Nursing Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • Menlo Park, CA

18d • Onsite

About The Position

The Geriatrics & Extended Care Certified Nursing Assistant is a key member of the Community Living Center treatment team. The Nursing Assistant provides a wide range of resident personal care, diagnostic services, treatments, and charting activities on a regular and continuing basis in a short-stay rehabilitation or long-term-care ward. The incumbent performs duties in a way that promotes each resident’s sense of worth and dignity.

The position supports residents with activities of daily living, meals, special diets, mobility, rehabilitation, diagnostic testing, and treatments. The Nursing Assistant observes residents’ condition, records relevant measurements, follows infection-control and safety procedures, communicates changes to nursing staff, and provides care under the direction and supervision of licensed nursing staff. The full performance level is GS-5; selection may be at GS-3 through GS-5. The work schedule is determined by service needs. Telework is not available, and the position is not virtual.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Meet the basic experience or education requirement: six months of general experience; or one year of post-high-school education with courses related to the Nursing Assistant occupation; or completion of an intensive, specialized, occupation-related Nursing Assistant training course or program of less than one year.
• GS-4 qualification may be met with one year of specialized Nursing Assistant experience or experience in another medical field involving relevant technical and nursing skills; alternatively, two years of post-high-school education in a related field may qualify. GS-4 candidates must also demonstrate the specified patient-care, observation and referral, equipment-use, and communication abilities.
• GS-5 qualification may be met with one year of progressively responsible experience equivalent to GS-4, with directly related knowledge, skills, and abilities; alternatively, a four-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree that included 24 semester hours of health-care-related courses, or a bachelor’s degree, may qualify. GS-5 candidates must demonstrate the specified nursing-care, communication, mentorship, and emergency-response abilities.
• Experience must involve current-practice knowledge and be documented and verifiable. Part-time Nursing Assistant experience is credited in proportion to the full-time workweek.
• Applicants must complete applicable pre-employment requirements, including a background/security investigation, onboarding, and urinalysis drug screening for tentatively selected applicants in testing-designated positions.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service.
• Selected applicants must 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.
• Applicants must complete the application requirements specified in the announcement.

Responsibilities

• Assist with admissions, transfers, discharges, postmortem care, and nursing care procedures specific to the ward.
• Assist residents with activities of daily living, including bathing, showering, shaving, grooming, toileting, feeding, ambulating, weighing, and positioning residents with prescribed physical limitations.
• Teach and guide residents in developing cleanliness and sound health practices in daily living.
• Feed and assist residents during meals, observe aspiration precautions, and respond to special dietary needs based on residents’ diagnoses and behavior.
• Support and reinforce diet instructions and restrictions, including those for residents with diabetes or other special dietary needs.
• Obtain and record vital signs, intake and output, and empty Foley bags as needed.
• Use knowledge of normal and abnormal vital signs to alert the Registered Nurse and adapt resident care activities.
• Observe infection-control policies and procedures.
• Assist with transferring and transporting residents to tests and procedures using gurneys and wheelchairs.
• Use knowledge of residents’ special interests and skills to guide and motivate them.
• Assist with selected rehabilitation techniques, such as range-of-motion exercises and speech retraining, to support residents’ return to active community living.
• Follow close-observation and suicide-precaution policies and procedures when caring for residents considered high risk.
• Perform diagnostic tests within scope of practice and training, including fingerstick blood glucose testing and bedside EKGs.
• Explain the purpose of special diagnostic tests and procedures to residents.
• Administer treatments such as Foley care and bowel care.
• Use the SBAR format to communicate vital information and changes in residents’ conditions.
• At the GS-5 level, assist with the full range of nursing care under the direction of a Registered Nurse and/or Licensed Vocational Nurse/Licensed Practical Nurse.
• At the GS-5 level, serve as a preceptor to new Nursing Assistants by helping coordinate orientation and overseeing or assessing their practical experience in a clinical setting.
• Recognize and respond to emergent resident-care situations, intervening while awaiting assistance.

Benefits

• Eligible federal employees may receive annual leave accrual based on years of federal service; prior work or military experience may be considered for service credit if requested and approved before appointment. This credit is not guaranteed.
• A comprehensive federal employee benefits package is available, subject to eligibility based on position type and employment status.

What This Job Offers

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