The incumbent is assigned to Patient Care Services at the LTC Charles S. Kettles VA Medical Center in Ann Arbor, MI. The Health Technician functions as a member of an interdisciplinary team in a hospital setting. Recruitment Incentives may be authorized to highly qualified candidates. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/29/2023. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. Current Title 38 Hybrid employees: To qualify for a Title 5 position based on the Interchange Agreement, you must meet the following: Be currently serving under a permanent appointment. Served continuously for at least 1-year in the other merit system prior to appointment under the interchange agreement. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Cardiac monitoring using appropriate telemetry equipment such as EKG, cardiac monitors, and other diagnostic equipment; monitoring patient's vital signs; recognizing, responding, and reporting signs and changes in cardiac rhythms; and ability to use computers and other basic office equipment to enter data. Ability to set up and use electronic thermometers, vital sign measurement equipment, and pulse oximetry. Initiate cardiac monitoring correctly, and able to print rhythm strips or vital sign history. Collect, label and send laboratory specimens as ordered according to policy and procedure. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have six months of graduate education (9 semester hours) or an internship meets the specialized experience required above GS-05 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. Transcripts must be included if basing any qualifications on education. 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: Provides non-professional nursing care to patients experiencing extremes of behavior on a regular and recurring basis. Responds to emergency mental health situations, where danger of physical attack by patients requires special training. When patients express or exhibit suicidal ideation, the incumbent intervenes by utilizing techniques per established procedures to keep the patient safe, and maintain personal safety, while awaiting assistance. The incumbent must be able to lift 35 lbs., perform the following: pulling, pushing, reaching above the shoulders and laterally, use of fingers, both hands, arms, and legs, sitting, walking, and standing for long periods. Also, he/she must able to hear whispered voices (with or without a hearing aid), kneeling, repeated bending, ability for rapid mental/muscular coordination simultaneously, visual requirements for monitoring observation, depth perception, and ability to distinguish shades of color due to equipment wiring. 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/. ["List of duties include but are not limited to: Supports nurses and physicians in designated clinic areas. Uses diagnostic and therapeutic medical instruments and equipment to perform non-invasive procedures. Performs Phlebotomy. Performs testing using glucometer and I-Stat devices. Recognizes and informs appropriate multidisciplinary health care team of deviations from baseline screening parameters. Observes and reports any changes in the patient behavior, attitude, bodily complaints, and appearance. Reports observations of the condition of acute or chronic phase patients such as excessive vomiting, bleeding, amount/type of drainage etc. Performs Basic Life Support including operation of the Automated External Defibrillator (or equivalent); applicable protocols are observed. Performs procedures as indicated and pre-authorized, through prior competency assessment. Utilizing paging systems, answering phones and call lights. Provides non-professional nursing care to patients experiencing extremes of behavior on a regular and recurring basis. When patients express or display suicidal ideation, intervention by utilizing techniques per established procedures to keep the patient safe, and maintain personal safety, while awaiting assistance. Performs constant observation for high-risk patients and follows procedures to ensure safety of room environment, maintaining line of sight visual surveillance and reporting changes in patient behavior to the professional nursing staff. Performs a wide variety of duties aimed at increasing the comfort and spirit of the patient. May transport patients via wheelchair or gurney, accompanying ambulatory patients who need assistance reporting to various areas within the hospital including clinics, diagnostic areas, and treatment areas. Performs simple personal care duties such as bathing; demonstrates nursing standards for patient hygiene including bathing, oral, nail and hair care. Assists patients with toileting needs, providing incontinent care as necessary. Performs basic personal nursing care that requires knowledge of standardized procedures such as performance of active/passive range-of-motion activities, ensuring that catheters and oxygen cannula etc remain intact. Identifies physical, social, psychological, and cultural needs of patients by applying relevant growth and development processes specific to the age of the patient as well as direct communication as the patient is able. Takes care of patient's care and comfort needs for psycho/social/spiritual well-being, personal hygiene, physical comfort, nutrition, elimination, prevention of skin breakdown, rehabilitation, safety etc. Identifies and reports to professional staff, all data relative to more complex patient situations including subtle changes in patients' behavior or condition, or variances related to neurological signs, vital signs and other parameters. Empowers patients and their families, encouraging them to acknowledge and address personal healthcare issues and embrace recommended follow up as well as self-care. Strives to enhance the customer experience with positive human interactions and therapeutic alliances, promoting the coordination, continuity and integration of care. Performs administrative tasks such as maintaining control records for specimens and tests and documenting measurements taken. Initiates work orders and follow up to ensure work is completed. Orders and maintains supplies for unit. Coordinates with Medical Support Assistants to ensure patient tracking is initiated during check-in, scheduling of appointments for procedures, provider evaluations etc. Work with SPS, logistics and nursing staff to establish par levels of supplies for assigned unit and ensures supplies are readily available for patient care. Monitors and plans equipment inventory and routine equipment maintenance. Assists with stocking and room turnover to ensure the patient care environment is prepared to receive and care for patients. The care provided frequently involves setting up, operating, maintaining, and calibrating various types of medical equipment under direct supervision of the Registered Nurse, including telemetry and pulse oximetry monitors, surgical wound suction equipment, traction, electrocardiogram machines, bladder scanners, per manufacturers recommendations. Work Schedule: Days 0730-8pm, 0730-4pm Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician/PD92902A Recruitment Incentives: Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,298 health care facilities, including 171 medical centers and 1,113 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.
