Summary The Health Aid positions are within Nursing/Education service at the Togus VA Medical Center at the Togus, ME location. The position is responsible for delivering a broad array of health care services throughout the Medical Center, and it's various locations that provide in patient care, such as but not limited to the living centers. Please see Duties for additional information on this position. Responsibilities This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2024. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be August 5, 2024. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. This position is being filled under the Nursing Assistant "Grow Your Own" training program focusing on the delegated nursing tasks for the adult who require long-term or rehabilitative (restorative) care. Emphasis is placed on promoting competence and confidence in meeting the basic safety needs of the elderly adult while developing therapeutic relationships, promoting personal care and comfort, and monitoring health and well-being. Selected clinical experiences are provided to prepare students for the transition to entry-level nursing assistant practice. These Health Aid positions are within Nursing/Education service at the Togus VA Medical Center location. These are full-time Temporary positions (Less than six (6) months) with an initial appointment/training expecting to last at least 6-8 weeks but may be extended up to 6 months. After successful completion of the program requirements, the individual may, at agency discretion, be converted to a permanent appointment, without further competition into a Nursing Assistant position. Temporary positions are not permanent status in the Federal service. Failure to complete the training program satisfactorily may result in termination of the temporary appointment. Become part of our Health Care team with on-the-job skills training. Enter as a Health Aid and graduate as a Nursing Assistant! Looking for a career change, a way into the nursing field or into the VA? VA Togus is launching an innovative, on-the-job training program, for those looking to become Nursing Assistants! We offer a 8 week intensive program for individuals interested in becoming a Nursing Assistant at the VA. The Health Aid is responsible for performing selected patient/resident related transports to different areas such as, x-rays, CT Scan, MRI, Prosthetics, Sonography and other related areas. The incumbent is expected to develop and demonstrate increasing skills in performing a variety of tasks. Duties include but are not limited to: Provides holistic in-patient care to Veterans in a manner conducive to the comfort and safety of those in the facility hospital units, living centers and/or household; Provides assistance as needed with activities of daily living, and with other needs as required in accordance with established policies and procedure; Provides a range of personal care as needed to include bathing, toileting, hair and nail care, and dressing in personal clothing; Assists as needed with eating, drinking, positioning/ turning, ambulating, transferring, and escorting inpatients/residents; Implements facility guidelines for the prevention of pressure ulcers; Maintains general cleanliness of the inpatient/resident's environment including emptying and cleaning urinals, bed pans, GU bags and suction bottles, and disposing of dirty linen and disposable briefs; Assists as needed with laundering and distributing resident's personal clothing; Provides postmortem care including care of the body, collecting personal effects and transporting the deceased to the morgue; Utilizes specialized equipment such as ceiling lifters, Maxi lifters, wheelchair movers, steady and electric stretchers according to Safe Patient Handling and Movement Policy; Carries records, reports, laboratory specimens, x-rays, prosthetic equipment and patient prescriptions to designated areas; Performs a range of clinical support duties, which include taking, recording vital signs and reporting deviations to the RN; Assumes other related duties as assigned. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: The work schedule will be determined based on the needs of the Medical Center. The New England VA Medical Centers are acute care facility operating 24 hours a day 7 days a week. While most tours of duty are scheduled during the day, the possibility of working evenings, nights and weekends to exist. Additionally positions hired from this job announcement may be Part-time or Full-time based on needs of the facility. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Aid/PD99404-S and PD99404S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Notifications: This is a not a Bargaining Unit Position. This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay. This position is in the Competitive Service. Requirements Conditions of Employment 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 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/30/2024. GS-02 Required Qualifications: EXPERIENCE: 3 months of general experience is required. General Experience is any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. OR EDUCATION: High school graduation or equivalent (copy of diploma/ copy of GED certificate required). GS-03 Required Qualifications: EXPERIENCE: At least six (6) months of general experience. General experience is (1) Any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area (i.e. nutrition, food service, etc.) of the occupation. OR EDUCATION: Successful completion of one (1) full year of education above high school level that included study in medical, health, or related fields. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. OR COMBINATION: Equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education and general experience, as listed above. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communications Flexibility Learning 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: Duties require extensive periods of standing and walking. Working with residents requires regular and recurring bending, lifting (not to exceed 35 pounds), reaching, carrying, stooping, stretching and similar activities. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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/. Additional Information NOTE: This is a TEMPORARY appointment (not-to-exceed 6 months). This appointment may be renewed for additional service in accordance with Agency needs for 1 additional year. Temporary positions offer health insurance (if the employee is expected to work at least 130 hours per month for at least 90 days) but do not offer life insurance or retirement benefits and may be terminated at any time before the expiration date. The appointment to a Temporary position does not confer eligibility for promotion or reassignment to other positions or the ability to be non-competitively converted to permanent employment. DESIGNATED DRUG-TESTING POSITION: 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. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received. Receiving Service Credit or 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.