Health Technician
U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
Summary
This position is aligned under the Portland VA Medical Center, Primary Care Division, Clinics and Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs).
Learn more about this agencyOverview
- Accepting applications
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Open & closing dates
12/20/2024 to 01/02/2025
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Salary
$39,576 - $51,446 per year
Salary is based on the 2024 Rest of the US GS Pay Scale. Actual salary will be determined based on the selectee's desired location.
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Pay scale & grade
GS 5
- Help
Locations
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Remote job
No
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Telework eligible
No
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Travel Required
Not required
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Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
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Appointment type
Permanent
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Work schedule
Full-time
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Service
Competitive
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Promotion potential
None
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Job family (Series)
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Supervisory status
No
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Security clearance
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Drug test
Yes
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Position sensitivity and risk
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Trust determination process
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Financial disclosure
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Bargaining unit status
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Announcement number
CBSV-12644363-25-JB
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Control number
825359200
This job is open to
- The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
- Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
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.
Duties
Duties include but not limited to:
- Assisting medical and nursing providers when performing medical & diagnostic examinations by assisting with duties such as monitoring vital signs, collecting biometrics, preparing and positioning the patient, completing the history and reminders, or by performing a variety of routine diagnostic tests.
- Taking and recording measurements and vital signs.
- Reporting deviations in vital signs and/or weight to the LPN/RN/MD.
- Measuring and recording height.
- Completing Health Promotion activities and asks reason for visit.
- Obtaining and labeling specimens to include clean catch urine specimens or sterile specimens.
- Drawing and labeling, and packaging specimens for the laboratory.
- Transporting specimens to the laboratory and calls the laboratory for reports.
- Reporting/recording results for the provider as appropriate.
- Performing routine diagnostic tests such as venipuncture, bladder scan, ultrasound, glucometer, pregnancy testing, urinary tract infection testing and electrocardiograms, as directed by the physician or professional nurse, for the purpose of diagnostic testing. He/she then calibrates and transmits data via electronic records.
- Assisting the physician in a variety of diagnostic examinations and must be able to receive instructions for difficult exams such as lumbar puncture, biopsies, colposcopies, LEEPs, intrauterine device placements, and pap smears.
- Positioning patient according to specific instructions from surgeon or primary care physician, drapes patient, preps and adjusts specialized equipment with multiple features, and passes instruments.
- Taking tissue cultures or specimen samples from difficult specialized procedures.
- Answering patient's questions during procedures.
- Chaperoning and comforting patients receiving gender specific examinations, including those that received Military Sexual Trauma. He/she possesses knowledge of surgical instruments in this clinical setting such as dilators, tenaculums, kevorkians, loops and balls, forceps and assists doctors with size selections. He/she possesses knowledge of proper handling and pre-cleaning of reusable medical equipment. Procedures are delicate and instrumentation is elaborate requiring settings and measurements that are very fine.
- Making precise adjustments to clarify readings and measurements and reports observations of the clinic patient regarding mobility, nutrition, pain/ comfort level, chief complaint, etc.
- Performing patient care procedures such as collection of specimens, applying dressings, adjusting simple supportive equipment. Performs simple procedures such as collection of blood samples or other fluid samples from ambulatory patients and application of sterile dressings to uncomplicated wounds. Uses proper sterile techniques for collection of samples.
- Verifying correct labeling and patient identification.
- Recording test time and intervals as appropriate. Assists with or performs standard health care procedures. Special procedures for women's health can include the annual breast, pap and cervical screening and interview.
- Teaching of patients and family members the necessity to continue good health maintenance, personal hygiene & self-care behaviors.
- Assisting with general health education and classes as assigned.
- Providing assistance of a technical, specialized, or support nature to health and medical personnel in the diagnosis or treatment of patient illnesses or medical conditions. Is able to teach clients how to read their meters, Blood Pressure's and other self monitored tests.
- Teaching patients and family members the necessity of personal hygiene and continuing proper self care behaviors.
- Promoting shared decision making behaviors.
- Providing general clerical/administrative support coordination work for the Clinic.
- Performing a variety of receptionist, record keeping, and miscellaneous duties in a general medical facility. Receives visitors, answers the telephone, and refers calls to appropriate staff or records messages. Schedules appointments and procedures.
- Orienting providers and new personnel to the clinical area including the proper procedure for requesting medical tests and the requirement for completion of exams.
- Assisting in familiarizing residents and new staff to operations, CPRS, various medical equipment in training to clinic setting.
- Participating in orientation of residents and new staff by explaining the roles of the healthcare team, assisting them with navigation of VA systems, and assigns them patients and rooms.
Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician/PD20668A
Physical Requirements: The work requires standing, walking, bending, lifting and carrying. The work may require heavy lifting of equipment or patients.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
- Subject to a background/suitability investigation
- Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
- May serve a probationary period
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
- A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
- 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.
- 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.
Qualifications
Individua Occupational Requirements:
- Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above): 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. OR
- Education/Training: For GS-5: Successful completion of a full 4-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 position.
You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
- Specialized Experience Requirement for GS-05: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes:
- assisting medical and nursing providers when performing medical & diagnostic examinations
- taking and recording vital signs
- reporting/recording results for the provider as appropriate
- performing routine diagnostic tests such as venipuncture, bladder scan, ultrasound, glucometer, pregnancy testing, urinary tract infection testing and electrocardiograms
- collecting of specimen, applying dressings, and adjusting simple supportive equipment; OR
- Education: Four (4) years of education above the high school level leading to a Bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position (i.e. medical technologist, nursing, etc). (Transcripts Required) OR
- Combination: An equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total qualification requirements for this grade level. This education must have been obtained at an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. To determine if you met these requirements, total your qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determine your education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; then add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. For example, an applicant has 8 months of GS-4 level specialized experience and 80 semester hours of college. The applicant meets 67 percent of the required experience and 33 percent of the required education (i.e., 20 semester hours in excess of the first 60 semester hours). The applicant meets 100 percent of the total requirements and is qualified for the position. (Transcripts Required)
Clerical, Clinical Data Collection/Documentation, Diagnostic Medical Testing, Education and Training, and Patient Care
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.
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
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.
If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.
Additional information
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
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 WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.
Resume Reminder - Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:
- Job title
- Duties (be as detailed as possible)
- Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
- Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
- Salary/Rank etc.
- Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
- References, current or recent supervisor
- Classified or Government sensitive information
- Social Security Number (SSN)
- Photos of yourself
- Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
Recommended: 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.
Required Documents
Documents Accepted:
- Cover Letter
- DD-214/ Statement of Service
- Disability Letter (Schedule A)
- Disability Letter (VA)
- License
- Other (1)
- PCS Orders
- Professional Certification
- Resume
- Separation Notice (RIF)
- SF-15
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
Documents Required:
- Resume
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).You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
All applicants are encouraged to apply online.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 01/02/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12644363.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. 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 USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details 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 USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Agency contact information
- Address
- VA Portland Health Care System
3710 Southwest US Veterans Hospital Road
Portland, OR 97239
US
Next steps
After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated 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.
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.
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.