What are the responsibilities and job description for the Nursing Assistant- VA Community Living Center position at VA Nebraska-Western Iowa HCS - Omaha?
This Nursing Assistant position is located within the VA Community Living Center at CHI Midlands Hospital in Papillion, NE, providing care to Veterans receiving extended hospital care and short-term rehabilitation levels of care which includes help with activities of daily living, skilled nursing, and dementia care. The mission of a Community Living Center is to restore each Veteran to his or her highest level of well-being, to prevent declines in health, and provide comfort at the end of life.
Basic Requirements:
GS-03 - None beyond the basic requirements. NAs at this grade NAs are considered entry-level and are closely supervised.
GS-04 - To qualify at the GS-4 level you must meet the following:
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-5. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-5.
Physical requirements: This position requires some degree of fitness, strength, and agility. Duties require extensive periods of standing and walking. Working with patients requires regular and recurring bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, pushing, pulling, lifting arm overhead, and similar activities. If selected, you will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.
This position is located within a VA Community Living Center (CLC) at Papillion - CHI Midlands Hospital Campus, 11111 South 84th Street, Papillion, NE, on the 5th and 6th floors. VA Community Living Centers are a place where Veterans receive extended hospital care and short-term rehabilitation levels of care which includes help with activities of daily living, skilled nursing, and dementia care. This CLC has a total of 33-beds, providing services to eligible Veterans needing skilled healthcare, rehabilitation, or dementia/ neurocognitive support. Veterans stay for a short time (between 30-90 days).
Major Duties of the CLC Nursing Assistant include, but are not limited to:
Additional Pay:
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.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP): This occupational series is eligible for the Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP). Participants must sign a service agreement and maintain an acceptable level of performance to remain eligible for this program. Funding is limited; therefore, applications will be approved on a first-come basis.
Physical requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.
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:
- United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
- English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
- Experience, Education or Training. You must meet one of the following to meet the basic requirements for a Nursing Assistant (NA):
- Six (6) months of general experience. Experience must demonstrate the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills to perform the work of a NA; OR,
- One year of education above high school with courses related to the NA occupation; OR,
- 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.
GS-03 - None beyond the basic requirements. NAs at this grade NAs are considered entry-level and are closely supervised.
GS-04 - To qualify at the GS-4 level you must meet the following:
- EXPERIENCE: One (1) year of experience as a Nursing Assistant or in another medical field (licensed practical nurse, health technician, hospital corpsman, etc.), performing technical and nursing skills requiring knowledge of the human physical and emotional states, therapeutic communication, and technical skills required for basic and intermediate treatments. OR,
- EDUCATION: Successful completion of two (2) years above high school in an accredited institution with courses related to nursing care, health care or in a field of study appropriate to the specialization of the position, such as education in a program for psychology, psychiatric, or operating room technicians.
- Ability to provide a range of patient/resident care and contribute to the completion of the nurse care plan and recovery of patients/residents.
- Ability to observe patients/residents' or residents' physical or emotional status and refer deviations and/or problems to supervisor in a timely manner.
- Ability to properly use equipment, materials and supplies in simple diagnostic and treatment procedures such as bladder scan, continuous passive motion device, blood glucose monitoring machine, specimen collection, etc.
- Ability to communicate effectively with patients/residents, their families and other health professionals.
- EXPERIENCE: One (1) year of progressively responsible assignments and experience equivalent to the GS-4 level which demonstrates knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that are directly related to the specific assignment. Specialized experience includes but is not limited to functioning as a member of the nursing care team and assisting licensed nursing staff and other members of the care team in the full range of nursing care of patients/residents receiving outpatient care, home, or community living care or other patients/residents who are receiving preventative, acute, sub-acute, chronic, maintenance, and hospice care. OR,
- EDUCATION: Successful completion of 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree that included 24 semester hours of courses related to health care or possession of a bachelor's degree.
- 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.
- Ability to communicate orally with patients/residents, families, interdisciplinary team and other personnel. This includes serving as a preceptor to new NAs by assisting with the coordination of their orientation and overseeing/assessing their practical experience while in a clinical setting.
- 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.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-5. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-5.
Physical requirements: This position requires some degree of fitness, strength, and agility. Duties require extensive periods of standing and walking. Working with patients requires regular and recurring bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, pushing, pulling, lifting arm overhead, and similar activities. If selected, you will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.
Responsibilities:
Total Rewards of a Allied Health ProfessionalThis position is located within a VA Community Living Center (CLC) at Papillion - CHI Midlands Hospital Campus, 11111 South 84th Street, Papillion, NE, on the 5th and 6th floors. VA Community Living Centers are a place where Veterans receive extended hospital care and short-term rehabilitation levels of care which includes help with activities of daily living, skilled nursing, and dementia care. This CLC has a total of 33-beds, providing services to eligible Veterans needing skilled healthcare, rehabilitation, or dementia/ neurocognitive support. Veterans stay for a short time (between 30-90 days).
Major Duties of the CLC Nursing Assistant include, but are not limited to:
- Takes and records temperature, pulse, blood pressure, respirations, pulse oximetry, height and weight.
- Assists with activities related to bathing, shaving, feeding, oral hygiene, ambulation, and dressing.
- Performs basic procedures such as blood glucose testing and bladder scans.
- Sets up equipment such as oxygen tanks, suction canisters, and cardiac monitors.
- Escorts patients to different areas of the facility as needed.
- Assists the RN or LPN in the rehabilitation goals, positioning patients for bedside procedures or cares, and ensuring overall safety.
- Promotes Veteran participation in the therapeutic community by fostering self-reliance and independence.
- Recognizes and supports suicide prevention initiatives.
- Recognized emergency situations and initiates emergency procedures until help arrives.
- Documents the patients daily living activities in electronic patient record system.
- Interacts with patients' families, helping them to feel comfortable.
- Other duties as assigned.
Additional Pay:
- 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.
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.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP): This occupational series is eligible for the Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP). Participants must sign a service agreement and maintain an acceptable level of performance to remain eligible for this program. Funding is limited; therefore, applications will be approved on a first-come basis.
Physical requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.
Salary : $417