Health Technician Job in San Diego, CA

Vacancy No. CBSX-12580256-25-CLY Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $45,075.00 to $65,322.00 Grade 5 to 6
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/28/2024 Close Date 11/11/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
San Diego, CA


Summary

The position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), at the San Diego VA Medical Center (V AMC) in the (Emergency Department). The primary purpose of the position is to perform routine clinical procedures and tasks for which he/she has been deemed competent that do not require the judgment of a licensed health care professional.

This job is open to

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.

Duties

FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES:

  • Obtains, reads, measures, and interprets electrocardiogram monitoring. Identifies life threatening dysrhythmias and initiates appropriate action according to established protocols and written procedures.
  • Operates and supports physicians in designated clinical area using diagnostic and therapeutic medical instruments/equipment including Electrocardiogram, Spirometry, Visual Acuity Screening, and Bladder Scan according to established procedures and with documented competency. Locates and sets up equipment needed for complex diagnostic procedures.
  • Operates, calibrates and maintains medical instruments or equipment.
  • Monitors and plans equipment inventory, routine equipment maintenance, and serves as a unit resource for cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization of non-critical, semi-critical, and critical Reusable Medical Equipment (RME).
  • Orders and maintains specialized supplies needed for equipment and instruments used in assigned unit.
  • Performs and documents treatments, procedures, and/or telemetry identification that they have conducted in the electronic medical record.
  • Demonstrates leadership in advocating patient safety and educating multidisciplinary staff in assigned area on Reusable Medical Equipment. Schedules procedures, Provider evaluations, and coordinates appointments with other services.
  • Supports health and medical staff during diagnosis and treatment of patients.
  • Gathers screening data on patients triaged as ESI 4 and/or 5, to include: fall risk, allergies, current medications, homelessness, abuse, means and mode of arrival, danger to self or others, and exposure to communicable diseases.
  • Recognizes and informs appropriate multidisciplinary health care team of deviations from baseline screening parameters.
  • Performs phlebotomy in designated areas. Applies basic splints and performs dressing changes in designated areas.
  • Performs Point of Care (POC) testing using glucometer and I-Stat devices according to established unit procedures and with competency validation.
  • Educates other HT staff and serves as the expert resource in specialized equipment/supply maintenance, operation, and quality assurance monitoring.
  • Performs other related duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday -Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm, PST.Days/nights, weekends, and holidays.
Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician/PD10895-A and PD10896A
Physical Requirements:
Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
  • Subject to a background/suitability investigation
  • Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
  • May serve a probationary period
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

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

GS-05 Qualifications:
  • Experience: At least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least a GS-4. Examples of specialized may include but are not limited to: Obtains, reads, measures, and interprets electrocardiogram monitoring. Identifies life threatening dysrhythmias and initiates appropriate action according to established protocols and written procedures. Operates and supports physicians in designated clinical area using diagnostic and therapeutic medical instruments/equipment including Electrocardiogram, Spirometry, Visual Acuity Screening, and Bladder Scan according to established procedures and with documented competency. Locates and sets up equipment needed for complex diagnostic procedures.
OR
  • Education: 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.
OR
  • Education/Experience Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience are also qualifying. 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
    • For GS-5 level positions, only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to l year of specialized experience. Determine the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the year of specialized experience required at the GS-5 level. Then determine the applicant's education as a percentage of the education that meets the requirements for GS-5. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for GS-5.
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-05. 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.

GS-06 Qualifications: At least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least a GS-5. Examples of specialized may include but are not limited to: Basic anatomy and physiology to include location and function of major body organs and structures. Completion of formal nursing assistant program and/or active duty military equivalent. Cardiac rhythm interpretation, lead placement for 12 Lead electrocardiogram and telemetry monitoring, monitor alarm parameters, operation and maintenance of cardiopulmonary and electrocardiogram equipment. Do you meet the grade requirements for the GS-06?

There is no educational substitution for the GS-06 level.

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.

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.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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.

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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.

The following will be communicated to applicants for VA employment in a testing designated position and will also be included in all VA vacancy announcements for such positions: All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drugs use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.

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 well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/.

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.

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.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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.

Required Documents

Documents Accepted:

  • Cover Letter
  • DD-214/ Statement of Service
  • Disability Letter (VA)
  • PCS Orders
  • Professional Certification
  • Proof of Marriage Status
  • Resume
  • SF-15
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript

Documents Required:
  • Resume

Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.

Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online.

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/11/2024 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12580256.

1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.

2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Agency contact information

Charise Young
Address
San Diego VA Medical Center
3350 La Jolla Village Drive
San Diego, CA 92161
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.