Nursing Assistant - Community Living Center

Department of Veterans Affairs•Fort Meade, SD

67d•Onsite

About The Position

This Nursing Assistant (NA) position is located at the Fort Meade VA Medical Center, Community Living Center in Fort Meade, SD. The NA functions as a member of a professional nursing care team, assisting licensed nursing staff in the care of Veterans receiving preventative, acute, sub-acute chronic, maintenance, and hospice care. Patient assignments involve both basic and more complex nursing care within a range of predictable to unpredictable requirements. A VA Community Living Center (CLC) is a VA Nursing Home. CLCs serve Veterans of all ages, and most times are for short stays after being discharged from the hospital. It is a place where Veterans can receive nursing home level of care, which includes help with activities of daily living and skilled nursing and medical care.

Responsibilities

Performs basic patient care activities and duties as assigned, such as taking vitals and recording measurements.
Collects, labels, and delivers laboratory specimens.
Makes observations of subtle changes in resident's condition, i.e. behavior shifts, mood, skin coloring, appetite, etc. and takes action accordingly within the NA's assigned role.
Documents care given, observations and responses on appropriate tools or forms.
Responds appropriately to subtle patient changes by contacting the appropriate nursing personal.
Administers complete tracheostomy care, including suctioning.
Monitors and documents patient intake and output, reporting deviations timely and accurately.
Performs nursing procedures within scope of practice and according to policies and standard procedures to care for the veteran for such procedures but not limited to: enemas, catheterization, colostomy care, skin care simple dressing, application of braces and prosthetic devices, etc.
Works on small group activities with veterans/residents according to the patient/resident treatment plan.
Recognizes the residents' autonomy and promotes independence by means of respect, limit setting and individualized treatment.
Actively participates in Treatment Planning Meetings.
Utilizes equipment to promote the veteran self-care such as lift equipment, hydrosound tubs, and Veteran/resident wandering system.
Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

Shift Differential - 10% of basic pay for work performed during regularly scheduled hours between 6pm and 6am.
Weekend Premium - 25% of basic pay for work performed between the hours of midnight Friday and midnight Sunday. This includes continuous service connected to work performed during these hours.
Holiday Pay - 2 times basic hourly rate for regularly scheduled, non-overtime work on a designated holiday.
Compressed/Flexible:Available.
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
Paid Time Off: 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). Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
Parental Leave: 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.
Child Care Subsidy: 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.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)