Nursing Assistant (Geriatrics and Extended Care)

Veterans Health Administration • Wilkes Barre, PA

20h • Onsite

About The Position

The Nursing Assistant works in Geriatrics and Extended Care as a member of the nursing care team, providing complex nursing care and assisting other Nursing Assistants, licensed nursing staff, and other care team members. Duties may be performed in a variety of settings, including outpatient, inpatient, home or community living care, and acute or sub-acute care. The position provides care to patients and residents with acute or chronic conditions.

The Nursing Assistant maintains therapeutic relationships with patients, families, and significant others; observes, collects, reports, and records patient information; and contributes to care planning through patient-centered conferences, shift reports, and treatment-team meetings. The role includes monitoring patients at designated observation levels, supporting therapeutic activities, maintaining a safe and therapeutic environment, and reporting patient status and safety concerns. The Nursing Assistant may also serve as a preceptor and mentor to other Nursing Assistants and appropriately respond to patient behavior and emergent care situations.

The work schedule is 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with rotation that includes weekends and holidays. This is not a virtual or telework position. The full performance level is GS-5; selection may be at GS-3 through GS-5.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Meet one of the basic qualification routes: six months of general experience demonstrating ability to acquire Nursing Assistant knowledge and skills; one year of post-high-school education with courses related to the occupation; or completion of an intensive, specialized, occupation-related Nursing Assistant training course or program of less than one year. A qualifying VA grandfathering provision may also apply to eligible current VHA employees.
• For GS-4 qualification, either one year of specialized Nursing Assistant or other medical-field experience at the specified level, or two years of relevant post-high-school education, and the specified knowledge, skills, and abilities in patient care, observation and timely referral, equipment use, and communication.
• For GS-5 qualification, either one year of progressively responsible experience equivalent to GS-4 with directly related knowledge, skills, and abilities, or a bachelor's degree with 24 semester hours of health-care-related coursework or a bachelor's degree, and the specified professional knowledge, skills, and abilities in nursing care, communication and precepting, and emergency response.
• Pass a pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Meet applicable background and security investigation requirements and complete the online onboarding process and application requirements.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as a VA health care personnel requirement.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must meet Selective Service registration requirements.
• Work a 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. schedule with rotation that includes weekends and holidays.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain positive therapeutic relationships by treating patients, families, and significant others with respect and using effective communication.
• Use observation skills to collect, report, and record patient data and pertinent observations in the medical record.
• Participate in patient-centered conferences and shift reports, contribute information to the development and review of nursing care plans, and provide patient information to the treatment team.
• Maintain a safe therapeutic environment by reporting actual or potential accidents, fire hazards, and faulty equipment.
• Engage patients in group activities, including off-station trips, reality orientation, current events, and other therapeutic groups.
• Monitor patients according to assigned observation levels, including one-to-one suicide observation, continuous observation, 15-minute checks, and hourly rounding.
• Monitor Veterans who may be at risk of harming themselves or others, follow established procedures, and refer concerns to the charge nurse or another health care professional.
• Organize and obtain routine supplies and equipment.
• Remove defective equipment, report hazards, follow safety regulations, contribute to infection control, and use proper aseptic technique.
• Serve as a preceptor and mentor to other Nursing Assistants and orient health care team members to units as appropriate.
• Manage and respond to patient behavior, appropriately intervening and requesting assistance from other health care team members.
• Initiate basic life support and take appropriate action in emergent situations.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 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.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a child care subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility limits.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and federal 401(k) contributions of up to 5%.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance programs; 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