Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a current employee of Veterans Intergrated Services Network 6 (VISN-6), to apply for this position.
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this position.
- 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.
- You may be required to serve a probationary period.
- Subject to background/security investigation.
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
- Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
- Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/14/2025.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
In addition to the language proficiency requirement state above, the following experience and/or education is required:
GS-7 EXPERIENCE: One year of specialized experience that is equivalent to the GS-6 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience: Technician experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled (Health Technician - Prosthetics/Orthotics). Examples of specialized experience include designing, repairing, fabricating, fitting and/or dispensing orthotic and/or prosthetic devices; making entries in patient charts to record provision of orthotic and/or prosthetic devices to patient and assisting in the education of patient in use of device; and maintaining appropriate stock level of necessary medical items.
Eligibility Requirements:(a) To be eligible for career or career-conditional appointment, a person must:1. Be currently serving under an appointment without time limit in the other merit system or have been involuntarily separated from such appointment without personal cause within the preceding year; AND2. Be currently serving in or have been involuntarily separated from a position covered by an interchange agreement (some agreements do not cover all positions of the other merit system); AND3. Have served continuously for at least 1 year in the other merit system prior to appointment under the interchange agreement (the required 1 year or more of service in the other merit system does not have to all be permanent service, but the employee must be permanent in the other merit system (Title-38 or Hybrid Title-38) by the closing date of the competitive service vacancy announcement to be eligible for the VHA Interchange Agreement.)
NOTE: This experience must be documented in your resume to receive credit.
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
- Clinical Data Collection/Documentation
- Emergency Care
- Patient Care
- 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.
Physical Requirements: The position demands a moderate degree of exertion and a high degree of dexterity, long periods of standing and walking between work area, fitting rooms, stock room, waiting areas. The work requires some physical exertion, prolonged periods of standing, bending, stooping, crouching, reaching and stretching to fit device to the Veteran. Manual dexterity in the procedures of measuring and fitting is necessary and using small tools, such as orthotic scissors, sander, heat gun, etc .. There are times when the incumbent is required to lift and carry objects weighing 10 to 40 pounds and occasionally in excess of 40 pounds.
Work Environment: The work is performed in a well-lit, HVAC and ventilated areas. The areas include fitting rooms, machine/fabrication areas and administration offices. The Lab has hand tools and machines, which may expose the incumbent to dust and noise. The incumbent may assist with cleaning or storing hand tools or machinery and will ensure that all machine safeguards are in place and properly stored. Incumbent will ensure that gloves, hearing protection and proper dust masks are used.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
Knowledge Required by the Position:
This factor measures the nature and extent of information or facts that a worker must understand to do acceptable work, such as the steps, procedures, practices, rules, policies, theories, principles, and concepts; and the nature and extent of the skills needed to apply this knowledge. At Level 1-3, employees must have knowledge reflected in licensure followed by training as a practical or vocational nurse and work experience to demonstrate sufficient skill to perform a moderately difficult range of practical nursing care. The practical nurse serves as a responsible member of the nursing team providing therapeutic, rehabilitative and preventive care for patients in various stages of dependency. The knowledges, skills and nursing care typical of this level include: a) knowledge and skill sufficient to give injections, catheterize, irrigate, suction and provide chest care (deep breathing, coughing, etc.) to patients.; b) knowledge of diseases and illnesses (such as diabetes) and skill sufficient to participate in patient/family teaching conferences; c) knowledge and skill sufficient to identify and use equipment, drugs and supplies properly and to communicate proper use to nurses, medical staff and family members d) knowledge of the standard medical terminology for the human body, physical and emotional reactions, nursing care, pharmacology, and contraindications to medications, and skill sufficient to provide and gather nursing care, pharmacology, and contraindications to medications, and skill sufficient to provide and gather information during patient care and family conferences with nurses, doctors, patients and family members.
At Level 1-4, the highest level described in the standard, the employee is given a wide variety of interrelated or nonstandard assignments reflected in licensure as a practical nurse and requiring skill to resolve a range of problems. Typically at this level, the LPN must have knowledge of a large body of nursing care to manage a selected patient load of critically ill patients, and assess deviations from normal conditions and immediately modify the nursing care plan, notifying the Charge Nurse afterward.
Level 1-5, as defined in the Primary Standard, requires knowledge of basic principles, concepts, and methodology equivalent to that acquired in a baccalaureate educational program. This level is comparable to an entry level registered nurse position which requires a knowledge of diversified professional nursing concepts and practices and the ability to apply such knowledge with judgment and perception.
The position meets Level 1-4. The position provides emergent care for a variety of patients including monitoring vital signs, administering medications, assessing body systems, monitoring life support equipment, and implementing care plans. Recognizing and responding to life-threatening situations utilizing appropriate emergency treatment. The position is responsible for a number of technical procedures, e.g., inserting intravenous catheters, performing venipunctures and arterial punctures, and inserting nasogastric and airway tubes, etc. The incumbent assists with specialized monitoring, diagnostic and treatment procedures.
Level 1-5 is not met. Although frequently similar to registered nurse positions in the kinds of tasks performed, the position does not require the application of professional knowledge of nursing concepts and practices (e. and techniques (e.g., the type of knowledge and skill gained in a practical nursing program) to perform a number of technical procedures. In the Emergency Department the incumbent works alongside registered nt of an emergency, LPNs and registered nurses work together as a team to resolve the problem. However, even though the incumbent performs as part of the team, the procedures he/she is authorized to perform do not require the possession of professional nursing knowledge or equivalent. Level 1-4 is credited for 550 points.
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.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Resume
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this
checklist to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.
- Cover Letter
- Disability Letter (Schedule A)
- Disability Letter (VA)
- License
- Professional Certification
- Resume
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):
- Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
- An SF-50 showing 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
- Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
- Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
- Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
- Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
- SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date not more than one year old.
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). Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
You will not be contacted for additional information.
How to Apply
All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 03/14/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12671193.
- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
- 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 USA JOBS account,
https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Application 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 USA JOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USA JOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations where patients receive care or who come into contact with VA patients as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, paid and unpaid, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, students, researchers, volunteers, and trainees who work at these facilities. HCP that are unable to receive or otherwise decline a flu shot will be expected to wear a face mask throughout the influenza season.
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications 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. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.