Health Technician

at  US Veterans Health Administration

QUALIFICATIONS

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Selective Placement Factor: ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCYIn accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position.
GS-05 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA’s) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: performing basic patient care activities and duties such as taking vitals and recording measurements; using, cleaning, and maintaining medical equipment; performing EKGs; lifting, moving, and transporting patients; recognizing, reporting, and assisting in emergency situations; observing and reporting any changes in patient mental or physical status; drawing specimens from IV insertion sites; communicating and working with a wide variety of medical center employees, patients, and families. Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week.
OR
Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-05 level. Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-05 level. You must have successfully completed a full four (4) year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree, with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to this position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.
OR
Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-05 level. Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-05 level. You must have an equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total qualification requirements for this grade level. This education must have been obtained at an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college, or university. NOTE: Your experience must be documented in your resume and transcripts are required.
To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-05. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Preferred Experience: Basic Life Support (BLS)
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 Demands: Duties require extensive periods of standing and walking. Working with patients requires regular and recurring bending, lifting (up to 35lbs.), stooping, stretching, pushing, pulling, lifting arm overhead and similar activities. May require extensive periods of sitting (one-to-one patient monitoring, etc.). Work requires regular rotation to other than day tours and includes weekends and holidays. Work requires a rotating shift including some weekends, holidays and nights.
Work Environment: The work environment involves risks typically associated with medical facility work including regular and recurring exposure to moderate risks or discomfort that require special safety precautions. This position requires strict adherence to universal precautions.

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.

IF YOU ARE RELYING ON YOUR EDUCATION TO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

• How to Apply

IF YOU ARE RELYING ON YOUR EDUCATION TO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Help

Major duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Provides direct care to patients with peripheral IV site needs.
• Uses all established policies/standards to document all patient care performed.
• Knowledge of required documentation and protocol associated with unusual occurrence.
• Collects statistical data for the infection control nurse and medical center’s quality assurance program.
• Independently draws blood from inpatients and outpatient for required laboratory tests, including special drawing techniques.
• Verifies patient as individual noted on the required and labels all specimen containers correctly with the patient’s full name, full social security number or date of birth, date, collector’s initials and time specimen obtained to ensure proper identification.
• Independently performs blood drawing in a courteous manner, reassures and instructions the patient.
• Obtains specimens from radial artery of brachial if competency documented.
• Blood gases performed on inpatient areas.
• Explains procedures, reassures patients, answers or refers patients questions.
• Independently performs EKGs during the times when the EKG Tech is not on duty as well as Code Blue and the teams are unable to provide this service.
• Performs EKG’s in the Emergency Department upon request.
• Must be able to recognize, respond, and assist in emergency situations.
• May be required to draw lab specimens or perform other tasks as needed.

Work Schedule: Rotating days/nights, weekends, and holidays.
Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician/PD50158A
Bargaining Unit: Yes, AFGE/1272
Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.
The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran’s community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America’s Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.