Intermediate Care Technician Job in Lexington, KY

Vacancy No. CBTG-12701118-25-TMB Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $49,960.00 to $64,952.00 Grade 7 to 7
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 2/27/2025 Close Date 3/14/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Lexington, KY


Summary

The full performance, Emergency Department (ED) Intermediate Care Technician (ICT) is assigned to the Department of Veteran Affairs, Veterans Health Administration (VHA). This position serves as an advanced technician for the ED for patients who are present for treatment.

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

Incumbent performs ongoing patient care duties in the ED. ICTs may perform tasks as outlined in this PD and in accordance with local policies after documented completion of training and demonstration of appropriate skills and competency. These tasks are not all inclusive and require the demonstration of appropriate training and documented competence prior to their performance. Incumbent may assist with or perform other related approved technical health care procedures under the direction and supervision of the licensed personnel as competency is demonstrated and documented.

Patient Screening: Duties include performing observation-based screening and collecting patient information in collaboration with licensed personnel. This may involve obtaining patient health history for chief complaints, medication history, and information about health-related or high-risk conditions that may impact the patient's health status.

Mental Health Services: The incumbent assists in behavioral/psychiatric situations in an emergency setting. This can include assisting licensed personnel with crisis intervention, assists with the management of aggressive or suicidal psychiatric patients, by providing one-to-one observations and applying prevention and management of disruptive behavior techniques (PMDB).

Clinical Tasks: The incumbent assists ED licensed personnel with the delivery of care to patients with complex, specialized, and potentially life-threatening situations. This may include setting up equipment and passing instruments in the event of: cardioversions, insertion of thoracostomy tubes, or initiation of mechanical ventilation to restore normal physiological function or prevent deterioration of patient's condition.

Clinical responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Vital signs. Examples: vital signs, 12-lead electrocardiogram (EKG).
- Point-of-care (POC). Examples: Abbott hand-held blood analyzer (I-STAT), glucometer.
- Equipment and surgical instrumentation set up . Examples: chest tube insertion, filling water chambers, handing instruments in a sterile field, and hooking up to suction when ordered .
- Observations and interventions. Examples: oxygen therapy and splinting.
- Wound care. Examples: bandaging, application of dressings and wound measurements.
- Specimen collection and Preparation. Examples: collecting and labeling venous blood Date modified: 10.08.2019 Final Version samples and mucous specimens.
- Geriatric-specific care. Example: screening for depression, elder abuse, consults, phone follow-up, in-person follow-up and assisting with ambulation, fall prevention.
- Assisting with patient exams and screening. Examples: gynecology exams, Brief Confusion Assessment Method (bCAM) screening.
- Patient transport. Examples: Can transport patients without cardiac monitor. Assists licensed clinical professionals with patients who need continues cardiac monitoring, to and from diagnostic tests or admissions, and outpatient campus response teams.
- Cardiovascular monitoring. Examples: central station or bedside cardiac monitoring.

Emergency Care: In addition to ongoing ED duties, the incumbent may be asked to respond to medical emergencies on the facility grounds, and sometimes encounters situations which may be life threatening as part of the Rapid Response Team (RRT), Code Blue, or medical transport team. The incumbent appropriately implements emergency care in accordance with established protocols and policies. Works in concert with other members of these teams to determine the nature, extent, and seriousness of the patient's condition including the search for medical alert symbols and medications.

Medication Administration: Medication administration will comply with national and local directives and policies. Administration methods may include intramuscular, oral, topical, eye drops, ear drops, intranasal, rectal suppositories, local anesthetics, nebulized medications, subcutaneous, and intradermal. Follows national and local pharmacy and facility guidelines for disposal of medications.

Other duties: Conducts or assists with the training of personnel in CPR, and advanced emergency medical care techniques if appropriately trained, certified and/or qualified, for example: facility formal preceptors and BLS instructors. Can conduct or assist with stand-downs, community health programs, healthcare screenings, and immunizations. May be members of hospital-wide committees to enhance emergency care for Veterans.

Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Full-Time Days/Nights 12 hours with rotation to other shifts as needed
Position Description Title/PD#: Intermediate Care Technician/S0031A
Physical Requirements: The work requires a level of physical fitness that allows for standing for extended periods, heavy lifting to position patients, and manual dexterity to perform clinical procedures. The work will require recurrent bending, lifting, stooping, standing, squatting, stretching, sitting and walking.

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.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

This occupation has Individual Occupational Requirements:

Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above):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 time in grade requirements and the Individual Occupational Requirements listed above, the below qualification requirements must be meet:

Grade Determination for ICT GS-0640-07

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-06, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. Your resume must clearly reflect one year of experience. Specialized experience would include, but not limited to:
  • Practical knowledge of the major body systems , i.e., skeletal, muscular, nervous, respiratory, circulatory, digestive and genitourinary, to perform patient examination and to provide prompt and efficient patient care and appropriate patient handling.
  • Working knowledge of topographic anatomy, e.g., right/left, surface, proximal/distal, superior, inferior, to accurately transmit location information about the body.
  • Working knowledge of diagnostic signs, e.g., pulse, respiration, blood pressure, temperature, skin, color, pupils of the eyes, state of consciousness, ability to move on command, reaction to pain, etc., to perform patient evaluation, to provide patient care, and to ensure appropriate patient handling.
  • Knowledge of medications(their uses, doses, side effects, adverse effects and toxicity signs sufficient to properly administer drugs even when directed to do so by the licensed staff.
  • Skill in communication techniques and the operation of communications equipment to be able to accurately obtain and relay information to and from health care providers.
  • Possesses a broad knowledge of equipment and supplies to adequately anticipate the demands of providers in multiple sub-specialties.
  • Demonstrates knowledge of isolation techniques and universal precautions.
  • Knowledge of major psychiatric conditions, depressive, anxiety, bipolar and substance use disorders, schizophrenia, and suicide risk assessment and warning signs.
OR

Education:
Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have one full year of graduate education that is directly related to the work of this position. Transcripts must be provided if using education to qualify for this position and grade.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
Clinical Data Collection/Documentation, Emergency Care, and Technical Competence

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.

Note: 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.

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

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 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)
  • Professional Certification
  • Resume
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • 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 03/14/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12701118.

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

Tracy Binion
Address
Lexington VA Health Care System
2250 Leestown Road
Lexington, KY 40511
US

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.