The Home Health Aide/Homemaker (HHA/HMKR) provides direct patient care to patients in the home setting who require assistance such as bathing, dressing, grooming, light housekeeping duties, and meal preparation. Driving a government owned/leased vehicle occurs routinely to perform the duties of this position; therefore, a driver's license is required. 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, 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 NA;OR, 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 one year as a Nursing Assistant may also meet in full the experience requirements for GS-3. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-3 Nursing Assistant (Entry Level) Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements. GS-4 Nursing Assistant 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; AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to provide a range of patient/resident care and contribute to the completion of the nurse care plan and recovery of patients/residents. Ability to observe patients/residents' or resident's physical or emotional status and refer deviations and/or problems to supervisor in a timely manner. 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. Ability to communicate effectively with patients/residents, their families and other health professionals 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 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. 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-05. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-03 to GS-05. Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, pulling and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment. ["Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Nursing Assistant - vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Nursing-Assistant-Career-Flyer.pdf Current permanent VA employees and Federal employees from other federal agencies should apply under CBST-12607774-25-HC. Major duties for the position include (but are not limited to): Personal Hygiene Tasks Bathing (or showering) and dressing Oral Care/Denture care Nail Care Shaving and hair care General grooming, including skin care, maintain skin integrity/dressing application and changes as appropriate Bed-making (unoccupied and occupied) Positioning and Movement of Patients Maintain body alignment of patients Position and turn patients (proper use of assistive devices) Walking patients (proper use of all assistive devices) Range of motion (ROM) with patients Transfer techniques (lifting, moving, transferring-use of all devices) Nutrition and Fluids Provides meal preparation assistance Runs errands, if needed, to get groceries for patients Report to RN any nutritional concerns seen in the home Elimination Observing, reporting and recording patient bowel and bladder function Assisting patients with bedpans and urinals Dispose of the patient body wastes appropriately Applies external urinary draining devices (condom catheters) performs standard urinary catheter insertion (foley or straight) and related care as applicable by competency Emotional Support Interacts with patients and families, helping them feel comfortable Uses communication skill such as observing, listening, reflection, and identification of non-verbal messages to interact with patients; recognizes communication barriers Housekeeping Activities Provides assistance of simple/light housekeeping tasks and simple/light meal preparation May be asked to dust, vacuum, sweep, straighten up, wash dishes, clean the bathroom and kitchen, do laundry, dispose of trash, and change linens Uses cleaning materials and methods that are acceptable to and approved by the Veteran and/or caregiver Returns cleaning materials and equipment to closets or storage and does not leave them around the home Uses standard equipment such as brooms, mops, dusters, and vacuums Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 7:30am- 4:00pm, subject to change based on the needs of the facility. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized 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) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00347F, 00348F, 00349F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized"]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.
