Clarification from the agency

First area of consideration will be given to current permanent employees of the Chalmers P. Wylie VA ACC and associated CBOCs. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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The incumbent works under the general supervision of the Supervisor, Optometrist. The clinical supervision is provided by the optometrist or ophthalmologist as indicated. Major duties include but are not limited to:

• Assist with efficient patient movement though the eye clinic. Demonstrates the agility to alter procedures to meet the special needs of our patient population.
• Practice appropriate hand hygiene and infection control in a patient care setting. Includes understanding hygiene, cleaning, and disinfection of reusable medical equipment instrumentation and ophthalmic equipment.
• Provide triage of patient telephone calls or optometry requests consistent with full performance.
• Appropriately obtain optical measurements (pupillary distance, seg height for flat top bifocals/trifocals and progressives).
• Perform eyeglass adjustments and minor spectacle repairs (screw and nose pad replacements).
• Accurately transpose spectacle prescriptions from plus to minus cylinder when appropriate.
• Follow eye clinic and patient care medical policies and procedures. Ability to write to basic standard operating procedures or documents for eye care tasks.

VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo


Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:45AM-4:15PM
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 918442A, 918443A, 91844A, 91845A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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.
• 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 identification 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial 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 trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

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.
• Experience and Education.
  • Experience. One year of experience as a health technician or assistant in the health care field demonstrating the applicant's ability to perform the work or by demonstrating a basic understanding of work in the health care field;
  • OR
  • Education. Successful completion of two academic years above high school with a minimum of 12 semester hours related to health technician/assistant or health technician (optometry)/assistant or associate degree, or completion of an independent study course in an optometry related technician or assistant field;
  • OR
  • Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. Examples are listed below:
    • Six months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge of optometry assistant theory and practices and general understanding of the health technician/assistant duties and one year above high school with a minimum of six semester hours of health technician/assistant or health technician (optometry)/assistant related courses.
    • Successful completion of a course for health care technicians or assistants, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or hospital training in a program given by the U.S. Armed Forces, the U.S. Maritime Service, or the U.S. Public Health Service, may be substituted on a month-for-month basis
• Licensure/Certification/Registration. None.
• Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs.
• English Language Proficiency. Health Technician (Optometry) candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

GS-04
Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-05
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-04). Examples of GS-04 experience are but not limited to: More experienced staff members guide and provide daily direct supervision for the health technicians (optometry).

GS-06
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-05). Examples of GS-06 experience are but not limited to: It is expected they receive guidance from more experienced staff members for patient issues and require daily and direct contact with senior optometry personnel at the work site.

GS-07
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-06). Examples of GS-07 experience are but not limited to: The technicians operate and monitor commonly used equipment performing basic screening procedures. The health technicians (optometry) understand basic hygiene, cleaning and disinfection of reusable medical equipment (RME) instruments and ophthalmic equipment.

Additionally, you will be rated on the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Please make sure that each is addressed in your application package.

GS-05

1. Knowledge of basic eye anatomy and function.
2. Ability to obtain, document and record ophthalmic and medical information from patients in order to develop an accurate electronic progress note.
3. Ability to practice basic hygiene and infection control in a patient care setting.
4. Ability to follow eye clinic and patient care medical policies and procedures.
5. Ability to perform minor eyeglasses repairs, such as replacing nose pads and screws.

GS-06

1. Ability to provide patient education for eye health and/or vision conditions, to include assisting with patient contact lens insertion, removal and hygiene (cleaning and disinfection) care.
2. Ability to accurately enter into a phoropter the autorefractometry or habitual refractive prescription (i.e., eyeglasses prescription) or lensometer findings, including sphere, cylinder and axis.
3. Ability to perform patient spectacle fitting and dispensing, including selection of appropriate frame, ophthalmic lenses, interpupillary measurements (distance and near) and proper segment height determination, as well as the ability to transpose sphere, cylinder and axis.
4. Ability to provide basic triage of patient telephone calls or optometry requests.
5. Knowledge of ophthalmic medications and supplies needed in the process of restocking the eye clinic exam rooms.

GS-07

1. Ability to determine preliminary objective estimate and/or refinement of the optical status of the eye, not to include the patient's final subjective refraction.
2. Ability to triage and manage eyeglasses issues (e.g., measurement of vertex distance, base curve, prism correction, center thickness, slab off, Fresnel prism, decentration, etc.).
3. Ability to perform accurate assessment of accommodation, near point of convergence and ocular alignment (far and near).
4. Ability to assist the eye care provider (optometrist or ophthalmologist) with ophthalmic procedures.
5. Ability to assist with obtaining accurate ocular cultures and smears.
6. Knowledge and ability to provide advanced patient education for eye health and/or vision conditions.

References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G68, Health Technician (Optometry) Qualification Standard.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-07. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-04 to GS-07.

Physical Requirements: The Incumbent must have dexterity and agility to handle fragile eyeglasses and contact lenses as well as microscopic instruments. The work is at times sedentary; and ambulation between various examination/treatment rooms is also required. The work requires some physical exertion such as lifting and assisting wheelchair patients into chairs positioned in front of the cameras. It is also required that the technician be able to operate equipment with one hand while holding the patients' eyelids open with the other. The incumbent will also frequently spend extended periods standing and bending over in the Eye Clinic. The employee will also need to frequently lift light to moderately heavy cameras, camera accessories, and imaging equipment. The work area is pleasant but at times noisy due to the volume of waiting patients. Occasionally, it Is necessary to deal with disruptive patients. Risk normally associated with an Eye Clinic/hospital/direct patient care are present. The primary working environment is the Eye Clinic. Within that environment, the technician will be working with patients who have serious and communicable diseases such as AIDS, TB, Hepatitis C, and herpetic lesions. The position will require extreme care and special knowledge about the seriousness and transmission of these and other diseases. During these encounters the employee must take safety precautions, personal protective equipment, such as gloving and masking, in dealing with these patients.

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.

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
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Reading Comprehension
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

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.