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Lead Paramedic

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
New Mexico VA Healthcare System, Emergency Medicine Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The New Mexico VA Healthcare System is seeking a Lead Paramedic to oversee the workload and tasks among the Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians according to their individual skill level.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open date: 05/12/2023
Closed date: 05/25/2023
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$63,508 - $82,564 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 10
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Announcement number
CBSX-11964994-23-AH
Control number
725526600

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Duties

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Lead Duties
Identifies, distributes, and balances the workload and tasks among the line Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) in accordance with established workflow and/or skill level. Makes day-to-day adjustments to accomplish the workload, in accordance with established priorities or directives from the supervisor, and ensures timely accomplishment of assigned team tasks.
Reviews the work of EMTs and Paramedics to ensure that the supervisor's instructions, work priorities, methods, deadlines and quality have been met.
Trains, or arranges training, of the EMT and Paramedic team members and uses the methods and techniques of team building to accomplish tasks or projects. Provides or arranges for specific administrative or technical training necessary for accomplishment of individual and team tasks.
Reports on daily job performance, progress, and training needs to the supervisor. Serves as a coach, facilitator and/or negotiator in coordinating team initiatives, and in building concurrence for activities/goals among team members.
Prepares reports and maintains records of work accomplishments and administrative information as required. Provides oversight and coordination of process improvement initiatives, assures teamwork, and addresses customer service issues in the Ambulance Service.

Paramedic Duties
Responds to on-site accidents and other emergencies involving injury and illnesses, sometimes encountering situations which may be life threatening. Determines and prioritizes appropriate medical treatment/procedures and need for additional assistance. Perform patient triage and take/records patient's vital signs as needed. Performs physical examinations and obtains patient history, assesses status of patient's systems, motor and sensory skills, and level of consciousness.
Makes independent preliminary assessment of the patient's condition and selects from a variety of prescribed protocols. Determines, with due regard to the patient's condition, if and how the patient can be moved and to which medical facility the patient should be transported. Prioritizes treatments for patients having multiple problems and employs a variety of advanced emergency medicine techniques, methods, and equipment during transport to the appropriate medical facility.
Administers basic and advanced life support care at emergency scenes in accordance with established medical standards. Performs invasive and non-invasive procedures on patients with life threatening and non-life-threatening conditions. Responds to cardiac and respiratory emergencies, performs cardiac monitoring and defibrillation; maintains circulation controls bleeding and provides spinal management and immobilization. Provides fluid resuscitation by IV and manages trauma injuries, bleeding, and post-traumatic shock.
Follows safety procedures, utilizes safety equipment, and monitors work environment to ensure safety of employees and other individuals.
Operates or utilizes various emergency vehicles and emergency/medical equipment, tools and supplies.
Provides treatment based on protocol, within prescribed limits set by the Emergency Department provider. Conducts a complete examination of the patient's condition to determine the nature, extent, and seriousness of the injury or illness. Search for medical alert symbols that provide the patient's medical status.
Serves in a technical support capacity to the Emergency Department. Makes critical observations (within their level of competencies) regarding among other conditions, vital signs, deformities, swelling, pallor, and mental status.

Ambulance/Transport Vehicle Operation
Selects the most efficient route to and from sites, taking into consideration traffic patterns, health facility locations, etc. Operates the emergency transport vehicle and uses telephone and radio communications equipment and systems.
Will prepare appropriate patient and vehicle use documentation and reports to ensure medical requirements are met.
Performs thorough safety and operator maintenance inspections and makes minor repairs on a variety of emergency ambulances, patient transport vehicles, and medical equipment. Decontaminate the vehicle in accordance with Medical Treatment Facility (MTF) established procedures.
Responsible for taking patients to and from medical areas, coordinating with the patient and unit the time of departure and assessing the patient at this time to coordinate the best method for patient transportation.

Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Compressed/Flexible: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Lead Paramedic/PDS10136A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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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, 05/25/2023.

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-10 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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.

Individual Occupational Requirement:
Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above):
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.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: responding to on-site emergencies of varying medical issues; independently assessing the patient's condition and treating the patient in accordance with prescribed protocols; perform transport duties of patients during emergent situations; and reporting on daily work performance and delegating workload as necessary.
Certifications and Licenses Requirement: Lead Paramedics shall possess and maintain the following:
  • Current Basic Life Support Provider certification.
  • Certification as a National Registered Emergency Medical Technician (Paramedic).
  • Current Advanced Cardiac Life Support certification.
  • Valid and unrestricted state driver's license.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Communication
  • Emergency Care
  • Medical Information
  • Patient Care
  • Transportation


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: The Lead Paramedic's work involves extended periods of heavy moving and lifting of patients in a variety of situations. Generally, the work requires recurring bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, and positioning of patients, frequently under adverse conditions or in confined areas. Incumbent may be required to spend prolonged periods in protective breathing apparatus and protective clothing during chemical, nuclear, biological, or hazardous materials incidents/exercises.

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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

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.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Veterans Health Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

The VA Desert Pacific 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 that is based in a partnership across time, 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.

Agency contact information

Alisha Herzog
Phone
(913) 683-8960
Email
alisha.herzog2@va.gov
Address
Raymond G Murphy Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
1501 San Pedro Drive, Southeast
Albuquerque, NM 87108
US

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http://www.va.gov/jobs

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