Nursing Assistant

Nursing Assistant

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Bedford, Massachusetts

Salary Range: $43925 - $71717 Per Year

Job Summary: This Nursing Assistant position is in the Associate Director, Patient Care Service at the VA Bedford Healthcare System, located at the Bedford location. This is an open continuous announcement open to the Public, which will remain open until August 4, 2026. Qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager on a bi-weekly basis until position is filled.

Major Duties:

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Nursing Assistants function as a member of the nursing care team and assist licensed nursing staff in the care of patients/residents receiving preventive, acute, sub-acute chronic, maintenance, and hospice care. 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. Duties include, but are not limited to: Utilizes glucose monitoring machine to receive glucose readings for veterans refers deviation to appropriate health care staff, Makes observations of subtle changes in resident's condition, i.e. behavior shifts, mood, skin coloring, appetite, etc. and takes action accordingly within the NA's assigned role, Documents care given, observations and responses on appropriate tools or forms, Responds appropriately to subtle patient changes by contacting the appropriate nursing personal Administers complete tracheostomy care, including suctioning, Performs nursing procedures within scope of practice and according to policies and standard procedures to care for the veteran for such procedures but not limited to: enemas, catheterization, colostomy care, skin care simple dressing, application of braces and prosthetic devices, Recognizes the residents' autonomy and promotes independence by means of respect, limit setting and individualized treatment. Actively participates in Treatment Planning Meetings., Utilizes equipment to promote the veteran self-care, such as; lift equipment, Hydro sound Tubs, and Veteran/Resident Wandering System, Verbally provides patient information to the treatment team for inclusion in the veteran/residents' plan of care, participates in treatment team meetings for resident care planning, Enters information about the residents' condition in the chart, utilizing appropriate formats, Participates in maintaining a clean, safe environment for the patient/resident, Removes defective equipment, reports hazards, observes safety regulations, contributes to infection control, and utilizes proper aseptic technique in performance of duties, Serves as the unit safe patient handling liaison, Orients members of the health care team to the units as appropriate, Functions as a member of the unit base counsel, Manages distributed patient behavior and by appropriately intervenes and request assistant from other health care members, Appropriately initiates basic life support, takes actions appropriate action, Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Multiple Shifts/Schedules available. Compressed/Flexible: Not Available. 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 #: F01837/F01838/F01839. Notifications: Due to a critical staffing shortage, 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference for this job announcement. This position is covered by a special rate. Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment. This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until 08/04/2026. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be 05/19/2026. Qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager on a bi-weekly basis until position is filled.

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: You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job 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. Experience, Education or Training. You must meet one of the following to meet the basic requirements for a Nursing Assistant (NA): Six (6) 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. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade. GS-03 - None beyond the basic requirements. NAs at this grade NAs are considered entry-level and are closely supervised. GS-04 - To qualify at the GS-4 level you must meet the following: EXPERIENCE: One (1) year of experience as a Nursing Assistant or 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 two (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, in addition you must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (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 residents' 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-05 - To qualify at the GS-5 level you must meet the following: EXPERIENCE: One (1) year of progressively responsible assignments and experience equivalent to the GS-4 level which demonstrates knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that are directly related to the specific assignment. OR, EDUCATION: Successful completion of 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 you must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (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/. Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent 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 incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. The NA must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment. These physical requirements will be consistent with VA Directive Handbook 5019. 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.

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 08/04/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12949861. 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.

Application Deadline: 2026-08-04