Summary

These Nursing Assistant position are in the Emergency - Intensive Care/Special Care Unit - Mental Health - Primary Care - Sensory and Rehab - Geriatrics Extended Care - Acute Care - Nursing Specialty Care - Operating Room - Inpatient Float Pool - Medicine Clinic/Surgical Clinic/Med Surge services at the VA Maine Medical Center and Clinics in Lewiston - Portland - Rumford - Lincoln - Calais - Bangor and Presque Isle locations. This position is full-time at 40 hours per week.

Qualifications

Additional information from Duties: Notifications: Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50 - (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title - series - grade - step - tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases - more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. This position is a AFGE Bargaining Unit position. This position is covered by a special rate. This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay. Narrative responses to the knowledge - skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment. Due to a critical staffing shortage - 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference for this job announcement. Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Nursing Assistant - vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Nursing-Assistant-Career-Flyer.pdf 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
• 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 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. 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: Experience and Education
• None beyond the basic requirements
• GS-4: 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 Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition - the candidate must 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
• (Full Performance Level)
• 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 KSA 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)
• 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
• References: VA Handbook 5005 - Part II Appendix G46 Nursing Assistant Qualification Standard
• 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
• Physical Requirements: Work involves varying periods of sitting - standing and walking
• Working with Veterans/residents requires bending - stooping - teaching - lifting - balancing - kneeling - pushing - i.e. - wheelchairs - geri-chairs - litters and similar activities
• Also - it may be necessary to perform such activities as CPR and psychiatric intervention at a unit-specific level
• This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Duties

• This announcement is intended to fill current and future vacancies under various service lines at the VA Maine Healthcare System
• The presence of a location does not necessarily indicate a current vacancy
• Available shifts could be days - evenings - nights - or include weekends/holidays to cover shortages or high patient volume
• Shift changes will be considered based on patient and facility needs
• Nursing Assistants function as a member of the nursing care 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
• The significant factor is that they provide care under close supervision and refer issues/questions to supervisors or other healthcare professionals
• Depending on grade and assignment duties may include but are not limited to: Under the direction of the RN the NA provides care to acutely ill patients including baths - personal hygiene - nutrition/feeding - elimination - intake and output
• Including assisting with all activities of daily living (ADL)
• Under the direction of the RN the NA 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
• Performs active and passive range of motion exercises
• Supports and assists patient with turning - moving - or transferring from bed to chair - commode etc
• The NA will maintain competency and utilize lift equipment to practice safe patient handling
• Assists with postmortem care of the body after death and transport of the body to the morgue
• 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
• Practices techniques and principles of medical asepsis and infection control - (e.g. - hand hygiene) - care of linen - transmission precautions - etc
• Must be aware of and actively practice principles of universal precautions
• As directed provides assistance with transporting patients that are not critically ill independently from tests - procedures and appointments
• Provides care for behavioral ill or restrained patients - to include but not limited to - those who are: suicidal - homicidal - interfere with medical devices - confused - have poor judgment or require 1:1 monitoring
• Assignments may include restraint monitoring - safety monitoring and/or require physical checks every 15 minutes
• Performs duties required of video monitoring patients
• including management of the call system and role of the rounding NA
• 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
• Reports patient complaint of pain to RN/LPN
• Functions as a \"Safety Monitor\" for patients who need close observation
• Safety Monitor assignment includes providing care (baths - personal hygiene - feeding - elimination and intake and output) for patient and preventing patient from injury or interfering with the treatment by pulling out lines/IVs
• Maintains constant supervision
• Work Schedule: May be scheduled to days - evenings - nights - weekends - holidays - and off-tours to support facility needs
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 00000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized THIS OPEN & CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT ESTABLISHES A STANDING REGISTER OF ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS - which closes on May 30 - 2025
• The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be November 25 - 2024 with subsequent reviews every other week as additional vacancies occur - or on an as-needed basis - until positions are filled
• Please see the \"What To Expect Next\" area of the announcement which provides additional information on the referral process for this type of announcement
• This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies