Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent Department of Veterans Affairs employees, current permanent Federal employees of other agencies, current/past/upcoming VHA Health Professions Trainee (HPT) Graduates and and all US Citizens. Veterans' preference is not applicable for this occupational series. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

Total Rewards - Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

• Provides direct care across outpatient, inpatient, home, community living, acute, sub-acute, Medical-Surgical, Telemetry, and Rehabilitation settings.
• Supports Veterans with acute to chronic conditions under direction of licensed healthcare staff.
• Assists with daily living needs: hygiene, comfort, mobility, exercise, rest, nutrition, elimination, skin integrity, and rehabilitative care.
• Uses observation skills to collect, report, and record physical, emotional, and behavioral data; promptly refers changes to nursing staff.
• Maintains therapeutic relationships through respectful communication with Veterans, families, and interdisciplinary team members.
• Measures and records vital signs, height, weight, intake/output, and collects non-sterile specimens.
• Utilizes patient-care equipment including glucose monitors, bladder scanners, lifting devices, oxygen systems, suction equipment, and other required technology.
• Sets up, organizes, and maintains patient-care supplies and equipment; ensures clean, safe, and therapeutic environments.
• Follows infection control practices, proper body mechanics, Safe Veteran Handling, and all safety regulations.
• Monitors Veterans according to assigned observation levels, including remote observation, preventing harm and supporting behavioral safety needs.
• Provides supportive care to critically or terminally ill Veterans and offers emotional support to families.
• Participates in treatment planning, shift reports, care conferences, team meetings, and huddles.
• Promotes Veteran independence through rehabilitative principles, limit setting, education, and individualized care.
• Recognizes emergent situations and initiates basic life support and appropriate interventions.
• Engages in therapeutic groups, reality orientation, and activity-based interventions.- Documents observations, care delivered, and patient responses accurately in the Electronic Medical Record.
• Maintains confidentiality in verbal, written, and electronic communication.
• Uses resources responsibly; adheres to environmental safety procedures, including GEMS initiatives; completes equipment checks.
• Completes mandatory training, annual competencies, and unit-based education; seeks feedback and self-directs improvement.
• May precept new Nursing Assistants and support orientation of team members.
• Functions collaboratively within the interdisciplinary healthcare team.

Work Schedule: Full-time, 12-hour Day Shift: 7:30am - 8:00pm or 12-hour Night Shift: 7:30pm - 8:00am. Both shifts work alternating weekends and holidays.
Compressed/Flexible:Available
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 #: 55018-A, 55019-A, 55020-A

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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification 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

Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

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 - To qualify for employment as a VHA Nursing Assistant (NA), all applicants must meet the following basic requirements:

Citizenship

• Must be a 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.

Experience or Education or Training

1. 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
2. One year of education above high school with courses related to the Nursing Assistant occupation; OR
3. Completion of an intensive, specialized, occupation-related training course or program of less than one year as a Nursing Assistant may also meet in full the experience requirements for GS-3.

Grandfathering Provision

• 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).

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.

GRADE DETERMINATIONS - In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

GS-3 Nursing Assistant (Entry Level)

• Experience and Education: None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-4 Nursing Assistant

• Experience or Education:
  1. One year of specialized experience as a Nursing Assistant 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
  2. Successful completion of 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;
• 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 residents' physical or emotional status and 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 Nursing Assistant (Full Performance Level)

• Experience or Education:
  1. 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
  2. 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.
• 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 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 Nursing Assistants 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 the need for basic life support, controlling bleeding, and assisting with behavior crises, etc.

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-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 a level of physical activity commonly associated with nursing assistant duties, such as direct patient care and potentially prolonged periods of walking, standing, sitting, moderate lifting, repeated bending, or kneeling. Employees are expected to spend significant amounts of time assisting patients while standing, and must adhere to safe patient handling and mobility protocols as outlined in VA Handbook 5019 and local nursing assistant physical standards. Position-specific duties and expectations are detailed in the associated competency document, and should be performed only once competency has been validated. Flexibility in scheduling and assignments may also be necessary to meet the demands of this role.

How you will be evaluated

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

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.

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

1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
2. All other VA employees.
3. Current permanent Federal employees of other agencies.