Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

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Duties include but are not limited to:

• Prepare patients for clinic visits an procedures using lifts turns and devices
• Prepare and transport patients for tests or discharge
• Take, record and report to supervisor deviations in vital signs, blood thinners used, oxygen flow rate and pain assessments
• Records vital signs, medication review and reconciliation, standard nursing notes in the computerized patient record
• Ensure Accu-check quality controls are done daily
• Specimen collection, handling and labeling for laboratory delivery
• Make accurate observations of patients condition
• Setup sterile field for procedures
• Function as primary scrub person on procedures and as needed scrubs and assists surgeon sponge, suture cutting, holding and instrument counts
• Documenting surgical grade pictures in the patient record
• Daily maintenance and filling of liquid nitrogen canisters
• Prepare and review provider schedules
• Daily restocking of rooms and and routine disposal of outdated procedural items
• Obtain nasal/wound cultures
• Assist with performing and scheduling of suture/staple removals, wound care, dressing changes
• Applies and removes casts, splints and cast braces
• Fits and applies immobilizers, belts, splints, collars and braces
• Performs EKG's
• Operates medical devices and machines
• Fields calls from patients
• Ensures injections are ordered and available from pharmacy
• Provides patient and family education
• Communicate changes in patient condition to provider and/or supervisor

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, variable 8 hour tours. Tour start/stop times vary between the hours of 7:00am and 5:00pm
Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician/PD70217-A
Virtual: This is not a virtual or remote position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Physical Requirements: Physical and mental stamina are required. The duties involve working under considerable stress, tense situations and with patients who are stressed and worried about their medical conditions. Work involves long hours of standing, stooping, bending and stretching without a break during procedures which require concentration. Manual dexterity and agility are required to correctly assemble instruments. Strain is incurred in staying alert on long cases under difficult situations.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• English Language Proficiency: Individuals serving in direct patient care positions must be proficient in both spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d).
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Required Documents" below for details.
• 5 CFR 330.502 - General restriction on movement after competitive appointment applies.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

Individual Occupational Requirement: An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for the 0640 occupational series. Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

• Specialized Experience: 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. OR
• Education and Training: For GS 5- Successful completion of a full 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 the position.

In addition to the IOR, applicants must also meet the minimum qualifications for the GS-5 grade level.

GS 5 Minimum Qualifications:

• Specialized Experience: One year ofspecialized experience (equivalent to the GS-4grade 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 but is not limited to: Ability to assist medical and nursing staff through technical and specialized support services which aids in the diagnosis or treatment of patients; Knowledge and skill to properly set up equipment and supplies and sterile surgical fields in preparation for general surgery and patient care procedures; Ability to perform wound irrigation, suture removal, dressing, and application of EKG leads; Knowledge and skill to perform diagnostic supporting duties such as taking/reporting of vital signs, pain assessments, handling/labeling of specimens, and observation of patient conditions; Knowledge of basic instruments and diagnostic/treatment procedures; Knowledge of surgical procedures and terminology. OR,
• Education (Transcripts Required): Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a bachelor's degree or four (4) years of education above the high school level with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position. 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. One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business or technical school. OR,
• Combination (Transcripts Required): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this 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 in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite.
  • 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-XX. 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.

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.

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. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

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.

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.