplinary team meetings and care planning as needed.
At the GS-5 level, assist with orientation and practical experience assessment of new Nursing Assistants as a preceptor.
Recognize and respond to emergent resident-care situations while awaiting assistance.

Benefits

37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, consisting of 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid Federal holidays.
Eligible employees 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 for birth, adoption, or foster-care placement of a child.
After 60 days of employment, 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.
Shift differential of 10% of basic pay for regularly scheduled work between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. (not authorized for intermittent schedules).
Weekend premium of 25% of basic pay for work between midnight Friday and midnight Sunday.
Holiday pay at twice the basic hourly rate for regularly scheduled, non-overtime work on a designated holiday.
Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered based on higher or unique qualifications or VA special needs.