Nursing Assistant - Community Living Center

Veterans Health Administration • Fort Meade, SD

18h • Onsite

About The Position

This Nursing Assistant position is located in the VA Community Living Center at the Fort Meade campus of the VA Black Hills Health Care System in South Dakota. The role provides care to Veterans in varied settings. The Community Living Center’s mission is to restore Veterans to their highest possible level of well-being, prevent declines in health, and provide comfort at the end of life.

The Nursing Assistant provides daily personal care and safe, individualized support to Veterans with complex medical needs. The position assists nurses with treatments, procedures, and routine clinical tasks; performs basic diagnostic tasks; and accurately charts observations. The Nursing Assistant also supports patients’ physical, emotional, rehabilitative, and spiritual needs, helps prevent skin breakdown, promotes mobility and comfort, and maintains a safe environment while following established care protocols.

The schedule is a mix of day and night shifts, totaling 80 hours biweekly: six 12-hour shifts and one 8-hour shift. Day shifts are 6:00 AM–6:30 PM or 6:00 AM–2:30 PM; night shifts are 6:00 PM–6:30 AM or 10:00 PM–6:30 AM. Compressed/flexible scheduling is available. Telework and virtual work are not available. Recruitment or relocation incentives may be authorized for eligible, highly qualified applicants, with a required service agreement. Permanent Change of Station is not authorized.

The position offers competitive salary with regular increases, paid time off, potential credit toward annual leave accrual, paid parental leave after 12 months of employment, potential child care subsidy for eligible full-time employees, federal pension and 401(k), and federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance. Applicants must pass a pre-employment physical examination or evaluation. Basic Life Support certification is required; training is provided.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Meet the basic Nursing Assistant qualification through one of the following: six months of general experience demonstrating ability to acquire Nursing Assistant knowledge and skills; one year of related post-high-school education; or completion of an intensive, specialized, occupation-related Nursing Assistant training course of less than one year.
• For GS-4 selection, meet either one year of Nursing Assistant or other medical-field experience performing relevant technical and nursing skills, or two years of related education above high school; and demonstrate the specified patient-care, observation and escalation, equipment-use, and communication abilities.
• For GS-5 selection, meet either one year of progressively responsible experience equivalent to GS-4 in relevant nursing care, or a four-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with 24 related semester hours or a bachelor's degree; and demonstrate the specified nursing-care, communication and precepting, and emergency-response abilities.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification is required; training is provided.
• Pass a pre-employment physical examination or evaluation.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Meet background and security investigation requirements and complete the online onboarding process.
• Serve a 1- or 2-year trial period.
• Submit required education transcripts or training documentation when relying on education or training to qualify.

Responsibilities

• Provide daily personal care, including hygiene, comfort, nutrition, elimination, and skin-integrity support.
• Deliver safe, individualized care to Veterans with complex medical needs.
• Assist nurses with treatments, procedures, and routine clinical tasks.
• Perform basic diagnostic tasks and accurately chart observations.
• Support patients’ physical, emotional, rehabilitative, and spiritual needs.
• Help prevent skin breakdown and promote mobility and comfort.
• Prioritize and multitask effectively in a fast-paced care environment.
• Maintain a safe environment and follow established care protocols.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered for higher or unique qualifications or VA special needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid Federal holidays.
• Potential 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 birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
• Potential child care subsidy for eligible full-time employees after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility requirements.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting.
• 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.
• Recruitment or relocation incentive may be authorized for eligible, highly qualified applicants, with a required service agreement.

What This Job Offers

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