Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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This Fee Basis (per diem) position has an intermittent work schedule, see important information in the "Duties" section below.

Responsibilities and duties of the Dental Hygienist include but are not limited to:

Clinical

• Proficiently provides procedures commonly recognized by the dental profession for safe performance by a licensed dental hygienist include the removal of all hard and soft deposits and stains from the human teeth to the depth of the gingival sulcus, polishing natural and restored surfaces of teeth, performing clinical examination of teeth and surrounding tissues for diagnosis by the dentist, and performing other such procedures as may be delegated by the dentist consistent with the Florida State Dental Practice Act.
• Complies with all Patient Safety processes: Infection control, patient identification, time-out, iMed (informed) consent, medication reconciliation, and hand-off communication.
• Follows standard operating procedures for all reusable medical equipment (RME), instruments, materials, and personal protective equipment (PPE) in use in the dental clinical areas.
• Maintains operatory standardization by ensuring all products, materials and instruments are unexpired in operatory and in storage locations throughout the clinic.
• Prepares the operatory with all needed equipment, materials and supplies for planned dental procedure(s) prior to seating the patient and cleans operatory after the patient is dismissed for timely turnover.
• Keeps patients informed of clinic delays by directly communicating with patients when treatment will not commence within 10-minutes of the patient's scheduled appointment time.
• Performs and records patient's blood pressure, pulse, and medical history; recognizes patient signs of physical distress and monitors patients' condition during treatment.
• Captures and saves diagnostic quality digital radiographs of the mouth, gums, jaws, and/or teeth --- both intraoral and extraoral --- of good diagnostic quality in traditional or digital formats within the desired time frame, for same day dental exams.
• Provides dental prophylaxis of natural teeth (including removing cement from teeth and restorations) and dental prostheses.
• Provides gross debridement, scaling and root planning, and subgingival curettage.
• Administers local anesthetic agents (in accordance with Florida and applicable licensure/training requirements and under direct supervision of dentist).
• Applies desensitizing agents, fluoride (foam, gel or varnish), anti­ inflammatory agents and topical anesthesia to specified areas of the oral cavity.

• Keeps up to date and complies with all current Policies, Handbooks and Directives, Memoranda and Standard Operating Procedures, Workplace duties and Competencies within the VHA, applicable Accreditation and Regulatory Agencies, Medical Center, and Dental Service.
• Effectively participates in staff meetings and service conference calls; complies with employee education requirements.
• Collaborates with dentists, dental assistants, dental hygienists, dental lab techs, the Dental Administrative Officer, and Medical Support Assistants (MSAs) in a manner that enhances coordination of patient care.
• Demonstrates a working knowledge of dental eligibility and the scope of care that may be provided based on the patient's dental classification.
• Properly fills out "Return to Clinic" orders for patient follow-up care.
• Assists in filling gaps in the schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments via reports, phone calls, and secure message.
• Retrieves data and charts clinical findings, completed care and treatment plans in the Dental Record Manager Plus (DRM+) component of the Computerized Patient medical Record System (CPRS), showing expertise in the use of the functionalities applicable to the medical record documentation and management contained in both CPRS and DRM+.

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.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• 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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

English Language Proficiency. Dental hygienists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).

Education. Applicants must possess an Associate degree or higher from an accredited dental hygiene program. The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved programs are:

1. Dental hygiene programs accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
2. Education completed outside of the United States must be considered at least equivalent to that gained in CODA accredited United States programs and would enable the candidate to sit for the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, which is administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations.

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 MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

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.

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.

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.