Nursing Assistant

Summary This position is assigned to the Nursing Service at the VA Augusta Health Care System (VAAHCS) located in Augusta, Georgia. The Nursing Assistant performs a very wide range of patient personal care, diagnostic services, treatment, and charting activities on a regular and continuous basis in a surgical, medical, neurological, rehabilitation, psychiatric or long-term care ward. Responsibilities Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Performs variety of personal nursing care such as obtaining vital signs, feeding, bathing, toileting, lifting, turning, oral care, nail care, hair care, and related personal hygiene duties. Uses Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) / Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (Vista) effectively to record document patient care information. Promotes a culture of safety for staff members and patient care through complying with facility and unit policies and procedures. Provides enhanced safety monitoring of patients on close observation, line of sight, or 1 : 1 monitoring per facility policy. Maintains standards of infection control, cleanliness and safety in patient environment. Performs simple procedures such as blood glucose monitoring. Performs advanced therapeutic measures in such a manner that established policy and procedure is maintained and quality patient care results. Performs range of motion activities, bed mobility, and transfer in and out of bed. Recognizes medical and behavioral emergency situations and initiates appropriate immediate action according to established policies and procedures, including performance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Monitors the administration of intravenous solutions and report to the nurse when the intravenous fluids are running low. Work Schedule : Night Shift; 7 : 00 pm until 7 : 30 am, Six (6) Days per pay period; 11 : 00 pm until 7 : 30 am One (1) day per pay period; with Weekends & Holidays Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus) : Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance) : Not Authorized Pay : Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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) 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 # : 55038F; 55039F; 55040F Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12 / 31 / 1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background / security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider : your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. 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. 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 stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade. GS-3 : (Entry Level) (a) Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements. (b) Assignments. Individuals assigned as GS-3 NAs are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised. GS-4 : (a) Experience. One year of specialized experience as a NA or experience 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, (b) Education. Successful completion of 2 years above high school in an accredited institution with courses related to nursing care, healthcare 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; AND (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs : 1. Ability to provide a range of patient / resident care and contribute to the completion of the nurse care plan and recovery of patients / residents. 2. Ability to observe patients / residents or resident's physical or emotional status of refer deviations and / or problems to supervisor in a timely manner. 3. 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. 4. Ability to communicate effectively with patients / residents, their families and other health professionals. GS-5 : (Full Performance Level) (a) Experience. One year of progressively responsible assignments and experience equivalent to the GS-4 level which demonstrates knowledge, skills, and abilities that are directly related to the specific assignment. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the professional KSAs in subparagraph (c) below; OR, (b) Education. Successful completion of a 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; AND (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs : 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 Vocation 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 nursing assistants by assisting with 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. Preferred Experience : None Reference : Nursing Assistant Qualification Standard GS-621 Veterans Health Administration, VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G46.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-5.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. Physical Requirements : See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. 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 : 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 : Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration / Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA / OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.