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.

Major Duties Include:

• Performs direct patient care including personal hygiene, physical comfort, nutrition, elimination, prevention of skin breakdown, safety, etc.
• Receives and directs patients, answers routine inquiries and makes referrals.
• Receives and responds to inquiries from patients concerning a variety of medical personnel and administrative matters.
• Maintains stock of supplies and sterility of instruments.
• Point-of-Care. Examples: glucometer, COVID swabbing
• Performs or assists triage staff with diagnostic procedures including EKGs, venipunctures, and alcohol breathalyzer used to diagnose medical conditions.
• Assists in the performance of or independently performs procedures such as insertion of urinary catheters and intravenous catheters.
• Performs patient care procedures such as collection of specimens, applying dressings, and adjusting supportive equipment.
• Performs duties in accordance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and applicable laws and policies.
• Instructs patients in crutch, walker and or cane use and ensures correct fitting of equipment.
• Performs duties involving customer service and or public liaison.
• Performs duties in accordance with applicable safety precautions and infection control.
• Operate emergency department equipment such as Telemetry and automated external defibrillator (AED).
• Provides general clerical/administrative support coordination work for the Triage area.
• Collects and organizes statistical data for reports.
• Performs patient charting using standard medical terminology entering information regarding care rendered, condition and progress.
• Performing observation-based screening and collecting patient information in collaboration with licensed personnel, this may involve completing clinical reminders, obtaining patient health history, chief complaints, medication history, and identification of health- related conditions that may impact the patient's health status.
• Completes approved templates and tools, such as, intake/outtake forms, normal result note follow up, clinical reminders, procedure and intervention notes established by the agency.
• Assists in behavioral/psychiatric situations in an outpatient setting, to include assisting licensed personnel with crisis intervention, management of aggressive or suicidal psychiatric patients, by providing one-to-one observations and applying prevention and management of disruptive behavior techniques (PMDB). Assists licensed staff with the delivery of care to patients with complex, specialized, and potentially life-threatening situations. Assists licensed staff with setting up equipment and providing treatment during in person or virtual visits.
• Operates specialized medical equipment to obtain diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes. Observes patient status and keeps licensed clinical staff informed of any change in condition. You will assist clinical providers with emergency medical care, provides emergency response as part of the Rapid-Response-Team (RRT), and assists with training of other hospital clinical staff.
• Performing Diagnostic Tests. Examples: Vital Signs, 12-lead electrocardiogram (EKG)
• Specimen collection and Preparation. Examples: collecting and labeling venous blood samples
• Minor Procedures. Examples: preparation for simple one-layer laceration repairs, incision and drainage, skin stapling, STERIS trips, Dermabond
• Medication Administration: Administers select medications as authorized for Intermediate Care Technicians, including nebulized treatments, topical agents, and limited oral medications, in accordance with VA policy, facility protocols, and under the supervision of licensed clinical staff.
• Wound Care. Examples. Different types of wound dressings, wound irrigation, compression dressings- Unna Boot and Profore
• Patient education within scope of care or while providing an intervention
• Electronic Health Record (EHR): Thoroughly and appropriately documents actions, interventions and procedures in the medical record. Examples: Procedural notes and progress notes.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 0730-1600.
Preferred Experience:
Military medical experience as a Hospital Corpsman, Combat Medic, or equivalent, with proficiency in clinical skills such as vital signs monitoring, IV placement, and wound care.
-2 years in ambulatory or outpatient settings, including patient preparation, point-of-care testing, and assisting providers with minor outpatient procedures.
-Hands-on experience in specialty medicine clinics, particularly cardiology, renal, or wound care, focusing on care coordination.
-Background in neurology, rheumatology, or gastroenterology services, with skills in geriatric screenings, patient navigation, and supporting diagnostic evaluations.
-Exposure to pulmonary, infectious disease, dermatology, or endocrinology clinics, emphasizing respiratory assessments, infection control, and discharge processes.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• 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)
• Physical Requirements: The work requires moderate to heavy (15-44 pounds) lifting of equipment or patients and requires standing, walking, bending, stooping, stretching, pushing, pulling, twisting, reaching and similar activities in an immediate or limited time frame.

• 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. If you do not receive certification for continued employment, you should receive written notice prior to the end of your trial period hat your employment will be terminated and the effective date of such termination.

Qualifications

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

Must meet Individual Occupational Requirements: Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as doctors, providers, and nursing staff for ambulatory care specialty clinics. Therefore, technician experience is experience that requires application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled.

AND
Have specialized experience and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: For an Intermediate Health Care Technician at the GS-7 level, you must have at least (1) One year of specialized experience at the GS-6 level that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled which includes the following:
  Assists licensed staff with preparing patients for medical evaluation, setting up equipment, passing instruments and providing treatment during in person or virtual visits.
  Possess the knowledge to recognize life threatening situations and act to correct these emergent situations according to established national or local protocols.
  Thoroughly and continually documents actions, interventions and patient response in the health record.
  Administration methods may include oral, topical, inhaler, nebulizer, or subcutaneous contingent on local policies, procedures, and training.
  Follows national and local pharmacy and facility guidelines for disposal of medications.

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successful completion of 1 year of graduate education (18 semester hours) directly related to the work of this position.

• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond 1 year of full-time study.

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

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.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the 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.

All applicants are required to submit the following supporting document(s):
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 ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

RESUME REMINDER: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications. Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:

1. Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
2. Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
3. Duties (be as detailed as possible)
4. Job title
5. Education (degree type, college/school name, month/year degree received)

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