SUMMARY

The Nursing Assistant (NA) position will be located in our Acute Care area. Will be providing a range of specialized personal nursing care to residents whose care may be impacted by psychiatric, medical, and geriatric conditions. The scope of care encompasses 24 hour, seven days a week responsibility and contributes to the functioning of all other services. Practice settings may include Acute Care, Urgent Care, and Mental Health.

QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.)
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by VA Handbook 5005, part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.
• Experience or Education or Training: 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 Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

EDUCATION

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Area of Consideration - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

• Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
• All other VA employees.
• All other applicants.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate’s abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

IF YOU ARE RELYING ON YOUR EDUCATION TO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

DUTIES

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional
Performs multi-step treatments and procedures requiring skills and extensive knowledge specific to resident conditions, medical treatment, and an understanding of the effects of the treatment. The work consists of providing a range of resident care and contributes to the completion of the treatment plan and recovery of residents. This can include: personal care, diagnostic support procedures, treatments, charting and resident teaching. The employee is required to recognize differences in a variety of situations and take appropriate action to meet the resident’s needs. Work involves assigned duties that require prioritization of tasks, selection of appropriate equipment, selection of the appropriate procedure for assigned treatments, and recognition of differences in resident’s medical condition to facilitate appropriate and accurate documentation.

Major duties of the position include:

• Appropriate support duties i.e., individualized patient care, proper implementation of policies and procedures, use of good body mechanics, and assist in application and operation of specialized functional equipment.
• Support duties for proper environmental maintenance such as identification of potential safety hazards.
• Providing care to patients as directed and serving as an integral member of the treatment team by motivating patients and redirecting their behavior toward treatment plan goals.
• Identifying and meeting the needs of patients for information and guidance in daily living.
• Promoting patient participation in therapeutic communities by fostering increased self-reliance and independence through education and involvement of their treatment plan.
• Reporting any changes in patient condition or behavior in a timely manner to the appropriate personnel on the ward.
• Encouraging patients to maintain self-care and monitoring their physical and emotional progress using the designated charting techniques; maintaining a safe and secure environment oriented toward future independent living; adhering to all Medical Center policies and procedures as directed.
• Able to adapt and use effective approaches in resident interactions to help prevent problem behaviors (including but not limited to withdrawal, agitation, yelling confusion, wandering or any behaviors this is physically or emotionally harmful to the resident or another person) Recognizes internal and external triggers that impact resident behavior. Collaborates with other nursing team members to set goals and establish consistency in nursing staff care to address residents’ problem behaviors.
• Is familiar with side effects of psychotropic medications and reports observation of to nurse.
• Respects residents’ rights. e.g., maintains privacy, confidentiality, and self-determination. Safeguards sensitive resident information. Adheres to safety policies and practices.
• Able to recognize mental illness and use appropriate techniques as taught, including individual and /or group therapy, to redirect behavior and promote resocialization of veterans.
• All other duties assigned.

Work Schedule: Day Shift with rotation; 5:45AM-6:15PM - 6 12-hour shifts and 1 8-hour shift per pay period; rotating days, weekends & holidays. Night Shift with rotation; 6:15pm - 5:45am - 6 12-hour shifts and 1 8-hour shift per pay period; rotating days, weekends & holidays.
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
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)
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: Nursing Assistant (NA) - Clinical Pathway, Acute Mental Health - GS 3,GS 4,GS5
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50’s (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcrip

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/04/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12786901.

• To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
• Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package