To qualify for this position, you must meet the Basic Requirements as well as any additional grade-level qualification requirements. Please select the appropriate response as it pertains to your qualifications for the following questions.

Grandfather Provision. 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.

Education or Training:
1. You must have six months of general experience. Experience must demonstrate the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills to perform the work of a Nursing Assistant; OR,
2. One year of education above high school with courses related to the Nursing Assistant occupation; OR,
3. Completion of an intensive, specialized, occupation-related course of study or program of less than one year as a Nursing Assistant may also meet in full the experience requirement for GS-3.

Note: you must submit documentation to verify training completion.

Do you possess the basic requirements for this position?

GS-3 (Entry Level): 

Experience and Education. None beyond the above basic requirements.

Do you meet the basic requirements to qualify at this grade level?

GS-4: The following are qualification requirements of the GS-4 Nursing Assistant. Nursing Assistants (NA) at this level are considered to be at the intermediate or developmental level and are closely supervised. Nursing Assistants at this grade level function as a member of the nursing care team and assist higher graded Nursing Assistants, licensed nursing staff, and other member of the care team 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.

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-
In addition to meeting the experience or education for the GS-04 level, do you possess the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities?
- 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: The following are qualification requirements of the GS-5 Nursing Assistant (Full Performance Level). This is the full performance level for Nursing Assistants. Nursing Assistants 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. Assignments at this level typically involve more complex nursing needs which can vary within a range of predictable to unpredictable requirements. Nursing Assistants at this level assume more of a peer education/mentorship role.

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-
In addition to meeting the experience or education for the GS-04 level, do you possess the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities?
- 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.

• Resume Reminder- Your resume must include the following information for each job listed: Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible) Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008) Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week) Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail. Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications. 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.
• Transcript Reminder - If you are basing your qualifications on education (or a combination of education and experience) or if the position requires a college education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your transcripts with your application. Certification of training: If you are qualifying for this occupation based on a successful completion of an intensive, specialized, occupation-related course of study of less than one year as a nursing nursing assistant you must include a copy of the certification or include the dates of training (month/year format) on your resume).