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Nursing Assistant (Med Surg 4 East)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Greater Los Angeles VA Health Care System is seeking 1 Nursing Assistant (NA) in Nursing Service for West Los Angeles Medical Surgical 4 East. Located in Los Angeles CA.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
08/12/2022 to 08/25/2022
Salary
$33,067 to - $53,988 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 3 - 5
Location
Los Angeles, CA
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CBSX-11597057-22-JR
Control number
669753200

Duties

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???These positions are located within Nursing Service at the Greater Los Angeles VA Health Care System. There are openings in the Emergency Department, Float Pool, Medical and Surgical and GRC Units. As a Nursing Assistant, you will function as a member of the Nursing Care Team and assist licensed nursing staff in the care of Veteran patients who are in an acute, sub-acute or chronic state of illness. Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Monitor vital signs and perform EKG, upper airway suctioning and routine diagnostic tests to patients,
  • Assist physician and nurse in the care and treatment of the ill receiving medical, surgical, psychiatric or outpatient treatment.
  • Assist physician and nurse in the performance of diagnostic examinations by setting up of various types of complex medical equipment, e.g. respirators, surgical wound suction equipment, and traction, etc.
  • Assist physician in a variety of diagnostic examination such as lumbar puncture, minor surgical procedures, pap smears, bone marrows, and insertion of chest tubes.
  • Report the observations of the changes in patient behavior, bodily complaints and the condition of acute or chronic phase patients such as excessive vomiting, bleeding, type and amount of drainage, skin integrity and patency of airway.
  • Recognize emergency situations and intervene while awaiting assistance.
  • Enter specific information onto the patients' records or charts.
  • Identify and report data relative to more complex patient situation including subtle changes in patients' behavior or condition.
  • Teach patient and family member the necessity to continue the procedures for proper health care and after-care instructions. Performs patient care duties, ranging from routine to moderately specialized within patient care units;
  • Answers patient call signals, signal lights, bells or intercom systems to determine patients' needs;
  • Collects specimens, such as urine, feces, or sputum;
  • Communicates with patients to ascertain feelings or need for assistance or social and emotional support;
  • Documents or reports observations of patient behavior, complaints or physical symptoms to nurses;
  • Gathers information from caregivers, nurses or physicians about patient condition, treatment plans, or appropriate activities;
  • Measures and records food and liquid intake or urinary and fecal output and reports changes to medical or nursing staff;
  • Observes or examines patients to detect symptoms that may require medical attention, such as bruises, open wounds or blood in urine;
  • Provides physical support to assist patients to perform daily living activities;
  • Records patient's weight, vital signs, such as temperature, blood pressure, pule or respiration rate, as directed by medical or nursing staff;
  • Exercises patients who are comatose, paralyzed or have restricted mobility, turn or reposition bedridden patients;
  • Explains medical instructions to patient and/or family members;
  • Follows safe patient handling guidelines when lifting or moving patient on or off beds, examination tables, surgical tables or stretchers;
  • Transports specimens, laboratory items, or pharmacy items, ensures proper documentation and delivery to authorized personnel;
  • Participates with nurses in developing and implementing a plan of care.
Preferred Experience:
  • At least one year of direct patient care experience in a hospital or nursing home setting.
  • CPR Experience and current BLS card.
WORK SCHEDULE: Full-Time, 7:30 to 8:00 pm. May include Weekends and Holidays. 12 Hours Shifts depending on the needs of the unit. The employees in these positions will rotate between day, evening, and night shifts as needed to ensure staffing coverage as well as rotating weekends and holidays as assigned.




Requirements

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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.
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period.
  • Subject to background/security investigation.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
  • Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
  • Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

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.
  • Education or Training. The candidate must have one year above high school with courses related to the Nursing Assistant occupation. 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.
  • English Language Proficiency. Nursing Assistants appointed to direct patient-care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d)
Grade Determinations:
  • GS-3 (Entry Level). There is no additional experience or education requirements beyond the basic requirements.
  • GS-4 Experience/Education:
    • 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
    • Education: 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; AND demonstrate the following KSAs:
      • 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 resident's 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.
  • GS-5 Experience/Education: This is the full performance level for Nursing Assistants. Nursing Assistants at this grade level function as a member of the nursing care team and assist licensed nursing staff 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. The distinguishing factor is that patient/resident assignments typically involve more complex nursing needs which can vary within a range of predictable to unpredictable requirements. Nursing Assistants at this level also assume more of a peer education/mentorship role.
    • 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
    • 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 Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
      • 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 Nursing Assistants 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.
Grandfathering Provisions. All Nursing Assistants employed in VHA as of March 12, 2015 are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the series and grade held that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
  1. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
  2. If an employee who was retained (grandfathered) under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status of the grandfathering provision and must meet the full VA qualification standard basic requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.
References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G46, Nursing Assistant Qualification Standard.

Physical Requirements: Work requires walking, standing, stooping, lifting, bending, pushing, turning, and at times carrying heavy loads. Must be able to utilize good body mechanics and have stamina to withstand stress.

Education

IMPORTANT: 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.

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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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.

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.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a VA job announcement includes language requiring applicants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply to this Job Announcement. VA may request information regarding your vaccination status, if selected, for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.


Due to COVID-19, VA is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement. Management officials will provide information about returning to the official, pre-pandemic worksite, when applicable. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework depending upon the terms of your organization's telework policy and the duties of the position.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

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, résumé, 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.

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.

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