Summary The Nursing Assistant (NA) functions as a member of the nursing care team and assists licensed nursing staff in the care of patients/residents receiving preventive, acute, sub-acute, chronic, maintenance, and hospice care. The Nursing Assistant performs various representative tasks to provide a variety of personal nursing care, diagnostic support duties, therapeutic treatments, patient charting, and age-specific care. Provides basic customer-focused patient care for a select group of patients. Duties Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional
Duties include but are not limited to:
- Provides direct care for complex patients
- Performs aspects of nursing care to meet patient's needs for the following under close supervision and with direction/guidance from a preceptor: Personal Hygiene (bathing, oral care, hair/nail care, etc.
- Obtains vital signs, including orthostatic vital signs
- Performs Snellen acuity eye exam
- Utilizes point-of-care glucometer machine to collect and document appropriate glucose readings for assigned patient
- Labels specimens for the laboratory
- Assists the Provider or Nurse with wound dressings (applying and removing bandages)
- Transports/escorts patients to various areas of the facility (i.e., Radiology Department, Emergency Department, Medical Surgical Unit, Intensive Care Unit, etc.) via wheelchair or stretcher
- Cares for patients who require an increased level of patient observation (i.e., one-to-one, direct line of sight, etc.)
- Encourages patients to maintain self-care
- Performs a variety of supporting diagnostic duties which include taking, recording, and reporting to Registered Nurse (RN) pertinent observations
- Performs a range of treatment duties that may include applying hot and cold packs
- Monitors and documents patient intake and output; reports deviations timely and accurately
- Performs nursing procedures within scope of practice and according to policies and standard operating procedures to care for the patient for such procedures, but not limited to enemas, catheterization, colostomy care, skin care, simple dressings, and application of braces and prosthetic devices
- Assists the Provider or Nurse in a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures (i.e., setting up trays or instruments to be used in examinations)
- Utilizes techniques in observing and reporting subtle changes in the patient's condition (i.e., slight change in color, pulse, respiration, temperature or behavior requiring prompt intervention)
- Recognizes and initiates resuscitative measures in cases of cardiopulmonary arrest, respiratory arrest, or choking
- Efficiently records patient's information and condition in the computerized patient record system (CPRS), using established format
- Maintains a positive therapeutic relationship by displaying respect for human dignity with patients, families and/or significant others utilizing learned communication skills
- Utilizes principles of proper body mechanics while caring for patients, and follows procedures for use of patient care equipment to prevent injury to self or others in all settings (i.e., utilization of patient lift and transfer equipment)
- Sets up patient care related equipment and supplies, and uses appropriately (i.e., oxygen delivery systems, portable and wall suction, continuous cardiac/blood pressure/pulse oximetry monitoring, etc.)
- Performs 12-lead electrocardiograms with proper lead placement
- Organizes and obtains routine supplies and equipment
- Assists with orienting patient/family to unit routines and policies
- Works as a cooperative, courteous member of the interdisciplinary team.
- Safeguards the patient's right to privacy by judiciously protecting information of a confidential nature
- Uses proper safety practices
- Provides and maintains an environment that is clean, safe, and free of unnecessary clutter and noise
- Actively participates in treatment planning meetings
- Serves as a preceptor and mentor to other NAs
- Orients members of the health care team to the unit as appropriate
Work Schedule: 7:30am to 8:00pm (12 hours and flexible hours, including weekends). Work schedule subject to change based on the agency needs.
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
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)
Telework: Not Available
Functional Statement #: 60423F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not AuthorizedQualifications 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. NAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3.
- Experience or Education or Training.
- Six months of general experience. Experience must demonstrate the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills to perform the work of a Nursing Assistant;
- One year of education above high school with courses related to the Nursing Assistant occupation; OR,
- Completion of an intensive, specialized, occupation-related training course of study or program of less than on year as Nursing Assistant may also meet in full the experience requirements for GS-3.
- Grandfathering Provisions. 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. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.
GS-5 Nursing Assistant (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. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the professional KSAs in subparagraph (c) 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
- 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 Nursing Assistant 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.
Preferred Experience: 2-5 years of experience as a Certified Nursing Assistant in a inpatient setting.
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 the GS-5.
Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continues walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. The Nursing Assistant may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. The Nursing Assistant may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The Nursing Assistant must be capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. 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/.Requirements
- 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.
- 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
- Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.How you will be evaluated 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.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 11/13/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13110268.
- 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.
- 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. Other information Receiving Service Credit for 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.
