Supervisory Registered Respiratory Therapist

Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. This job announcement is open to Veterans Health Administration employees

Supervisory Registered Respiratory Therapist Duties include but not limited to:

• Develops and regularly reviews policies and procedures; ensures that this program remains in compliance with existing VA policy and regulations and JCAHO standards.
• Monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of all the program activities through standard and innovative techniques.
• Expand department activities wherever necessary to improve patient care.
• Disseminates and gather information through regular staff meetings with department staff regarding improvement of patient care, with emphasis on responsibility and accountability.
• Maintains statistical and patient data. Monitor individual performance standards and completes retrospective audits.
• Serves as liaison between the department and its clinical consumers such as nursing service, administration and other support services.
• Formulates evaluation of equipment needs, preventive maintenance, and organization expendable and non-expendable equipment and the supplies related to the program.
• Monitors staff educational needs and annual competency assessment for staff.
• Makes program changes within allowable cost and established policies.
• Represents the facility to VISN leadership.
• Represent the department at interdisciplinary meetings and on facility level committees.
• Manage all administrative and clinical aspects of the organizational unit
• Plan, assess and evaluate programs to ensure coordination between care delivered by the program and overall delivery of health care within the facility.
• Advise leadership on policy implications, key issues, relationships with both internal and external interest groups and recommended courses of action.
• Maintain interdepartmental relations with other services to accomplish medical center goals.
• Coordinate and negotiate resolutions to complex problems and report progress and resolution of problems in achieving goals and objectives to higher levels of management.
• Prepare special reports, Congressional responses, briefing papers, issue briefs and decision papers for the medical center leadership, VISN or central office which may be highly sensitive, confidential or of a complex nature.
• Develop policies, procedures and protocols.
• Develop performance and quality standards, position descriptions and functional statements

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #:22139F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified candidates
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• 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.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• 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.

Qualifications

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.
• English Language Proficiency. RTs/RRTs appointed to direct patient-care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations:
Supervisory Registered Respiratory Therapist GS-14

• Have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level demonstrating the clinical competencies described at that level. It is highly desirable that the candidate possess certification in one or more functional specialties such as critical care, pulmonary, education and sleep medicine.
• Hold an active license and RRT credential.

Education.

• It is highly desirable that the candidate possess a Bachelor of Science degree from a nationally accredited college or university in respiratory care; cardiopulmonary science; or a health-related field.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the requirements above, candidates must demonstrate all the following KSAs:

• Skill in implementing patient care and operations change by recognizing opportunities for improvement and analyzing data.
• Skill in the development and implementation of appropriate standards of care for respiratory care.
• Ability establish a completely integrated program that emulates "best practice" and follows national policies.
• Ability to supervise employees.
• Ability to forecast resource needs to manage fiscal matters.

For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity and range of variety and must be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. RRTs at this grade in this assignment are designated as Chiefs. They manage complexity level 1 and 2 respiratory care department. They manage all administrative and clinical aspects of the organizational unit. The organizational unit may be located at one facility or multiple divisions of a facility. Decisions are made exercising wide latitude and independent judgment. They have broad and overall responsibility for the service-level department and full responsibility for clinical practice, program management, education, human resources management, budget management and supervision for employees whose work involves providing high acuity care. They provide leadership with objective, independent assessments and recommendations for policy, operational and administrative issues and initiatives requiring decision and action. They plan, assess and evaluate programs to ensure coordination between care delivered by the program and overall delivery of health care within the facility. Supervisory RRTs initiate and conduct audits and analyze a wide variety of data related to program planning and the specialized needs of the Veteran, the service and the medical center.

Preferred Experience: Bachelor of Science Degree is preferred. Supervisory experience is preferred; Contract Officer Representative (COR) experience is preferred.

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-14.

Physical Requirements: The work requires some physical exertion. It included occasional walking, reaching, bending and stretching to set up and take apart equipment, in filing and in positioning patients. Lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling light to moderately heavy objects including the occasional pushing of patients in wheelchairs is also required. Some occasional travel to patient homes may be required, but only as designated by the Respiratory Therapist Supervisor.

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 MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

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.

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.

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.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:



The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please 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.

• Cover Letter
• Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

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