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Health Technician (Emergency Department)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Miami VA Healthcare System

Summary

The position is located In the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), Veteran Health Administration (VHA), VA Medical Center (VAMC) Miami under Surgical Services. This position serves as a Health Technician (HT), and is a member of the ED team. The HT provides assistance to the surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures, and participates with the surgical team members in planning and implementing complex procedures under the general supervision of the Emergency Department team.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/03/2026 to 03/10/2026
Salary
$48,361 to - $62,869 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 6
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Miami, FL
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
CBTC-12884291-26-CAF
Control number
859571800

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.205) for this occupation.

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Duties

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The Health Technician (Emergency Department) position is located at the Nursing Perioperative section at the Miami VA Healthcare System and assigned to the approving Nursing (Emergency Department) Nurse Manager or designee.

The ED Health Technician will be assigned to work in the Emergency Department (ED). The Health Care Technician is a highly skilled position and performs duties that traditionally are done by multiple staff in other services and sections. The ED Health Technician demonstrates competence in handling emergencies using basic and advanced life support equipment and skills.

The ED Health Technician serves as a member of an interdisciplinary treatment team. He/she engages in patient care which requires the knowledge and skills as represented by the certified nursing assistant standards. The ED Health Technician maintains acceptable standards of practice under the direction of a Register Nurse. He or she performs assignments independently, reporting unusual, new, or abnormal findings to the nursing staff. The ED Health Technician demonstrates competence in handling emergencies using basic and advanced life support equipment and skills. Provides effective and immediate care or the critically ill and injured under the direction of a Registered Nurse (RN). Based upon assessment/findings, works in a collaborative manner to render emergency medical care to adult patients, and on rare occasions, to children. Duties include, but are not limited to, opening and maintaining an airway, ventilating patients, initiating cardiopulmonary resuscitation, including the use of automatic external defibrillators according to American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines. Provides emergency care of simple and multiple injury situations, such as controlling of hemorrhage, bandaging wounds, and immobilization of extremities.

Major duties of the Health Technician (Emergency Department) position includes, but are not limited to:

  • Ability to assists RN to plan for continuing nursing care/follow up during ED visit.
  • Transporting Patients to rooms or assisting RN with transportation to procedure areas/higher level of care.
  • Ability to perform 12 Lead EKG (left and right), ability to recognize lethal arrythmias on the monitor.
  • Assists with continuous bladder irrigation by setting up the equipment, emptying the drainage bag, reporting the output findings to the RN and documenting it in local electronic health systems.
  • Daily Crash Cart and Defibrillator check off, performing oral suction.
  • Ability to assist with minor procedures/therapeutic treatments such as suturing, stapling, incision and drainage.
  • Responds to urgent ECG requests on a high priority basis.
  • Ability to perform phlebotomy and specimen processing.
  • Ability to collect specimen samples from wounds, oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal.
  • Performs POC testing, reports abnormal results to the RN and provider and documents actions taken as per policy.
  • Ability to adhere to psychiatric intake process and provide care of psychiatric patients in the ED setting.
  • Recognizes and provides maximal physical, safe and emotional security for patients by taking appropriate actions.
  • Ability to insert Foley catheters using sterile technique, apply splints of extremities as ordered, to discontinue peripheral IV catheters/heparin locks and inform the RN of the site's condition.
  • Takes inventory of forms and supplies and assures the necessary forms.
  • Provides the customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures.
  • Answers phone calls using approved scripted language and relays messages appropriately.

Work Schedule: Full time, tour of duty 7:30am - 8:00pm, Six 12 - hour shifts and One 8-hour shift per period; rotating weekends/holiday to ensure coverage for the operations of the facility.
Telework: Not approved.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health Technician (Emergency Department)/PD08479A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • 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
  • Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
  • 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)
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
  • your performance and conduct;
  • the needs and interests of the agency;
  • whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  • whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/10/2026.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

Individual Occupational Requirements: 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. In addition to the IOR 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: 1) Knowledge of equipment, safety practices, and emergency lifesaving techniques. 2) Ability to assists nursing staff to plan for continuing nursing care/follow up during ED visit. 3) identifies unsafe or emergent conditions of the work and intervenes appropriately. 4) Performs routine work with minimal direction within the appropriate guidelines using interdependent judgment in recurring tasks and referring unusual problems or deviations to supervisor. 5) Utilized prescribed documentation format to compile pertinent, meaningful, and accurate data in the patient's medical record.

OR:
Education: Six (6) months of graduate-level education or an internship directly related to the work of the position

OR:
Combination: A combination of experience and education that meets 100% of the qualification requirements.



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.

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Receiving Service Credit for 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced 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/.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Clerical
  • Clinical Data Collection/Documentation
  • Customer Service
  • Diagnostic Medical Testing
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Patient Care
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork



Your 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. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

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.

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