Nursing Assistant Job in Atlanta, GA

Vacancy No. CBTB-12777228-25-MAA Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $45,007.00 to $58,504.00 Grade 5 to 5
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 8/14/2025 Close Date 9/1/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Atlanta, GA


Summary

The incumbent performs a variety of nursing care duties, ranging from routine to difficult and moderately specialized in nature, for patients receiving medical/surgical care and treatment at AVAHCS. The incumbent assists doctors and nurses in the care and treatment of patients and in the performance of diagnostic examinations. The incumbent also performs a variety of personal nursing care duties to support the patients.

Duties

1. Completes ongoing requirements as stated in Atlanta VAHCS Acute Nursing Assistant (NA) (Hybrid 38) job description.
2. Maintains good communication with Nurse Manager, nursing staff, and other facility staff. Serves as a liaison between Charge Nurse, Nurse Manager, and Registered Nurses.
3. Communicates and interacts appropriately and courteously with internal and external
customers.
4. Functions as a NA on their assigned shift, notifies shift RN, LPN, and other NAs of changes in the nursing department, in patient conditions, in the environment of care and relays any problems to the charge nurse or Nurse Manager.
5. Demonstrates interdepartmental teamwork.
6. Maintains a working knowledge of all policies and procedures pertaining to the NA
position.
7. Participates in interviewing, orientation, training, and mentoring of new NA employees.
8. Responsible for maintaining all annual TMS and skills competencies for NAs.
9. Conducts peer reviews and monitors to ensure that services are being delivered to patients properly and as prescribed.
10. Prepares and presents one topic at in-service every six (6) months.
11. Makes environmental and safety rounds, participates in Environment of Care education and rounds, ensuring prompt actions are taken if any hazardous items are noted.
12. Makes scheduled and continuous comfort and safety rounds to check on all patients.
13. Performs other duties as assigned by the Nurse Manager, charge nurse, or Team RN.
14. The NA provides personal nursing care to Acute patients and serves as an active, participating member of the interdisciplinary treatment team. The patients' nursing and treatment team needs change within a predicable range. The objectives for care are set in the treatment plan as established by the interdisciplinary treatment teams.
15. Participates in the admission of the patients by obtaining information, orienting patients to the unit and treatment team and checking patients and their belongings for hazardous items. Follows SOP in managing hazardous items and personal belongings. Safety is a number one priority.
16. Checks vital signs, collects specimens, and assists the professional nurse or physician with diagnostic testing. Escorts patients to lab, x-ray, or another unit.
17. Encourages independence in patients by instructing, guiding, and assisting patients as needed in activities of daily living.
18. Participates in interdisciplinary treatment planning by suggesting nursing actions, and reporting and documenting observations.
19. Utilizes a variety of treatment approaches including individual, re-motivation and reality orientation on a one-to-one and group interaction level.
20. Maintains a therapeutic and safe ward milieu by identifying, reporting, and eliminating environmental hazards. Environment of care assessment includes looking carefully at the entire unit (including the seclusion rooms and Sally Port) to determine if there are any safety issues that need immediate attentions and/or to determine if the unit is clean. Refi11 supplies.
21. Recognizes and reports behavioral changes, and changes in the patient's condition that may be related to medications or sensory distortions. Makes rounds every 15 minutes and documents rounding sheet.
22. Encourages patient and family to actively participate in the individualized patient centered treatment plan.
23. Demonstrates acceptable, healthy behavior as a role model for patient behavior.
24. Promotes a sense of integrity, self-worth, and dignity by acknowledging patients' acceptable behavior.
25. Encourages positive patient-family relationships.
26. Documents patients' physical and emotional status and responses to nursing interventions, using the problem orientation medical record format.

DIRECT PATIENT CARE:
a. Provides completed care on assigned patients including post-op care, according to established policies, procedures, and guidelines with no more than three (3) failures.

OBSERVES AND REPORTS:
a. Recognizes medical, surgical, and psychosocial situations such as Codes 99 and 44 and takes immediate action with no more than three (3) failures.

ASSISTS PROFESSIONAL STAFF:
a. Assists health team with diagnostic/therapeutic procedures and treatments with no more than four (4) failures.
b. Assists with implementation of rehabilitation program (range of motion ambulation) with no more than four (4) failures.
c. Facilitates the admission of new patients through ward orientation, room and bed assignment and initiation of vital signs with no more than four (4)

SUPERVISORY CONTROLS:
The NA in this role provides care under close supervision and refers issues/questions to supervisors, higher graded NAs, or
other healthcare professionals.

Work Schedule: Mon to Sun 730P - 8A shifts vary dependent on needs of unit
Telework: Not Available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 53598F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Available.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

Requirements

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.
  • 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's 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).

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.
  • [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.
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).

Grade Determinations:
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.

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 assignment. In 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 bachelor's degree that included 24 semester hours of courses related to health care or possession of a bachelor's 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.

(d) Assignment. This is the full performance level for NAs. NAs at this grade level function as a member of the nursing care team and assist licensed nursing staff 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 distinguishing factor is that patient/resident assignments typically involve more complex nursing needs which can vary within a range of predictable to unpredictable requirements. NAs at this level also assume more of a peer education/mentorship role. NOTE: Students/trainees may be appointed in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7405(a)(1)(D). See Part II, Chapter 3, paragraph 5 of VA Handbook 5005.

Preferred Experience:
1. Assist in the care of patients receiving chemotherapy as assigned by the Team Lead, RN and LPN
2. Makes environmental and safety rounds, participates in Environment of Care education and rounds, ensuring prompt actions are taken if any
hazardous items are noted.
3. Checks vital signs, collects specimens, and assists the professional nurse or physician with diagnostic testing. Escorts patients to lab, x-ray,
or another unit.
4. Recognizes and reports behavioral changes, and changes in the patient's condition that may be related to medications or sensory
distortions. Makes rounds every 15 minutes and documents rounding sheet.
5. Provides completed care on assigned patients including post-op care, according to established policies, procedures, and guidelines.
6. Treats patients with dignity as an individual with compassion and respect with reasonable protection from harm and with appropriate
privacy.
7. Reports significant changes in patient's condition to the RN as soon as observed with.
8. Able to assists health team with diagnostic/therapeutic procedures and treatments.
9. Able to facilitates the admission of new patients through ward orientation, room and bed assignment and initiation of vital signs.
10. Exceptional customer service skills.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is 05. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is the 05.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

  • Resume


The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

  • Cover Letter
  • License
  • Professional Certification
  • Resume
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript


Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/01/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12777228.

  1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
  2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Agency contact information

Manuel Argumedo
Address
Atlanta VA Medical Center
1670 Clairmont Road
Decatur, GA 30033
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


© 2006-2025, exclusive of U. S. government job opportunity announcements