BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
Citizenship. Citizen of the United States
English Language Proficiency. NAs must be proficient in spoken and written English
Education or Training: Must have one of the following:
- Six months of general experience. Experience must demonstrate the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills to perform the work of a NA.
- One year of education above high school with courses related to the NA occupation.
- Completion of an intensive, specialized, occupation-related training course of study or program.
GS-3 GRADE REQUIREMENTS:
None beyond basic qualifications. Individuals assigned as GS-3 NAs are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised.
GS-4 GRADE REQUIREMENTS:
- 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:
- 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.
GS-5 GRADE REQUIREMENTS:
- 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 identified 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:
- 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 NAs 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 need for basic life support, controlling bleeding, and assisting with behavior crisis, etc.
Preferred: CNA Certification is preferred but not a requirement.
2 years of acute care/long-term care clinical experience
Float Pool/Resource Pool experience
Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting and carrying, strait pulling, pulling hand over hand, pushing, reaching above shoulder, use of fingers and both hands/legs/eyes (limb prosthesis allowed if functionally equivalent), walking and standing, crawling and kneeling, repeated bending, climbing, hearing (aid permitted), ability to perform PMDB and BLS, patient lifting (mechanical assistance available), emotional and mental stability, ability to read medication labels and equipment manuals, ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously.
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.