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. The incumbent performs ongoing patient care duties in the ED. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/27/2023. 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 position GS-7 you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. 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. Applicants must meet the Individual Occupation Requirement, Selective Placement Factor and Specialized Experience/Education as stated below. Each of these items are separate requirements. Individual Occupational Requirement for Health Aid and Technician (0640) Series (IOR): An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for entry into this job series, and it is something that can't be waived. 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. Please clearly state your experience in resume. In addition to the IOR, applicants must meet the specialized experience/education and selective placement factor below: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as monitoring diagnostic signs, e.g., pulse, respiration, blood pressure, temperature, skin color, pupils of the eyes, state of consciousness, reaction to pain; perform patient evaluation and patient care and ensure appropriate patient handling; experience with medication administration - uses, does, side effects, adverse effects and toxicity signs; Assist with patient exams under the direction of a health care provider. Assisting with psychiatric situations to perform suicide risk assessment. Performs a variety of clinical duties such as EKG, equipment and instrumentation setup, wound care and specimen collection. Practical knowledge of the major body systems, i.e., skeletal, muscular, nervous, respiratory, circulatory, digestive and genitourinary. OR, Substitution of Education: Graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience required above GS-5 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. To qualify based on education for this grade level, you must have: One full year of graduate education only in instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. NOTE: If substituting education for experience, an unofficial transcript must be submitted with your application. Selective Placement Factor: In addition to meeting experience requirements, applicants for this position must show possession of the following experience: administration of: Oxygen, Basic IV fluids, nebulized medications, limited PO meds, IM meds/immunizations/vaccines English Language Proficiency Requirement: No person will be appointed to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Clinical Data Collection/Documentation Decision Making 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: Evidence of specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of duties performed in positions held. Please provide such documentation on resume. 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 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. Work Environment: On a regular and recurring basis, employee is exposed to infection and contagious diseases requiring the use of universal precautions. As part of an emergency response or transport team the incumbent may be exposed to all types of weather conditions, and face risks and discomforts at the scene of accidents, to include the possibility of noxious fumes and dangerous substances, requiring the employee to comply with special safety and health precautions and/or to use protective gear. 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/. ["As the Intermediate Care Technician - ED, the incumbent's duties include, but are not limited to: Vital signs. Examples include: 12-lead electrocardiogram (EKG). Point-of-care (POC). Examples include: Abbott hand-held blood analyzer (I-STAT), glucometer. Equipment and surgical instrumentation set up. Examples include: chest tube insertion, filling water chambers, handing instruments in a sterile field and hooking up to suction when ordered Observations and interventions. Examples include: Oxygen therapy and splinting Wound care. Examples include: bandaging, application of dressings and wound measurements. Specimen collection and Preparation. Examples include: collecting and labeling venous blood 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 include: gynecology exams, Brief Confusion Assessment Method (bCAM) screening Mental health care. Examples include: Crisis intervention, performs behavioral/mental health screens, conducts interviews, and observes behavioral patients. Preparation of lab specimens and transfer to the lab for processing: Examples include: Labeling, placing in the proper bin or tube system. 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. Patient education within scope of care or while providing an intervention. Examples include: post-procedural care, splint care and wound care. Cardiovascular monitoring. Examples: central station or bedside cardiac monitoring. Follow-up care: Examples include: Suture removal. Electronic Health Record (EHR): Thoroughly and appropriately documents actions, interventions and procedures in the medical record. Examples include: Procedural notes, progress notes, screenings, photo-documentation and secure messaging Work Schedule: 80 hours per pay period to include weekends and holidays; 1930-0830 or 1530-0400 Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Intermediate Care Technician/PDS0031A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
About Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
Providing Health Care for Veterans: The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,255 health care facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1,074 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.