Nursing Assistant Acute Mental Health

The Nursing Assistant is considered to be at the intermediate or developmental level and is closely supervised. The NA is learning to provide complex nursing care independently as a member of the nursing care team by assisting higher-graded licensed nursing staff and other members of the care team. The significant factor is that they provide care under close supervision are learning to perform complex nursing skills and will refer issues/questions to supervisors higher-graded licensed nursing staff or other healthcare professionals.

Major Duties include but not limited to:

1. Becoming proficient with maintaining positive therapeutic relationships by displaying respect for human dignity with patients families and/or significant others utilizing communication skills.
2. Utilize observation skills for data collection reporting and recording.
3. Participate in patient centered conferences/shift reports and contributing information for the development and review of the nursing care plan.
4. Maintain a therapeutic environment for patients according to established procedures and policies by reporting actual or potential accidents fire hazards and faulty equipment.
5. Competent with performing aspects of nursing care to meet patients/resident needs for:

• a. Personal Hygiene
• b. Physical Comfort
• c. Activity Exercise. Rest
• d. Nutrition
• e. Elimination
• f. Prevention of Skin Breakdown
• g. Rehabilitative Aspects of Care

6. Performing and documenting prescribed medical treatment and interventions for patients such as diabetic urine testing and blood testing simple dressing changes.
7. Learning to be proficient with utilizing rehabilitative principles to promote patient independence and recovery encouraging and guiding patient/residents in bowel and bladder training.
8. Engaging in-group activities such as off-station trips reality orientation current events and other therapeutic groups with direction and close supervision.
9. Monitors patients according to levels of observations i.e. (one to one suicide continuous observation q 15-minute checks and hourly rounding.
10. Monitors Veterans who may be at risk for harming themselves and or others according to established policies and procedures and appropriately refers issues to the charge nurse or other health care professional.
11. Utilizes principles of proper body mechanics while caring for patients.
12. Reports patient status to the RN and documents pertinent observations in the medical record according to established procedures.
13. Sets up patient care related equipment such as hypothermia machines oxygen delivery systems portable and wall suction and assisting in monitoring proper functioning of equipment.
14. Utilizes glucose monitoring machine to collect glucose values on veterans when needed and refer deviations to appropriate nursing staff or other health care providers.
15. Organizing and obtaining routine supplies and equipment.
16. Assisting with patient education including orienting patient/family to unit routines and policies.
17. Working as a cooperative courteous member of the interdisciplinary team.
18. Safeguarding the patients right to privacy by judiciously protecting information of a confidential nature.
19. Utilizes principles of proper body mechanics and follows procedures for use of patient care equipment to prevent injury.
20. Begin to orient lower-level nursing assistants.

Work Schedule: 2 Available Shifts:

• Days with rotation 7:30am - 4:00pm. This tour may include weekends and holidays.
• Midnight to 8:00am which may include weekends and holidays.

Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #:
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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 drivers 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.

• 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.

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:

• a. Citizenship. 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.
• b. 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 NA; or
  • (2) One year of education above high school with courses related to the NA occupation; OR
  • (3) Completion of an intensive specialized occupation-related training course of study or program of less than one year as a NA may also meeting full the experience requirements for GS-3.
• c. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.
• d. English Language Proficiency. NAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 part II chapter 3 section A paragraph 3j.
• e. Grandfathering Provisions: 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). All NAs employed in VHA on the effective date of this qualification standard 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 re-entry to the occupation.

• a. Creditable Experience.
  • (1) Knowledge of Current Practice. To be creditable the experience must have required the use of knowledge skills and abilities associated with the current practice.
  • (2) Quality of Experience. To be creditable NA experience must be documented on the application or resume and verified in an employment reference or through other independent means.
  • (3) Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as a NA is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example a NA employed 20 hours a week or on a 1/2-time basis would receive 1 full-time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service.
• b. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.
  • GS-3 NA (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 NA
    • (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:
      • i - Ability to provide a range of patient/resident care and contribute to the completion of the nurse care plan and recovery of patients/residents.
      • ii - Ability to observe patients/residents or residents physical or emotional status and refer deviations and/or problems to supervisor in a timely manner.
      • iii - 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.
      • iv - Ability to communicate effectively with patients/residents their families and other health professionals.
  • GS-5 NA (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 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 bachelors degree that included 24 semester hours of courses related to health care or possession of a bachelors degree; AND
    • (c) Demonstrated KSAs.
      • i - 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.
      • ii - 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.
      • iii - 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.