The Health Technician is located in the Acute Care Unit of Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS). The Health Technician will be assigned to Nursing Service and work under the general supervision of the Nurse Manager of Acute Care and will function under the direct leadership of a registered professional nurse.

Duties

The core duties of this position include but are not limited to: Adjust and adapt specialized equipment for difficult procedures. Operate and maintain equipment safely in a manner ensuring accurate results. Operate vital signs equipment safely and efficiently. Perform timely electrocardiograms and routine maintenance and storage of ECG and/or other monitoring equipment. Perform skin puncture for blood glucose checks and monitoring glucometer controls according to policy. Respond to emergency situations. Obtain specimens including but not limited to: blood (phlebotomy), urine, sputum, feces, nasal/pharyngeal swabs, and tissue cultures. Transport specimens to laboratory or specified location. Prepare patient for procedures including intubation, central line placement, lumbar puncture, chest tube insertion, and thoracentesis. Apply and change sterile dressings. Assist RN with IV starts and maintenance of IV line patency. Work Schedule: Varies based on the needs of the service | Every other weekend requirement Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician (Acute Care - Emergency Department) / 07618-A Physical Requirements: Position requires extensive period of standing. Also requires regular walking, bending, lifting and carrying of items that may exceed 45 pounds. The work requires above average agility and dexterity. The employee may be scheduled to work varying hours/tours of duty and may be required to work overtime to complete the daily schedule.

Requirements

• 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 Department of Veterans Affairs Personnel.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR): 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 AND 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.(A legible copy of transcripts with date the degree was conferred, coursework with grades and hours earned must be submitted with your application.) In addition to the IOR, candidates must meet the specialized experience below. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have one (1) full year of experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-04, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes work in performing the duties listed on the announcement as a non-professional nursing care, work in a hospital, outpatient clinic, nursing home, or other medical, nursing, or patient care facility. Specialized experience is defined as: Assisting medical/nursing staff with performing diagnostic procedures. Adjusting equipment for patient comfort and positioning patient for desired results. Operating vital signs equipment. Performing electrocardiograms. Performing skin puncture for blood glucose checks. Ordering and maintaining supplies pertaining to instruments or equipment used in the unit and keeps frequently used items stocked in treatment areas OR Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-5 level. SUBSTITION OF EDUCATION: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree, leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation, if required. (A legible copy of transcripts with date the degree was conferred, coursework with grades and hours earned must be submitted with your application.) OR Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-5 level. COMBINATION: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. (A legible copy of transcripts with date the degree was conferred, coursework with grades and hours earned must be submitted with your application.) For GS-5 level positions, only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to l year of specialized experience. Determine the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the year of specialized experience required at the GS-5 level. Then determine the applicant's education as a percentage of the education that meets the requirements for GS-5. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for GS-5. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-5. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e., 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e., 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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.

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.

Contacts

• Address Tennessee Valley HCS - Nashville 1310 24th Avenue South Nashville, TN 37212 US
• Name: Caitlin Clabough
• Email: [email protected]