This position is assigned to the Nursing Service - Acute Care unit at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL and provides a varied range of supportive and direct care duties at the ward level in support of patient activities. Early Referral: Qualified applicant packages received by 9/15/2023 will be forwarded to the hiring manager for early consideration. To qualify for this position, facility applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. Non facility applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/25/2023. 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 GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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. Possession of current American Heart Association (AHA) and Certification in Basic Life Support (BLS) is highly desirable and preferred. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Individual Occupational Requirement (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. The IOR for the GS-05 grade level is: Experience: Experience that requires application of knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. This position is part of the series that range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as register nurse, physician, audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, optometrists, or other clinical staff. --OR-- Education: Successfully completion of 4 full year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the Health Technician position. This would include course work such as human anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, etc. Transcript(s) Required. In addition, to the Individual Occupational Requirement above the follow is the experience required to qualify for this position at the GS-6 grade level. Specialized Experience: One (1) full year of specialized experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skill, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the Health Technician position, and that is in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-5 level in the Federal service to qualify at the Grade-6. Examples of specialized experience include (but are not limited to): Providing direct patient care; providing assistance while observing for signs of potential complications to patients; skill of monitoring EKGs of patients on telemetry at Central Station site; identifies arrhythmias and changes in EKG rhythms ; trouble-shoots machines, checks electrode attachments, contacts medical personnel, and calls codes; verifies alarm setting and performs alarm parameter adjustments with RN; documents EKG changes in patient's heart rhythm/rate in medical record; provides telemetry monitor, identify proper lead placement, and attaches electrodes; providing general clerical/administrative support coordination work in a medical unit; uses aseptic and sterilization techniques to prevent cross contamination and spread of infection; providing competent educational instructions to patients; and communicates and assists customers, visitors and staff in a courteous and professional manner. Note: As a general rule education is not qualifying in this occupation at the GS-6 grade level. Graduate level education or an internship may meet the specialized experience required above the GS-5 grade level only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the Health Technician position. If utilizing education or internship to qualify for this position, transcripts and or certification of internship must be provided with your application package. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Infection Control 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 work involves periods of prolonged extensive or considerable standing, walking or siting. Lifts, positions, pushed and/or transfers patients. Lifts supplies and equipment. Considerable reaching, stooping, bending, kneeling, and crouching. This statement is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. Work Environment: Involves regular and recurring exposure to infections and contagious diseases, as well as working with infectious substances, irritant reagents, and potentially emotionally disturbed patients. The technician is required to follow infection control policies relating to the use of universal precautions and posted isolation practices. These policies may require the wearing of special Personal Protective Equipment (eye and face protection, mask, lab coat, gown, hat, shoe covers, and sterile and non-sterile gloves) with occasional exposure to peroxyacetic acid, exposure to x-rays, exposure to blood and body fluids which are often infectious. 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/. ["The Health Technician is a non-licensed member of the nursing care team and performs a wide range of direct and indirect patient care activities and related supportive services. This position provides clinical, administrative, technical, and direct patient care support. Specific duties include but are not limited to: Provides clinical and patient care support by obtaining vital signs, including pulse oximetry, glucose checks, perform 12 lead EKG readings, etc. Monitors EKGs of patients on telemetry at Central Station site for up to 40 monitors each, any number of which may be in use at any given time. Obtains EKG rhythm strips every four hours and documents rhythm changes in the medical record or as conditions warrant. Verifies alarm settings every four hours and performs alarm parameter adjustments in collaboration with the registered nurse. Provides telemetry monitor, identifies proper lead placement, and attaches electrodes upon admission. Upon discharge, cleans telemetry monitor/leads and places in appropriate storage area. Maintains telemetry equipment and supplies; inspects equipment for malfunctions, troubleshoots equipment failures; and notifies bio-med engineering when repairs are needed. Maintains equipment service logs and missing equipment logs. Tracks and retrieves missing equipment, orders supplies, i.e., electrodes, paper, batteries, as needed. Understands aseptic and sterilization techniques. Promotes infection prevention and control, utilizes standard precautions and proper protective equipment. Provides assistance of a technical, specialized, or support nature to health and medical personnel in the diagnosis or treatment of patient illnesses or conditions. Clearly explains procedures to patients. Communicates and assists customers, visitors, and staff in a courteous and professional manner. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm, 7:30am - 8:00pm, 7:30pm - 8:00am, 11:30am -12:00am 3:30pm - 12:00am, 7:30pm - 8:00am, 11:30pm - 8:00am Rotating weekends/ holidays. Various work schedules will be discussed at interview. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician - EKG Monitor/PD13350A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,298 health care facilities, including 171 medical centers and 1,113 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.
