This traveling position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Mid Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6), Salisbury VAHCS, Optometry Service, Salisbury, NC. The incumbent provides a varied range of significant patient-related duties in support of the eyecare and treatment given to patients in the Eye Clinics managed by the Optometry Service.

Duties

The Gap Optometry Technician is based at the Salisbury VA Health Care System with daily assignment determined based on the supervisor's having identified which of the Eye Clinics, Salisbury, NC VAMC or Kernersville, NC HCC has a "gap" that the Gap Optometry Technician can best fill based on the needs of the optometry service. Major Duties Obtaining a patient's physical history and pre-testing; Documents all pertinent information appropriately; Performs spectacle data collection; Glasses measurements; Frame selection, measurement and fitting; Tonometry, extra-ocular motility testing, and pupillary function Humphrey, Goldman and tangent screen visual field testing; Keratometry (manual and/or automated); B scan ultrasonography; Schirmer testing for quantitative tear production; Stereopsis testing using Titmus and stereofly tester; Color vision assessment; Amsler grid testing to evaluate each eye separately for distortion, metamorphopsia, micropsia, and scotomas; Ocular Coherence Tomography (OCT) testing; Setting up the minor procedure room for in-clinic procedures, assisting the doctor with these procedures, cleaning up after the procedures; Setting up the minor procedure room for removal of foreign body, lash epilating and cornea abrasion; Calling patients regarding appointments, filling out paperwork related to procedures performed in the clinic; Performing inventory of instruments, exam lens, eye medications, and other Eye Clinic supplies; Assisting the doctor in other non-specified technical areas within the clinic; Performs direct patient care in the form of changing eye dressings, instilling eye drops, etc.; Maintains all stock levels of ophthalmic medications and supplies necessary for the function of the clinic; Trains clerical support from other services, instructs residents and interns in the use of ocular instruments, computer usage, and the start-up of equipment; Independently records clinical photographs of the ocular fundus and other photographic procedures; Promptly recognizes urgent or emergent patient care situations, seeks assistance appropriately and effectively intervenes as directed. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, hours may vary based on clinic coverage. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician (Optometry GAP Technician)/PD000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/07/2023. 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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: knowledge of instruments and diagnostic or treatment procedures, intricate examination or treatment procedures, medical terminology, eye disease and pathology, anatomy and physiology. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.OR, Education: One full year of graduate education meets the requirements for GS-07 (transcript is required). You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to DetailClinical Data Collection/DocumentationComputer SkillsCustomer Service (Clerical/Technical)Technical Problem Solving 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 individual must be able to work for sustained periods under pressure. Heavy clinics will occasionally require long hours under hectic conditions, and the ability to be flexible in regards to patient need is critical. More specifically, the position requires the operation of several different devices under dim illumination for the examination of patients. These generally require that the operator sit opposite the patient, using one hand to support the eyelids in the static position while the body, head, and other hand of the operator must be able to shift positions sometimes rapidly to obtain the optimal picture fields during eye imaging tests.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address WG Bill Hefner Salisbury VA Medical Center 1601 Brenner Avenue Salisbury, NC 28144 US
• Name: Kristopher Palmer
• Email: [email protected]