Summary

The Perioperative Nursing Assistant (NA) provides direct patient care to Veterans with acute to chronic conditions across a variety of outpatient healthcare settings - including cardiac clinics - ambulatory surgery - preop/discharge areas - endoscopy clinics - and the operating room.

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
• Six months of general experience
• Experience must demonstrate the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills to perform the work of a NA
• OR - One year of education above high school with courses related to the NA occupation
• OR - 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. 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 3j
• Grandfathering Provisions
• All NAs employed in VHA on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the series and grade held that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation
• For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard - but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it - the following provisions apply: Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed - on a temporary or permanent basis - until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard
• If an employee who was retained (grandfathered) under this provision leaves the occupation - the employee loses protected status of the grandfathering provision and must meet the full VA qualification standard basic requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation
• GRADE REQUIREMENTS
• 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 Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.GS-3 NA (Entry Level) Experience and Education
• None beyond the basic requirements
• Assignments
• Individuals assigned as GS-3 NAs are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised
• 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
• 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 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 NAs 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
• 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
• Physical Requirements: These physical requirements will be consistent with VA Directive Handbook 5019 Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS5.T

Duties

• GS-5 (Full Performance Level): NAs independently manage assignments involving complex nursing needs that range from predictable to unpredictable - and they take on peer mentorship and preceptor roles
• Across all grade levels - the NA functions as a vital member of the nursing care team under the direction of a licensed healthcare provider - delivering care that directly supports the Veteran's treatment plan - recovery - and wellness
• Primary Job Duties Performs activities of daily living - including personal hygiene - physical comfort - nutrition - elimination - and the prevention of skin breakdown
• Executes advanced clinical tasks (at full performance) such as complete tracheostomy care (including suctioning) - catheterization - enemas - colostomy care - and simple dressing changes
• Operates equipment like glucose monitoring machines and bladder scanners
• Tracks and documents patient intake/output - notes subtle shifts in patient condition (behavior - skin color - appetite) - and reports deviations to the nursing staff
• Recognizes and reacts to emergent patient scenarios-such as basic life support - bleeding control - and behavioral crises-initiating appropriate action while waiting for assistance
• Enters accurate patient status updates into medical charts - participates in Treatment Planning Meetings - and contributes information toward the development of nursing care plans
• Maintains a clean - safe environment by observing safety regulations - utilizing proper aseptic techniques - reporting hazards - and removing defective equipment
• Serves as a preceptor and mentor to lower-level NAs - coordinating their orientation and overseeing their practical experience in the clinical setting (GS-4/GS-5)
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement # 42010F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Available