Nursing Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • Chillicothe, OH

6d • Onsite

About The Position

The Restorative Nursing Assistant (RNA), GS-5, assigned to the Community Living Center (CLC) provides safe, individualized restorative care to complex, frail, mostly elderly residents who are chronically or acutely ill. The CLC provides skilled nursing care and supports specialty programs for short-stay and long-term care residents. The full performance level is GS-5; selection may be made at GS-3 through GS-5.

The position works Sunday through Saturday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with every other weekend off. The tour will be determined at selection. Telework and virtual work are not available. Relocation and recruitment incentives, as well as permanent change of station, are not authorized.

This is a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs position in the Excepted Service. Selected employees must complete an online onboarding process and serve a one- or two-year trial period. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, proficient in spoken and written English, and meet the stated experience, education, or training requirements. Other conditions include a background/security investigation, pre-employment drug testing for positions designated for testing, and participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, 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 qualification requirement through six months of general experience demonstrating ability to acquire Nursing Assistant knowledge and skills; one year of post-high-school education with related courses; or, for GS-3 only, an intensive specialized occupation-related Nursing Assistant training course of less than one year.
• For GS-4, one year of experience as a Nursing Assistant or in another medical field performing technical and nursing skills, or two years of post-high-school education with relevant courses, plus the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• For GS-5, one year of progressively responsible experience equivalent to GS-4 with directly related knowledge, skills, and abilities, or a four-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor’s degree that included 24 semester hours of health-care-related courses, or possession of a bachelor’s degree.
• Ability to assist with the full range of nursing care for residents with physical and/or behavioral problems under the direction of an RN and/or LVN/LPN.
• Ability to communicate orally with residents, families, interdisciplinary team members, and other personnel.
• Ability to recognize and respond to emergent resident-care situations, such as recognizing the need for basic life support, controlling bleeding, or assisting with a behavioral crisis.
• For GS-4, ability to contribute to care plans and resident recovery; observe physical or emotional status and promptly report deviations or problems; properly use equipment and supplies for simple diagnostic and treatment procedures; and communicate effectively with residents, families, and health professionals.
• Physical ability to stand, walk, bend, and move freely; use good body mechanics when lifting or restraining residents; and possess good hearing, eyesight, and physical dexterity.
• Must be clean and neat in appearance, emotionally stable, and cooperative.
• Applicants claiming education must provide transcripts; qualifying education must be from an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with transcripts when used to meet requirements.
• Subject to background/security investigation, applicable pre-employment urinalysis, completion of online onboarding, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment after the period.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must meet Selective Service registration requirements.
• Must provide acceptable identification for employment verification; beginning May 7, 2025, non-REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses or state identification cards cannot be used as acceptable identification.

Nice To Haves

• Preferred experience in long-term care and restorative care.

Responsibilities

• Provide restorative care and services to help residents attain or maintain the highest practical physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being in accordance with their comprehensive assessment and person-centered care plan.
• Apply person-centered care that reflects each resident’s needs, wishes, preferences, and lifelong habits.
• Maintain competency in restorative care modalities.
• Observe changes in residents’ conditions, take necessary actions, and report and document actions according to policy and procedures.
• Use appropriate mobility, balance, and strengthening exercises, incorporating them into activities of daily living.
• Use task segmentation to assist residents with activities of daily living and appropriately use assistive and adaptive equipment.
• Ensure residents use proper shoes, eyeglasses, and hearing aids when required.
• Maintain residents’ personal hygiene, including planning tasks and gathering supplies; grooming hair; washing faces and hands; brushing teeth; shaving; applying makeup, deodorant, or powder; providing oral hygiene and self-manicure assistance with nail-care safety awareness.
• Help residents improve or maintain their ability to put on and remove prostheses, care for prostheses, and maintain hygiene at prosthesis attachment sites.
• Assist licensed nursing staff and other care-team members in providing nursing care to residents.
• Recognize and respond to emergent resident-care situations while awaiting assistance.
• Communicate with residents, families, interdisciplinary team members, and other personnel.
• As applicable at GS-5, serve as a preceptor to new Nursing Assistants by helping coordinate orientation and overseeing or assessing their practical experience in a clinical setting.

Benefits

• Federal employees receive a comprehensive benefits package; eligibility depends on position type, and applicants are directed to contact the hiring agency for details.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level