This position is located at Nursing Services in the Amarillo VA Health Care System, in Amarillo, TX. The primary purpose of this position is to provide constant patient observation and monitoring of assigned high risk patients to support safety and prevention of falls and injury. This position functions in accordance with federal law, and Veterans Administration regulations, and the mission, philosophy, policies and procedures of the Veterans Health Administration and medical center.

Duties

Duties include but are not limited to: Responsibilities include monitoring more than one patient at a time in the monitoring station. The Patient Observation Aid must be able to clearly see all patients for which the team member is responsible for at all times. Must be able to verbally redirect the patient from engaging in identifiable risk behaviors. The Patient Observation Aid will notify the unit nursing team through communication devices or alarms if the patient requires immediate assistance. Must be able to utilize the technology required for visualization and interventions for safe patient care in accordance with departmental standards, policies, and procedures. Patient Monitoring: - Demonstrates understanding and proficiency of electronic systems including Careview Video monitoring and computer technology. - Appropriately records interventions and patient data in CareView Software. - Troubleshoots monitoring difficulties with central stations, alerting vendor/biomed of any software or hardware problems/issues. - Reports any physical or behavioral changes promptly to nursing staff responsible for the care of the patient. - Recognizes and reports potential safety hazards and/or issues. - Initiates emergency measures to protect patients. - Participates in problem-solving activities to maintain a safe environment - Assists in provision of a safe environment for patients with memory deficits, orientation problems and acting-out behavior. - Understands and demonstrates behavior that reflects that each patient is an individual with needs that vary, particularly according to his/her age. - Seeks assistance with removal of any potential safety hazard from room and reports findings to appropriate staff member - Consistently reports to the team leader/licensed staff observations of the patient's physical condition and behavior. - Always maintains patient confidentiality. - Respects patient privacy needs. - Conducts self in a professional manner, using accountability in communication to resolve problems in an open, timely manner. Customer Service: - Superior communication skills. - Consistently addresses the patient, family, and staff with respect and dignity. Work Schedule: Rotating shifts 0800-1630;1600-2430; 2400-0830; 2200-0830; 1200-2030 Nights and Weekends Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Patient Observation Aid/PD00657A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required This is a Bargaining Unit Position

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/05/2023. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-02 Grade Level: Experience: 3 months of experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the work of this position. This experience provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of this occupation. OR A high school level education or equivalent. OR A combination of Experience of Education: Equivalent combination of education and experience. General Experience: (1) Any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. Relevant experience preferred. Previous experience in the acutecare setting or Long Term Care (LTC). Previous direct patient care experience preferred. Strong communication and interpersonal skills. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communication Customer Service 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 is sedentary with long periods of monitoring a computer screen. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending, carrying of light items such as; papers, books, small parts, etc. No special physical demands are required to perform the work. 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 Thomas E Creek VA Medical Center 6010 Amarillo Boulevard, West Amarillo, TX 79106 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]