Nursing Assistant Position
This Nursing Assistant position functions as a member of the nursing team at the VA Community Living Center, located within the Midlands Hospital, Papillion, NE. VA Community Living Centers provide extended hospital care and short-term rehabilitation to Veterans, including assistance with daily living activities, skilled nursing, and dementia care.
Major duties include, but are not limited to :
- Taking and recording vital signs
- Assisting with activities such as bathing, shaving, feeding, and dressing
- Performing basic procedures like blood glucose testing and bladder scans
- Setting up equipment such as oxygen tanks and cardiac monitors
- Escort patients to different areas of the facility
- Assisting the RN or LPN in rehabilitation goals and patient safety
- Promoting Veteran participation in the therapeutic community
- Recognizing and supporting suicide prevention initiatives
- Responding to patient emergencies and initiating life-saving measures
- Documenting patients' daily living activities
- Interacting with patients' families to make them feel comfortable
Work Schedule : Sunday-Saturday, day / night shifts, 8 or 12-hour shifts. Rotating weekends and holidays are required. Work is scheduled between 6 a.m. - 6 : 30 a.m. and 6 p.m. and 6 : 30 a.m.
Additional Pay : Shift Differential - 10% of basic pay for work performed during regularly scheduled hours between 6pm and 6am. Weekend Premium - 25% of basic pay for work performed between the hours of midnight Friday and midnight Sunday. This includes continuous service connected to work performed during these hours. Holiday Pay - 2 times basic hourly rate for regularly scheduled, non-overtime work on a designated holiday.
Requirements :
You must be a U.S. CitizenAll applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.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 trial period.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.Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required. Training provided.Must pass pre-employment physical examination.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.Grade Determinations :
GS-03 - None beyond the basic requirements.NAs at this grade are considered entry-level and are closely supervised.GS-04 - To qualify at the GS-4 level you must meet the following : EXPERIENCE : One (1) year of experience as a Nursing Assistant or 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 two (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, in addition you must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (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 residents' 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-05 - To qualify at the GS-5 level you must meet the following : EXPERIENCE : One (1) year of progressively responsible assignments and experience equivalent to the GS-4 level which demonstrates knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that are directly related to the specific assignment. Specialized experience includes but is not limited to functioning as a member of the nursing care team and assisting licensed nursing staff and other members of the care team in the full range of nursing care of patients / residents receiving outpatient care, home, or community living care or other patients / residents who are receiving preventative, acute, sub-acute, chronic, maintenance, and hospice care. OR, EDUCATION : Successful completion of 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, in addition you must demonstrate the following 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.Physical requirements : This position requires some degree of fitness, strength, and agility. Duties require extensive periods of standing and walking. Working with patients requires regular and recurring bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, pushing, pulling, lifting arm overhead, and similar activities.
