SUMMARY

This Nursing Assistant position is in the Specialty Care Service at the Boston VA Healthcare System located at the West Roxbury campus. This position is full-time, 40 hours per week.

QUALIFICATIONS

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement,09/17/2025 .

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

English Language Proficiency: Nursing Assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.
United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
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 Nursing Assistant;
OR,
One year above high school with courses related to the Nursing Assistant occupation;
OR,
Completion of an intensive, specialized, occupation-related course of study of less than one year as a nursing assistant may also meet in full the experience requirements for GS-3.To qualify for this position, you must meet the Basic Requirements as well as any additional grade-level qualification requirements.

MUST DEMONSTRATE THE FOLLOWING KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

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 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.
   Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients with assistance and transferring of objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. The incumbent must be able to navigate all areas of the facility. This position potentially requires flexibility in schedule and assignments, as this is a 24/7 Medical Center.
   Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
   The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-05. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-03 to GS-05.

EDUCATION

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

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

The purpose of this position is to serve as a Nursing Assistant, as a member of the Nurse Service team and assist 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/residents who are in acute, sub-acute, or chronic states of illness. All duties performed will be provided under close supervision/ direction of a Licensed Practical Nurse or RN and refer issues/questions to supervisors or other healthcare professionals. Depending on grade and assignment duties may include but are not limited to:

• Provides care to acutely ill patients including baths, personal hygiene, nutrition/feeding, elimination, intake and output.
• Assists with all activities of daily living (ADL).
• May initiate and assist with CPR per hospital policy.
• Practices under the model of Patient Centered Care while exhibiting the ICARE values.
• Maintains full patient confidentiality.
• Participates in the admission, transfer and discharge of patients.
• Prepares patient care rooms for admissions or transfers; Assists with removing patient specific items from the room at discharge.
• Supports and assists patient with turning, moving, or transferring from bed to chair, commode etc. and utilize lift equipment to practice safe patient handling.
• Performs assigned clinical procedures, such as; application of External Urinary Device’s (EUD) and colostomy bags, unsterile soaks and compresses, hot and cold applications, elastic hose, binders, bladder scanning, and oral suctioning.
• Performs assigned technical procedures, such as blood glucose monitoring and quality controls, EKG’s, taking and recording blood pressure, temperature, pulse, respiration, height, weight, incentive spirometer, collecting specimens, such as expectorated sputum, feces, urine-voided midstream and drainage collection bag.
• Documents vital signs, nursing care and belongings inventory list in the electronic medical record and on appropriate flow sheet.
• Assists the physician or nurse with diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
• As directed provides assistance with transporting patients independently from tests, procedures and appointments.
• Provides care for behavioral ill or restrained patients. Assignments may include restraint monitoring, safety monitoring and/or require physical checks every 15 minutes.
• Observes patient receiving I.V. fluids and reports swelling, pain and or wetness at the needle site.
• Observes patient and reports changes in appearance, including physical and emotional reactions and reports to RN/LPN.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.
Work Schedule:Full time and various shifts; will be discussed with hiring official.
Functional Statement #PDF04773, PDF02834, and PDF02835
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required
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)

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 (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Other (1)
• PCS Orders
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• 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 09/17/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12789096.

• 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