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.
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: (a) 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. (b) 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.
- 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.
- Licensure/Certification/Registration: None.
- 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).
Grade Determinations: Health Technician, Optometry, GS-7
Experience: One year of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled ( 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; 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; 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; Ability to provide basic triage of patient telephone calls or optometry requests; Knowledge of ophthalmic medications and supplies needed in the process of restocking the eye clinic exam rooms.).
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: In addition to meeting the experience or educational requirements for this grade level, the candidate must fully demonstrate the following KSAs:
- 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.
- 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.).
- Ability to perform accurate assessment of accommodation, near point of convergence and ocular alignment (far and near).
- Ability to assist the eye care provider (optometrist or ophthalmologist) with ophthalmic procedures.
- Ability to assist with obtaining accurate ocular cultures and smears.
- Knowledge and ability to provide advanced patient education for eye health and/or vision conditions.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit
https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-7.
Physical Requirements: The position requires fine motor skills and dexterity necessary for working with ophthalmic equipment. The position requires the operation of several different devices under dim illumination for the examination of patients. These generally require that the operator sit opposite the patient, using one hand to support the eyelids in the static position while the body, head and other hand of the operator must be able to shift positions sometimes rapidly to obtain the optimal picture field. The operator's eye is employed in this arrangement and the combination of static position and adjusting movements can be stressful and tiring. There are extensive periods of regular and recurring standing, walking, sitting, bending, lifting, pushing and reaching. It requires pushing a patient in a wheelchair. Clinic duties require providing manual assistance in lifting and positioning patients, e.g., wheelchair bound patients. Various equipment items and some heavy objects must be moved or relocated, e.g., visual field machine. It requires walking throughout the clinic environment to access faxing and printing equipment, etc. It requires frequent computer use. The individual must be able to work for sustained periods under pressure. The ability to be flexible in regards to patient needs is critical.