Summary

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families - caregivers - and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans? NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information - refer to Required Documents below.

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: Must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by VA Handbook 5005 - part II - chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3j
• Education or Training: Must possess six months of general experience
• Experience must demonstrate the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills to perform the work of a NA
• OR - Have completed one full year of education above high school with courses related to the NA occupation
• OR - Have 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 a GS-3. (TRANSCRIPTS or CERTIFICATION REQUIRED) In addition to meeting the basic requirements - you must meet the following GRADE REQUIREMENTS: GS-3 Level: None beyond the basic requirements
• GS-4 Level: 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 (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)
• AND In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (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 resident's 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
• 4
• Ability to communicate effectively with patients/residents - their families and other health professionals
• GS-5 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 In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (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
• Creditable Experience & Knowledge of Current Practice: To be creditable - the experience must have required the use of knowledge - skills - and abilities associated with the current practice
• 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
• 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
• References: VA Handbook 5005/81 - Part II - Appendix G46
• 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 in the range of GS-3 to a GS-5. Physical Requirements: Walking - bending - stooping - and lifting in the direct care of patients
• some extended periods of sitting and/or standing.

Duties

• 4C is proud of our diverse team which includes new and experienced staff
• We value professional development and pride ourselves in providing opportunities for staff growth
• Our staff are known to provide outstanding care for each other and our Veterans
• Evidence-based practice - a robust Nursing Shared Governance - and ongoing professional development drives 4C to meet standards of excellence
• 4C is a 30-bed Acute Medicine and Hematology/Oncology inpatient unit with telemetry monitoring capability
• 4C is the only inpatient unit that administers chemotherapy
• 4C values teamwork and a Healthy Work Environment
• 4C received the Silver Beacon Award for Nursing Excellence by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses which signifies exceptional care through improved outcomes and a positive work environment
• Our 4C team members actively pursue and engage in quality improvement initiatives to continually improve the care we provide
• 4C has a strong Nursing Shared Governance structure and have staff involved in unit level and medical center-wide councils
• Major Duties: Perform personal patient care including but not limited to bathing - feeding - grooming - and mobilizing with demonstration of skills which reflect the needs of the adult population
• Document care and assistance provided
• Performs vital signs - patient height and weight - glucometer testing - intake - and output - per established guidelines and document appropriately
• Recognize and report changes in patient condition - vital signs - input/output measures - and weights
• Monitor patients who require continuous protective observation
• Appropriate support duties - i.e. - individualized patient care - proper implementation of policies and procedures - use of appropriate body mechanics - including use of assistive devices - and operation of specialized functional equipment
• Prepare patients for appointments/procedures and transport patients as needed
• Collect and properly label patient specimens
• Timely response to patient call lights and patient needs
• Treat patients and visitors with respect
• Uphold principles of a healthy work environment and ICARE values
• Communicate effectively
• Support duties for proper environmental maintenance such as identification of potential safety hazards - stocking of supplies - checking expiration dates of supplies - and inventory patient belongings etc
• Work Schedule: Full-time on Days/1st shift with off-tours shift rotation & weekend and Federal holiday rotation required also
• Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experience
• Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144 -000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement): Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional