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 Must be a US citizen. Non-citizens may be appointed when it's not possible to recruit qualified US citizens
- English Language Proficiency Psychologists must be proficient in spoken & written English
- 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 meet in full the experience requirements for GS-3.
Grade Determination requirements: The following criteria must be met in addition to the
Basic Requirements for employment listed above when determining the candidate's grade.
GS-5 NA, Full Performance Level
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.
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 KSAs. Candidates must demonstrate all the following KSAs in addition to the experience above.
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 Experience: At least 1 year working in an Inpatient Acute Care setting in a hospital and has state issued Nursing Assistant Certification.
Reference: please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ for qualification standards information
The full performance level of this vacancy is a GS-5. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-3 to a GS-5.
Physical Requirements:
Requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech & manual dexterity.
Long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling & pushing.
Assisting with transferring patients to wheelchairs/litters & transporting them to other departments.
Occasionally moving equipment/objects in excess of 40lbs.Requires walking up & down several flights of stairs in response to all emergency codes.
Transferring patients & objects may be required. Mechanical inpatient lifts are provided.
May be exposed to infected patients & contaminated materials & may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations.
May occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia or psychiatric disorders.
Must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations & able to shift priorities based on patient needs.
Must complete annual Employee Health requirements as a condition of employment.
Must be able to pass and maintain Basic Life Support, BLS certification or higher.