Health Technician serves as a member Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) interdisciplinary team. Health Technician provides assistance of a technical, specialized, and support nature to nursing personnel in the treatment of a patient's illness or medical condition.

Duties

Performs a range of diagnostic support duties such as taking, recording, and reporting to nurses and physicians vital signs, obtain specimens, draw and label specimens for laboratory processing. Observes and monitors patients for signs of adverse reaction to medication and treatment, identifies subtle changes regarding patients' condition, and reports observations to appropriate nursing personnel. Takes corrective action based on established policy and experience. Records results and ensures that documentation is part of medical record. Arranges and passes medical instruments and materials to medical/health professionals for a variety of tests and procedures. Provide comfort, protect patients against infections, and provide necessary nursing care. Performs selected tasks that involve a high degree of specialization (aggressive pulmonary toileting, monitors post operative care patients, myocutaneous rotation flap and split thickness skin graft surgeries, ventilator patients) Set up, operate, and monitor medical equipment designated as part of patient's treatment regimen. This includes oxygen, tube feedings, obtaining EKG's, and use of portable suction and glucose monitoring devices. Provides clerical and administrative support to the unit through coverage of telephones, arranging transport of patients to off ward appointments, and documentation of care/treatment in medical record. Assists patients in contacting members of their treatment team or social services as needed. Ensures appointments and tests are scheduled, and activities and appointments do not conflict with patient treatment plans. Assures all forms have required patient demographics. Utilizes computer to electronically perform following: lab results, radiology examinations and procedures, input patient data, and retrieval of patient information. Performs direct patient support to include collecting information from patients, providing personal patient care, and educating patients on pre-testing and post-procedure activities. Teaches patients and family members necessity of continuing proper health care through follow-up care. Provides complete personal hygiene. Turns and positions patients to maintain proper body alignment. Lifts, ambulates, and transfers patients using proper body mechanics, equipment, and transfer techniques. Promotes physical independence of the patient by encouraging and teaching individual and groups of patients self-care activities ( e.g., progressive steps in personal hygiene, bathing, oral care, eating, dressing, undressing, bowel and bladder training and wound care). Prepares patients for meals and feeds and assists those requiring help. Measure, records, and reports vital signs, weights, leg measurements, neurological checks, and circulatory checks. Maintain accurate daily records of each daily encounter ( e.g., written and electronic). Applies external urinary devices. Inserts foley catheters, suprapubic catheters and nasogastric tubes. Performs intermittent catheterizations and colostomy care. Cares for drainage apparatus' and change according to SCI policy. Accurately measures and records intake and output. Prepares patient(s) for discontinuation of urinary devices, nasogastric tubes, and hep-locks. Prepares patients and gives enemas and bowel care. Performs dressing changes ( e.g., dry, wet to dry) excluding those that require medication or on intravenous sites. Performs suctioning of oralphamyx, excluding tracheal suctioning. Performs quad cough as needed. Provides nursing care to patients receiving intravenous (IV). Responds and assists in the management of the patient who loses control of behavior and becomes harmful to himself and others by applying physical restraint or other measures as directed by the professional nurse and/or physician. Cares for patients who require close observation and adapts care to meet physical and emotional needs. Promptly reports and documents a patients response to this care. Applies immobilization devices for stabilization. Provide post-mortem care. Work Schedule: 24/7 rotating, with holidays and weekends Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician (Spinal Cord Injury)/PD04732A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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, 09/13/2023. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education s described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization and required application of knowledge, methods, and techniques of position to be filled. Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: performing a range of diagnostic support duties such as taking, recording, and reporting to nurses and physicians vital signs, obtaining specimens, drawing and labeling specimens for laboratory processing; and monitoring patient's condition throughout an exam, testing, or procedure. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed one half year of graduate education (9 semester hours or equivalent) with a major that included courses directly related to the work of this position. . OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and graduate education. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. 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 requires the incumbent to be mobile throughout the clinic as needed. Activities involve standing, walking, bending, pushing and lifting. The incumbent should be capable of prolonged standing and walking and be physically capable of pushing equipment. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: ClericalClinical Data Collection/DocumentationPatient Care 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

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 Raymond G Murphy Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 1501 San Pedro Drive, Southeast Albuquerque, NM 87108 US
• Name: Evelyn Gaynor
• Email: [email protected]