Nursing Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • Cincinnati, OH

10d • Onsite

About The Position

The Cincinnati VA Medical Center is looking for a Nursing Assistant who serves as a member of the nursing team, rotating weekend & holidays. The applicant will give direct patient care to Veteran's who may require medical and/or psychiatric nursing care under the indirect supervision of the registered nurse. The Nursing Assistant provides a range of care to the Veteran's in a variety of health care settings such as outpatient, inpatient, home or community living care, acute and sub-acute.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.
• Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment evaluation.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
• Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: NAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3.
• Education or Training: (1) [Six months of general experience. Experience must demonstrate the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills to perform the work of a NA; OR,] (2) One year of education above high school with courses related to the NA occupation; OR, (3) Completion of an intensive, specialized, occupation-related [training] course of study [or program] of less than one year as a NA may also meet in full the experience requirements for GS-3.
• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).
• GRADE REQUIREMENTS a. Creditable Experience. (1) Knowledge of Current Practice. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with the current practice.
• (2) Quality of Experience. To be creditable, NA experience must be documented on the application or resume and verified in an employment reference, or through other independent means.
• (3) Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as a NA is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek.
• b. Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.
• (1) GS-3 NA (Entry Level) (a) Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements.
• (b) Assignments. Individuals assigned as GS-3 NAs are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised.
• (2) GS-4 NA (a) Experience. One year of specialized experience as a NA or experience in another medical field (licensed practical nurse, health technician, hospital corpsman, etc.), performing technical and nursing skills requiring knowledge of the human physical and emotional states, therapeutic communication, and technical skills required for basic and intermediate treatments; OR (b) Education. Successful completion of 2 years above high school in an accredited institution with courses related to nursing care, health care or in a field of study appropriate to the specialization of the position, such as education in a program for psychology, psychiatric, or operating room technicians; AND (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. Ability to provide a range of patient/resident care and contribute to the completion of the nurse care plan and recovery of patients/residents. 2. Ability to observe patients/residents' or resident's physical or emotional status and refer deviations and/or problems to supervisor in a timely manner. 3. Ability to properly use equipment, materials and supplies in simple diagnostic and treatment procedures such as bladder scan, continuous passive motion device, blood glucose monitoring machine, specimen collection, etc. 4. Ability to communicate effectively with patients/residents, their families and other health professionals.
• Assignment. 1. Individuals assigned as GS-4 NAs are considered to be at the intermediate or developmental level and are closely supervised.
• 2. In this role, the NA functions as a member of the nursing care team and assists higher graded NAs, licensed nursing staff, and other members of the care team in the care of patients/residents receiving outpatient care, home or community living care, or other patients who are in acute, sub-acute, or chronic states of illness.
• (3) GS-5 NA (Full Performance Level). (a) Experience. One year of progressively responsible assignments and experience equivalent to the GS-4 level which demonstrates knowledge, skills, and abilities that are directly related to the specific assignment. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the professional KSAs in subparagraph (c) below; OR (b) Education. Successful completion of a 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree that included 24 semester hours of courses related to health care or possession of a bachelor's degree; AND (c) Demonstrated KSAs. 1. Ability to assist in the full range of nursing care to patients/residents with physical and/or behavioral problems in a hospital, long-term care or outpatient setting under the direction of a Registered Nurse and/or Licensed Vocational Nurse/Licensed Practical Nurse. 2. Ability to communicate orally with patients/residents, families, interdisciplinary team and other personnel. This includes serving as a preceptor to new NAs by assisting with the coordination of their orientation and overseeing/assessing their practical experience while in a clinical setting. 3. Ability to recognize and react to emergent patient/resident care situations and intervene while waiting for assistance. For example, recognizing need for basic life support, controlling bleeding and assisting with behavior crisis, etc.
• (d) Assignment. This is the full performance level for NAs. NAs at this grade level function as a member of the nursing care team and assist licensed nursing staff in the care of patients/residents receiving outpatient care, home or community living care or other patients/residents who are in acute, sub acute or chronic states of illness. The distinguishing factor is that patient/resident assignments typically involve more complex nursing needs which can vary within a range of predictable to unpredictable requirements. NAs at this level also assume more of a peer education/mentorship role.
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ .

Nice To Haves

• Acute care experience.

Responsibilities

• Provides care and/or services appropriate to the age of the patients being served, and which is appropriate to the cognitive; emotional, and chronological maturation of the patient.
• Uses proper safety practices.
• Begins to utilize observation skills for data collection, reporting and recording patient/resident observations.
• Maintains a positive therapeutic relationship by displaying respect for human dignity with patients, families and/or significant others utilizing learned communication skills.
• Learns perform aspects of nursing care to meet patient's needs for the following under close supervision and with direction/guidance from a preceptor: a. Personal Hygiene b. Physical comfort c. Activity, Exercise, Rest d. Nutrition e. Elimination f. Prevention of Skin Breakdown g. Rehabilitative Aspects of Care.
• Monitors Veterans who may be at risk for harming themselves and or others according to established policies and procedures and appropriately refers issues to the charge nurse or other health care professional.
• Utilizes glucose monitoring machine to collect glucose values on veterans when needed and refer deviations to appropriate nursing staff or other health care providers.
• Performs and documents prescribed medical treatment and interventions for patients, such as diabetic urine testing and blood testing, simple dressing changes.
• Work as a cooperative member of the interdisciplinary team.
• Organizes and obtains routine supplies and equipment.
• Assists in the full range of nursing care to patients/residents with physical and/or behavioral problems in a hospital, long term care or outpatient setting under the direction of a Registered Nurse and/or Licensed Vocational Nurse/Licensed Practical Nurse.
• Communicates orally with patients/residents, families, interdisciplinary team and other personnel.
• Serves as a preceptor to new NAs by assisting with the coordination of their orientation and overseeing/assessing their practical experience while in a clinical setting.
• Recognizes and reacts to emergent patient/resident care situations and intervenes while waiting for assistance. For example, recognizing need for basic life support, controlling bleeding and assisting with behavior crisis, etc.
• Documents care given, observations and responses on appropriate tools or forms.
• Works on small group activities with veterans/residents according to the patients/resident treatment plan.
• Makes observations of subtle changes in resident's condition, i.e. behavior shifts, mood, skin coloring, appetite, etc. and takes action accordingly within the Nursing Assistants assigned role.
• Removes defective equipment, reports hazards, observes safety regulations, contributes to infection control, and utilizes proper aseptic technique in performance of duties.
• Completes all mandatory training within appropriate timelines.
• Actively participates in annual competency assessment and validation.

Benefits

• 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year).
• After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
• After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66 .
• Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
• Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (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